Table of contents

1. Introduction to Genetics51m
2. Mendel's Laws of Inheritance3h 37m
3. Extensions to Mendelian Inheritance2h 41m
4. Genetic Mapping and Linkage2h 28m
5. Genetics of Bacteria and Viruses1h 21m
6. Chromosomal Variation1h 48m
7. DNA and Chromosome Structure56m
8. DNA Replication1h 10m
9. Mitosis and Meiosis1h 34m
10. Transcription1h 0m
11. Translation58m
12. Gene Regulation in Prokaryotes1h 19m
13. Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes44m
14. Genetic Control of Development44m
15. Genomes and Genomics1h 50m
16. Transposable Elements47m
17. Mutation, Repair, and Recombination1h 6m
18. Molecular Genetic Tools19m
- Genetic Cloning
  9m
- Methods for Analyzing DNA
  9m
19. Cancer Genetics29m
- Overview of Cancer
  21m
- Cancer Mutations
  7m
20. Quantitative Genetics1h 26m
21. Population Genetics50m
- Hardy Weinberg
  19m
- Allelic Frequency Changes
  31m
22. Evolutionary Genetics29m

15. Genomes and Genomics

Functional Genomics

Genetics

15. Genomes and Genomics

Functional Genomics

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1:55 minutes

Problem 22b

Textbook Question

A substantial fraction of almost every genome sequenced consists of genes that have no known function and that do not have sequence similarity to any genes with known function. How would your approach change if the genes of unknown function were in the human genome?

Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Begin by understanding the significance of genes with unknown functions in the human genome. These genes may play critical roles in biological processes that are not yet understood, and studying them could provide insights into human health, development, and disease.

Step 2: Investigate the expression patterns of these genes. Use techniques such as RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to determine when and where these genes are expressed in the human body. This can help identify potential roles based on tissue-specific or developmental stage-specific expression.

Step 3: Analyze the protein products of these genes. Use proteomics approaches to identify the proteins encoded by these genes and study their structure and interactions with other proteins. This can provide clues about their function.

Step 4: Perform functional studies using model organisms or cell cultures. Techniques such as gene knockouts, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, or RNA interference (RNAi) can be used to study the effects of disrupting these genes and infer their roles based on phenotypic changes.

Step 5: Explore evolutionary conservation. Compare the sequences of these genes across different species to identify conserved regions, which may indicate essential functions. Genes conserved across species are more likely to have critical biological roles.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Gene Function and Annotation

Gene function refers to the specific roles that genes play in the biological processes of an organism. Annotation involves identifying and describing these functions based on experimental data or computational predictions. Understanding gene function is crucial for interpreting genomic data, especially when encountering genes with unknown functions, as it helps in hypothesizing their potential roles in health and disease.

Comparative Genomics

Comparative genomics is the study of the similarities and differences in the genomes of different species. This approach can provide insights into gene function by identifying conserved sequences that may indicate essential biological roles. When analyzing genes of unknown function in the human genome, comparative genomics can help identify homologous genes in other species with known functions, guiding hypotheses about their roles in humans.

Functional Genomics

Functional genomics focuses on understanding the complex relationships between genes and their functions through high-throughput techniques. This field employs methods such as gene knockout, overexpression, and RNA interference to study gene function in vivo. If the genes of unknown function were in the human genome, employing functional genomics could help elucidate their roles by observing the effects of manipulating these genes in model organisms or cell lines.

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Related Practice

Textbook Question

A 1.0-kb DNA fragment from the end of the mouse gene described in the previous problem is examined by DNA footprint protection analysis. Two samples are end-labeled with ³²P, and one of the two is mixed with TFIIB, TFIID, and RNA polymerase II. The DNA exposed to these proteins is run in the right-hand lane of the gel shown below and the control DNA is run in the left-hand. Both DNA samples are treated with DNase I before running the samples on the electrophoresis gel.

Draw a diagram of this DNA fragment bound by the transcriptional proteins, showing the approximate position of proteins along the fragment.

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Textbook Question

A 1.0-kb DNA fragment from the end of the mouse gene described in the previous problem is examined by DNA footprint protection analysis. Two samples are end-labeled with ³²P and one of the two is mixed with TFIIB, TFIID, and RNA polymerase II. The DNA exposed to these proteins is run in the right-hand lane of the gel shown below and the control DNA is run in the left-hand. Both DNA samples are treated with DNase I before running the samples on the electrophoresis gel.

What length of DNA is bound by the transcriptional proteins? Explain how the gel results support this interpretation.

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Textbook Question

How would you design a genetic screen to find genes involved in meiosis?

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Textbook Question

Substantial fractions of the genomes of many plants consist of segmental duplications; for example, approximately 40% of genes in the Arabidopsis genome are duplicated. How might you approach the functional characterization of such genes using reverse genetics?

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Textbook Question

A substantial fraction of almost every genome sequenced consists of genes that have no known function and that do not have sequence similarity to any genes with known function. Describe two approaches to ascertaining the biological role of these genes in S. cerevisiae.

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Textbook Question

In conducting the study described in Problem 24, you have noted that a set of S. cerevisiae genes are repressed when yeast are grown under high-salt conditions. How might you approach this question if genome sequences for the related Saccharomyces species S. paradoxus, S. mikatae, and S. bayanus were also available?

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Textbook Question

In conducting the study described in Problem 24, you have noted that a set of S. cerevisiae genes are repressed when yeast are grown under high-salt conditions.How might you determine whether this set of genes is regulated by a common transcription factor?

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Textbook Question

What is the difference between biochemical and biological function?

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