1. Organisms are made up of cells, cells are largely protein and DNA carries the instructions for the synthesis of those proteins

2. DNA is made up of subunit building blocks called nucleotides

3. Nucleotides are joined into chains and two such chains associate with eachother by base pairing

5. The sequence information in DNA is copied into RNA (mRNA) which then directs protein synthesis

7. Amino acid assembly during translation occurs on ribosomes; tRNA serves as the crucial adaptor molecule

8. Proteins are composed of subunits called amino acids; mRNA directs the synthesis of an amino acid polymer

10. Rare mutations in DNA are changes in its nucleotide sequence, leading to an altered mRNA and an altered protein

11. A brief overview of the human genome
Size = 3x109 base pairs (bp), A paired with T and G paired with C, distributed over 23 chromosomes (this is for a haploid, or germ cell; double those numbers for a diploid somatic cell)
Nucleotide changes occur in DNA via mutations; the spontaneous mutation rate is approx per germ cell per year
Base composition: 40% GC base pairs; less than 2% in the format CpG; this is b/c of mutation at such sites, CpG -> TpG, especially so when C is methylated
Genic content of our genome: 3-5% of genome = “genes”; this represents about 1.5x107 bp and includes approx. 40,000 genes
What’s in the remaining 95% of the genome? About 40% is retroelements, remnants of retroviruses (much like computer viruses). Retroelements are usually highly methylated at the C in CpG doublets
About 30% of the genome = variable, simple repeat sequences in DNA

12. Genes include both coding regions as well as control regions

13. Consensus sequences identify evolutionarily conserved sequences that are likely to be important; eg, the promoter

14. Overview of the Prokaryotic Promoter Region
Met
-10
TATAa +1
ATG

15. Eukaryotic Promoter Structure
Met
TATAaA A
ATG
-30 +1
ACCATGG
+50
Alternative promoter structures
Initiator (Inr)
YY A N T/A YYY +1
CpG Islands (CpG)

16. Some general landmarks that characterize transcription and translation

17. Short, conserved sequences delimit exon/intron boundaries

18. Genomic DNA
cDNA
mRNA
aa1-aa2-aa(n)

19. TATAa……..ATG G
GU…..AG G
Start
Intron #1
GU………AGG G
UAA
UAA……..AAUAAA
Intron (n)
STOP
Poly A tail

20. Repetitive DNA sequences comprise much of the non-coding segment of the genome
30%
1-3%

21. A brief overview of the human genome
Size = 3x109 base pairs (bp), A paired with T and G paired with C, distributed over 23 chromosomes (this is for a haploid, or germ cell; double those numbers for a diploid somatic cell)
Nucleotide changes occur in DNA via mutations; the spontaneous mutation rate is approx per germ cell per year
Base composition: 40% GC base pairs; less than 2% in the format CpG; this is b/c of mutation at such sites, CpG -> TpG, especially so when C is methylated
Genic content of our genome: 3-5% of genome = “genes”; this represents about 1.5x107 bp and includes approx. 40,000 genes
What’s in the remaining 95% of the genome? About 40% is retroelements, remnants of retroviruses (much like computer viruses). Retroelements are usually highly methylated at the C in CpG doublets
About 30% of the genome = variable, simple repeat sequences in DNA

22. Gene identification can begin with mRNA isolation and formation of copy DNA (cDNA)

23. Large-scale gene analysis can be performed using DNA microarrays, or chips

24. Human CF gene, approx. 250kb
4kb
Approx. 1 mutation per 1kb in noncoding regions;
if 80% of the genome is noncoding:
3x109bp x 0.8 = 2.4x109 x 1/1,000 = 2.4x106 mut.
differing between any two individuals