Exam 10: The Integration of Genetic Approaches: Understanding Sickle Cell Disease

You have digested a molecule of DNA and want to identify a specific fragment of interest. The DNA is subjected to gel electrophoresis, but you get two bands that are very close in size. What could you use to determine which band is the correct one?

The different globin genes in each cluster are sequentially expressed in tightly controlled patterns during the various stages of prenatal and adult development. What gene structure helps regulate globin gene transcription by controlling both the timing and the starting point for transcribing DNA into mRNA?

Before transferring DNA from a gel to the membrane in Southern blotting, the DNA must be denatured (usually by soaking the gel in NaOH). Why is this step necessary?

Given the following gel, which protein has a more negative charge?

The mutation that causes SCD causes what kind of change in the structure of hemoglobin?

Sickle cell is a codominant disease, meaning that heterozygotes exhibit an intermediate blood cell phenotype (a mixture of normal and sickle cells)due to the blend of hemoglobin tetramers in each red blood cell. Which of the following tetramer structures would you expect to find in a carrier of SCD?

Given the following Southern blot results, which lane represents a heterozygous individual?

Given the following gel, which protein is more likely to have a globular shape?