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BIOL 3110L Exam 1
BIOL 3110L Exam 1
83
Biology
Undergraduate 3
01/20/2018

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Term
who discovered restriction enzymes?
Definition
Swiss microbiologist Werner Arber and Stuart Linn
Term
what did Werner Arber's daughter Sylvia call restriction enzymes?
Definition
"servants with scissors"
Term
Arber discovered restriction enzymes while...
Definition
studying a phenomenon known as host-controlled restriction of bacteriophages (also known at the time as host-controlled modification of bacteriophages).
Term
Bacteriophages
Definition
viral particles that invade bacteria and replicate their own DNA independently of the bacterial chromosomal DNA
Term
the basis for Arber discovering restriction enzymes
Definition
he wanted to know why bacterial phages did better in some strains of bacteria than others
Term
what Arber proposed before discovering restriction enzymes
Definition
he theorized that previous exposure to a particular bacterial strain somehow protected that phage from that bacterial strain

Arber also proposed that there were specific sites in the virus with unmodified genome where restriction occured
Term
Arber and Linn referred to the enzyme responsible for this "endonucleolytic scission" as...
Definition
endonuclease R, a name later changed to EcoB
Term
a restriction enzyme discovered in E. coli after Arber and Linn's research
Definition
EcoK
Term
HindII
Definition
enzyme discovered in another bacterial species that degrades foreign phage DNA but not the bacterial host's DNA
Term
restriction or recognition site
Definition
the actual nucleotide sequence of the specific site where a restriction enzyme cleaves
Term
significance of discovering restriction or recognition site
Definition
confirms Arber's hypothesis that restriction enzymes are extremely selective with regard to where they make their cuts
Term
how many restriction enzymes are there?
Definition
over 800
Term
how many restriction sites are there?
Definition
over 100
Term
length of restriction sites
Definition
most are 4-6 bases long
Term
most restriction sites are palindromic, meaning...
Definition
the sequence reads the same forward and backward
Term
how bacterial enzymes are named
Definition
first 3 letters of bacterium from which it was isolated, e.g., Eco for E. coli, fourth letter for particular strain, e.g., EcoB, and Roman neumerals for enzymes from the same strain, e.g., EcoBII
Term
the 3 categories of restriction enzymes recognized today
Definition
-type I
-type II
-type III
Term
type I restriction enzymes
Definition
they recognize specific DNA sequences but make their cut at seemingly random sites that can be as far as 1,000 base pairs away from the recognition site
Term
type II restriction enzymes
Definition
they recognize and cut directly within the recognition site
Term
type III restriction enzymes
Definition
they recognize specific sequences but make their cut at a different specific location that is usually within about 25 base pairs of the recognition site
Term
purpose of restriction enzymes
Definition
defense against invading viruses
Term
how bacteria protect their DNA
Definition
by modifying their own recognition sequences
Term
how bacteria modify their own recognition sequences
Definition
usually by adding methyl (CH3) molecules to nucleotides in the recognition sequences and then relying on the restriction enzymes' capacity to recognize and cleave only unmethylated recognition sequences
Term
how bacteriophages protect theirselves from restriction enzymes
Definition
bacteriophages that have previously replicated in a particular host bacterial strain and survived are similarly modified with methyl-labeled nucleotides and thereby protected from cleavage within that same strain
Term
the first major application of restriction enzymes
Definition
as a tool for cutting DNA into fragments in ways that would make it easier to study and, in particular, identify and characterize genes
Term
a second major use for restriction enzymes
Definition
as a device for recombining, or joining, DNA molecules from different genomes
Term
the goal of recombining, or joining, DNA molecules from different genomes
Definition
identifying and characterizing a gene or studying gene expression and regulation
Term
how scientists today separate DNA fragments
Definition
restriction enzyme digestion, followed by electrophoresis
Term
probe (genetic context)
Definition
a DNA or RNA molecule with a base sequence that is complementary to a DNA sequence of interest
Term
what a probe is used for
Definition
to identify where in the genome (i.e., on which fragment) the sequence of interest is located
Term
Southern blotting
Definition
1: DNA fragments electrophoretically separated
2: fragments transferred from gel to solid medium, or membrane
Term
what is done to the DNA fragments after Southern blotting?
Definition
3: probes are used to bind to the sequences of interest
4: membrane is washed to leave only the probes bound to the membrane
Term
autoradiography
Definition
technique used to detect radioactive probes after the membrane is washed
Term
blunt-end fragments
Definition
DNA fragments with no sticky ends
Term
cohesive or sticky ends
Definition
overhanging single strands of DNA on a DNA fragment
Term
DNA ligase
Definition
enzyme that can covalently bind complementary sticky-end fragments
Term
what the utilization of sticky ends and DNA ligase enables molecular biologists to do
Definition
create seemingly limitless combinations of recombinant DNA
Term
how PCR is done
Definition
1: near-boiling temperature causes double-stranded DNA to separate, or denature into single strands
2: temperature is decreased and short DNA sequences known as primers bind, or anneal, to complementary matches on the target DNA sequence. The primers bracket the target sequence to be copied
3: At a slightly higher temperature, Taq polymerase binds to the primed sequences and adds nucleotides to extend the second strand. This completes the first cycle.
4: repeat 1-3
Term
plasmid
Definition
circular pieces of DNA that replicate independently of the host's chromosomal DNA
Term
where plasmids are found
Definition
mainly bacteria, but can also exist in...
-archaea
-eukaryotes
Term
some eukaryotes that can have plasmids
Definition
-yeasts
-plants
Term
some beneficial functions plasmids can provide to the host
Definition
-resistance to antibiotics
-degradative functions
-virulence
Term
what natural plasmids contain
Definition
-origin of replication (all have this)
-typically include a gene that is advantageous for survival
Term
what artificial plasmids used in the lab are used for
Definition
to introduce foreign DNA into the cell
Term
minimally, plasmids made in the lab contain...
Definition
-origin of replication
-selection marker
-cloning site
Term
what makes plasmids attractive tools for life scientists and bioengineers?
Definition
The ease of modifying plasmids and the ability of plasmids to self-replicate within a cell
Term
anatomy of a plasmid
Definition
[image]
Term
some vector elements within a plasmid
Definition
-Origin of Replication (ORI)
-Antibiotic Resistance Gene
-Multiple Cloning Site (MCS)
-Insert
-Promoter Region
-Selectable Marker
-Primer Binding Site
Term
Origin of Replication (ORI)
Definition
DNA sequence which allows initiation of replication within a plasmid by recruiting transcriptional machinery proteins
Term
Antibiotic Resistance Gene
Definition
Allows for selection of plasmid-containing bacteria.
Term
Multiple Cloning Site (MCS)
Definition
Short segment of DNA which contains several restriction sites allowing for the easy insertion of DNA. In expression plasmids, the MCS is often downstream from a promoter.
Term
Insert
Definition
Gene, promoter or other DNA fragment cloned into the MCS for further study.
Term
Promoter Region
Definition
Drives transcription of the target gene. Vital component for expression vectors: determines which cell types the gene is expressed in and amount of recombinant protein obtained.
Term
Selectable Marker
Definition
The antibiotic resistance gene allows for selection in bacteria. However, many plasmids also have selectable markers for use in other cell types.
Term
Primer Binding Site
Definition
A short single-stranded DNA sequence used as an initiation point for PCR amplification or sequencing. Primers can be exploited for sequence verification of plasmids.
Term
Due to their aritificial nature, lab plasmids are commonly referred to as...
Definition
“vectors” or “constructs”
Term
what scientists may do to insert a gene of interest into a vector
Definition
utilize one of a variety of cloning methods (Restriction enzyme, Ligation indepenent, Gateway, Gibson, etc)
Term
some cloning methods
Definition
-Restriction enzyme
-Ligation indepenent
-Gateway
-Gibson
-etc.
Term
how the cloning method is chosen
Definition
based on the plasmid you want to clone into
Term
Addgene’s Plasmid Guide includes information about...
Definition
-molecular cloning
-how to choose a plasmid vector
-molecular biology tools and references
-how to maintain your plasmid stocks
-multiple protocols and troubleshooting tips to make plasmid usage as simple and straightforward as possible
Term
Generally, scientists use plasmids to...
Definition
manipulate gene expression in target cells
Term
some characteristics of plasmids that enable molecular biologists to broadly utilize plasmids across a wide range of applications
Definition
-flexibility
-versatility
-safety
-cost-effectiveness
Term
Some common plasmid types
Definition
-Cloning plasmids
-Expression plasmids
-Gene knock-down plasmids
-Reporter plasmids
-Viral plasmids
-Genome engineering plasmids
Term
some things plasmids are being used for
Definition
vectors for experiments encompassing...
-fluorescent imaging
-recombinant DNA technology
-mass protein production
-disease modeling
-drug discovery
-genome editing
Term
2) Sylvia, the 10 year old (at the time) daughter of Werner Arber said the following, If a foreign king invades a bacterium, this servant can cut him in small fragments. Who is the “king” in which she is referring to?
Definition
DNA
Term
DNA bands in an agarose gel are visualized by...
Definition
ethidium bromide
Term
the role of loading dye in gel electrophoresis
Definition
helps you load the sample into the well
Term
are DNA fragments by themselves visible during the gel electrophoresis procedure?
Definition
usually not
Term
when DNA fragments are visible
Definition
normally after electrophoresis

if stained with EtBr, they become visible when placed on UV; causes EtBr to fluoresce
Term
does intensity of staining correspond to number of DNA fragments?
Definition
no
Term
true or false? Assuming that the two RE digestion reactions that gave the results shown in panel A of Figure 1 contained equal quantities of plasmid DNA. It would be expected that the single band shown in lane 2 would have equal or more intensity than any band shown lane 3.
Definition
true
Term
why the intensity of the top few bands in electrophoresis can decrease from top down
Definition
because of fewer base pairs in each fragment as you go down
Term
what does EtBr stain?
Definition
bases
Term
why is it helpful to know where the restriction sites in a viral genome are?
Definition
-helps you know the size of the expected fragments
-helps you know what % of agarose to run
Term
true or false? The reference ladder can tell you if your gel needs to be run longer by the number of bands present.
Definition
true
Term
what's used to make a plasmid?
Definition
dntp's
Term
what's the building blocks of a plasmid?
Definition
dntp's
Term
does the MCS occur naturally in plasmids?
Definition
no
Term
what does EtBr stain?
Definition
nucleic acid
Term
what concentration does the loading buffer work best at?
Definition
1X
Term
some possible sources of bands in an unsuccessful PCR experiment
Definition
1: starting material DNA
2: excess primers
3: primer-dimers
4: off-target amplification
Term
the types of primer molecules used in PCR rxns
Definition
-forward primers
-reverse primers
Term
what determines the success of a PCR rxn?
Definition
whether or not you put it thru a correct thermal cycling program
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