Department of Genetics and Bioengineering Molecular Biology
EXPERIMENT IV: CROHN’S DISEASE & RFLP
Introduction:
Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP)
RFLP is one of the first techniques for DNA analysis in identifying genetic disorder inheritance, forensic science and in some other fields. It is not widely used now, especially after the foundation of PCR technique. The term restriction fragment length polymorphism means detecting a variation in a sequence of DNA through gel electrophoresis. Different lengths of DNA fragments are analyzed with a restriction endonuclease enzyme which cuts DNA from its recognition sites. Presences of recognition sites give different DNA fragments in different lengths which will become obvious in electrophoresis. Then the fragments will be hybridized by DNA probes.
There are lots of benefits of this technique like providing information in genetic disease analysis, identifying the chromosome that the target gene located or mapping the human genome. By the RFLP analysis, it is possible to map inheritance pattern in a family to determine any risk of inherited disease on an individual. It is also used for genetic fingerprinting to identify the murderer in a crime scene.
On the other hand RFLP analysis is a slow process and it is not preferable compared to newer techniques despite of its many benefits. It requires a large amount of samples which extends the duration of the process. Even a fingerprint analysis can take a month which is a great handicap for catching a murderer. These days RFLP gives its place to PCR analysis which is much faster and requires less amount of DNA sample. (Murnaghan, 2016)
Crohn’s Disease
It is a chronical disease that named after Dr. Burrill B. Crohn, who is the founder of the disease in 1932. The disease is one of the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). The symptoms are similar to ulcerative colitis but Crohn’s disease affects a different area of the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract). Even though symptoms are changeable in individuals, the mostly seen are persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, urgent need to move bowels, abdominal cramps and pain, sensation of incomplete evacuation and constipation (can lead to bowel obstruction). Fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, night sweats and loss of normal menstrual cycle can be related to this disease too. (CCFA, 2016)
Aim: Identifying whether our patient has mutant DNA of Crohn’s Disease or not with the RFLP technique.
Materials
- Micropipette
- Incubator
- Microtube
- RFLP Mix
- Patient DNA
- Gel Electrophoresis Machine
- Agarose Gel
- Pipette 10 ml of patient DNA into the RFLP mix.
- For 45 minutes, incubate the mix at 37oC.
- Then load the mix into the agarose gel.
- Observe the result.
I worked on the patient number 156 which put into blue rectangles in both Figure 1 and Figure 2. In Figure 1 which is the reference, the sample has 2 bands near the bottom. However in Figure 2 the sample has only one unclear band near the bottom.
Discussion
As we already know there are three possible gel results that can occur. One is a single band on the top which means homozygote wild DNA, three bands which means heterozygote that contains both wild and mutant alleles and two bands at near the bottom which means homozygote mutant DNA. By looking at the reference sample in Figure 1, I can say that my DNA sample is homozygote mutant because it has 2 clear bands near the bottom. However when I look at the sample that I load, I see a single unclear band which is close to the bottom. That doesn’t fit any identification, so a mistake had to be occurred in the process. Because my sample has a band at the bottom, I’m certain that the sample contains mutant allele. So probably the other band that must be seen in mutant allele is there but cannot be seen. I might not load the sample properly and it seems that there is a lack of light at the second row of the gel. Even though I couldn’t load it properly I could have seen another unclear band. However despite the fact that I had couple of mistakes, by looking at the reference as well, I’m certain that my sample which is patient number 156 is homozygote mutant for Crohn’s Disease.
References
- (2016). What is Crohn’s Disease? Retrieved from Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America: http://www.ccfa.org/what-are-crohns-and-colitis/what-is-crohns-disease/?referrer=https://www.google.com.tr/
- Murnaghan, I. (2016, September 18). RFLP Analysis. Retrieved from ExploreDNA: http://www.exploredna.co.uk/rflp-analysis.html
Yorumlar
Yorum Gönder