iGenetics 3rd Edition by Peter Russell

Exercise 4

The BLAST program can use either a DNA or an amino acid sequence as a query sequence, and can search either a database containing all known sequences or a database with sequences from just one organism. Suppose you are taking a reverse genetics approach to identify the function of your favorite human gene ( YFG ). You have sequenced a YFG cDNA, identified its ORF, and translated the ORF to obtain the amino acid sequence of the protein it encodes. For each of the following goals, state: (1) whether you would use the cDNA sequence or an amino acid sequence as a query in a BLAST search; (2) the type of database you would search; and (3) the kind of information you would hope to obtain from the search.
a. Identify the sequence coordinates and chromosomal location of YFG within the human genome, so that you can determine whether any disease mutations are in that region.
b. Identify the approximate locations of the intron and exon boundaries of YFG.
c. Predict the function of YFG.