Genetics: Analysis and Principles 5th Edition by Robert Brooker

Exercise 36

Enhancers can be almost anywhere and affect the transcription of a gene. Let's suppose you have a gene cloned on a piece of DNA, and the DNA fragment is 50,000 bp in length. Using cloning methods described in Chapter 20, you can cut out short segments from this 50,000-bp fragment and then reintroduce the smaller fragments into a cell that can express the gene. You would like to know if any enhancers are within the 50,000-bp region that may affect the expression of the gene. Discuss the most efficient strategy you can think of to trim your 50,000-bp fragment, thereby locating enhancers. You can assume that the coding sequence of the gene is in the center of the 50,000-bp fragment and that you can trim the 50,000-bp fragment into any size piece you want using molecular techniques described in Chapter 20.