Human gene sequences

If DNA from two different species are mixed, denatured, and allowed to cool slowly so that reannealing can occur, artificial hybrid duplexes may form, provided the DNA from one species is similar in nucleotide sequence to the DNA of the other. The degree of hybridization is a measure of the sequence similarity or relatedness between the two species. Depending on the conditions of the experiment, about 25% of the DNA from a human forms hybrids with mouse DNA, implying that some of the nucleotide sequences (genes) in humans are very similar to those in mice. Mixed RNA DNA hybrids can be created in vitro if single-stranded DNA is allowed to anneal with RNA copies of itself, such as those formed when genes are transcribed into mRNA molecules. 

Goate, A.M., Cooper, D.N., Hall, C., Leung, T.K., Solomon, E., Li, L. (1987). Localization of a human heat shock hsp70 gene sequence to chromosome 6 and detection of two other loci by somatic cell hybrid and RFLP analysis. Hum. Gen. 75, 123-128. 

The promise of being able to predict and modify the genetic characteristics of an organism fuelled massive efforts to determine the base sequences of human genes. The human genome project has now reached the goal of sequencing all the important DNA carried by humans. 

Sheffield, V.C., Beck, J.S., Nichols, B., Cousineau, A, Lidral, A. and Stone, E.M. (1992) Detection of multiallele polymorphisms within gene sequences by GC-clamped denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. American Journal of Human Genetics 50, 567—575. 

Welage, L. Barnett, C. P. Landowski, D. Foster, D. Fleisher, K.-D. Lee et al. Comparison of Human Duodenum and Caco-2 Gene Expression Profiles for 12,000 Gene Sequences Tags and Correlation with Permeability of 26 Drugs., Pharm. Res. 2002, 29, 1400-1416... 

Sun, D., et al. Comparison of human duodenum and Caco-2 gene expression profiles for 12,000 gene sequences tags and correlation with permeability of 26 drugs. Pharm. Res. 2002, 19, 1400-1416. 

Otterness D, Szumlanski C, Lennard L et al. Human thiopurine methyltransferase pharmacogenetics gene sequence polymorphisms. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1997 62 60-73. 

When we have the information from the sequencing of the human genome, and want to understand the properties of those proteins that are coded by some of the genes but not yet known experimentally, we need to solve the protein-folding problem. Then we can translate the gene sequence—which specifies the sequence of amino acids—into the three-dimensional structure of the unknown protein. 

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