Question

1) Expand VNTR and describe its role in DNA fingerprinting.
2) List any two applications OF DNA fingerprinting technique.

Answer 1

Hint: There are many techniques in biotechnology through which a sequence of DNA is used for the identification of any disease, helps in paternity test, and even used for the investigation of any criminal case.

Complete Answer:
1) To solve this question, we have to know about the repeated nucleotide sequence found in DNA that is involved in many biotechnological processes.
- Throughout the genome there are multiple copies of nucleotides that are arranged in a repeated pattern. It was first detected because of the re-association kinetics.
- The two types of repetitive DNA involves the interspersed repeat and the tandem repetitive sequence. In this satellite is a term used to identify the DNA sequence with short head to tail tandem repeats form for specific motifs.
- Generic repeated DNA creates signals that are important for formatting the expression patterns of the coding sequence files and for organizing more functions which are critical for genome replication and successful transmission to the newly formed cell.

- Now, VNTR stands for ‘variable number of tandem repeats’ that is from satellite DNA class termed as mini-satellite.
- The DNA sequence that is very small in size arranged tandemly in various copy numbers differs from chromosome to chromosome in an individual because of this repetition a high degree of polymorphism is observed.
- VNTR is an important source for many genetic markers like RFLP, as VNTR form bands that is unique in every individual it is used in the DNA fingerprinting process that is useful in identifying criminals and even used to identify genetic relation between two individuals.

2) Before you know the application of DNA fingerprinting, you should know about DNA fingerprinting in more detail.
- DNA fingerprinting is a technique that used to establish a relation between the biological evidence with the suspected criminal in a crime investigation process.
- In this technique DNA samples were collected from the crime scene and it compared with the suspected person’s DNA if the DNA profiles get matched it may help to solve the crime case.
Now, the two applications of DNA fingerprinting are; DNA fingerprinting is used in paternity tests if a child is lost and it is used in forensic labs for DNA profiling.

Note: During DNA profiling, RFLP that is restriction fragments length polymorphism is formed from restriction enzymes of the genome. This depends on the area of the restriction sites that is sorted by the gel electrophoresis technique followed by the southern blotting technique.