TUTORIAL - MOLECULAR-BIOLOGY FOR THE CLINICIAN .2. TOOLS OF MOLECULAR-BIOLOGY

This is the second series of tutorials on molecular biology for the cl inician. Part I introduced general principles of nucleic acid and gene structure. This tutorial will build on those general principles and d escribe some of the commonly used techniques employed in research and diagnosis to examine genes and gene function. The tools of molecular b iology include recombinant DNA techniques that have revolutionized the study of DNA and genetic information. Recombinant DNA technology allo ws the isolation of specific regions of chromosomal DNA and the recove ry of unlimited quantities of that DNA for analyses, including determi nation of the nucleotide sequence of genes, examination of the mechani sms of gene regulation, and the identification of gene products (RNA a nd protein).