Comparative Genomics Practice Problems

Suppose you want to investigate a specific locus and the region of similarities in the DNA between genomes of two different species. If your information is protein sequences, which Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) should you use?

Comparative genomics can determine the similarities and differences between two genomes of interest. Which of the following serves as the initial step in comparing these two genomes?

In the annexin gene family found in humans, mice and chickens, namely A1, A2, A3 and A4. The protein sequence identities between the human and mouse genes are A1, 89%; A2, 95%; A3, 85%; and A4, 88%. The protein sequence identities between the human and chicken genes are A1, 64%; A2, 70%; A3, 65%; and A4, 67%. Which two genes exhibit a higher level of sequence similarity?

Plasmodium falciparum is a parasite that causes malaria in humans. It has undergone extensive gene loss over time. Which of the following may have caused this gene loss?

What genetic engineering technique can be used to introduce the mutant dystrophin allele into mouse embryos?

In the last 160 thousand years the human genome has undergone minimal rearrangement, what could be the reason why there is a significant genetic difference between humans and chimpanzees?

Some genes are derived from a common ancestral gene and have diverged through speciation events in different species. These genes may share similar nucleotide sequences, perform similar functions, and have similar structures. These genes are called:

One of the ways to identify the regulatory elements that control gene expression is to perform a comparative genomic analysis of the regions surrounding the gene in different species. This is based on the assumption that regulatory elements are more conserved than non-regulatory elements due to their functional importance.

What is the initial step in identifying regulatory elements expressed in various orthologous genes of the different species?

The human alpha and beta globin genes are both involved in oxygen transport in the blood.  However, they have different specificities and are located on different chromosomes. These two genes are examples of:

What technique allows visualization of the spatial distribution of gene expression in specific tissues or cells?

A researcher studying the genomes of two related species of plants finds that one of the species has several copies of a gene that is present in only one copy in the other species. The researcher suspects that gene duplication may have played a role in the divergence of these species.
The duplicated genes may acquire new functions through mutations in their regulatory regions or coding sequences, creating unique functional diversity. This process is known as:

In order to investigate the genomic differences between two distantly related species, a researcher wants to compare their genomes. Which of the following can be used to determine evolutionary relationship?

Which bioinformatic tool involves comparing the genomes of multiple species to identify similarities and differences between them.

Drosophila has been extensively used to understand biology. What is the phenotype of the Drosophila carrying the first mutant allele of Groucho?

Which of the following statements about orthologous genes is true?

Mice genomes have high similarity to human genomes. About ___ of human genes are homologous to mice genes.

Which genetic marker is commonly used in genome-wide association studies (GWAS)?

The process of identifying genes in a genome is termed:

Why do scientists often use Drosophila in studying human diseases such as cancer?

The Pax6 gene carries the genetic information that encodes for the Pax-6 protein which controls eye development and other sensory organs. The Pax6 from other vertebrates and Drosophila's eyeless gene share similar sequences and functions. This can indicate:

Homologous sequences are considered to be orthologous if they were separated by:

Which of the following is an example of homologous structures?

Investigating human diseases using actual human beings can raise ethical concerns. How does comparative genomics overcome this challenge?

Human genes cannot be copyrighted in the United States, according to the country's Supreme Court, because DNA is: