Genetic Recombination: Reviews and Protocols

by Alan S. Waldman (Editor)

Overview

Genetic recombination, in the broadest sense, can be defined as any process in which DNA sequences interact and undergo a transfer of information, producing new “recombinant” sequences that contain information from each of the original molecules. All organisms have the ability to carry out recombination, and this striking universality speaks to the essential role recombination plays in a variety of biological processes fundamentally important to the maintenance of life. Such processes include DNA repair, regulation of gene expression, disease etiology, meiotic chromosome segregation, and evolution. One important aspect of recombination is that it typically occurs only between sequences that display a high degree of sequence identity. The stringent requirement for homology helps to ensure that, under normal circumstances, a cell is protected from deleterious rearrangements since a swap of genetic information between two nearly identical sequences is not expected to dramatically alter a genome. Recombination between dissimilar sequences, which does happen on occasion, may have such harmful consequences as chromosomal translocations, deletions, or inversions. For many organisms, it is also important that recombination rates are not too high lest the genome become destabilized. Curiously, certain organisms, such as the trypanosome parasite, actually use a high rate of recombination at a particular locus in order to switch antigen expression continually and evade the host immune system effectively.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781588292360
Publisher:	Springer-Verlag New York, LLC
Publication date:	01/09/2004
Series:	Methods in Molecular Biology , #262
Edition description:	2004
Pages:	260
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.04(d)

Table of Contents

Studying Recombination Events in Eukaryotes.- Determination of Mitotic Recombination Rates by Fluctuation Analysis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.- Determination of Intrachromosomal Recombination Rates in Cultured Mammalian Cells.- Intrachromosomal Homologous Recombination in Arabidopsis thaliana.- Analysis of Recombinational Repair of DNA Double-Strand Breaks in Mammalian Cells With I-SceI Nuclease.- Transformation of Monomorphic and Pleomorphic Trypanosoma brucei.- Forward Genetic Screens for Meiotic and Mitotic Recombination-Defective Mutants in Mice.- Recombination as a Reporter of Genomic Instability.- Detecting Carcinogens With the Yeast DEL Assay.- In Vivo DNA Deletion Assay to Detect Environmental and Genetic Predisposition to Cancer.- Recombination as a Tool for Producing Targeted Genetic Modification.- Gene Targeting at the Chromosomal Immunoglobulin Locus.- DNA Fragment Transplacement in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.- Targeted Gene Modification Using Triplex-Forming Oligonucleotides.- Using Nucleases to Stimulate Homologous Recombination.- Enhancement of In Vivo Targeted Nucleotide Exchange by Nonspecific Carrier DNA.- Biochemistry of Recombination.- Chromatin Immunoprecipitation to Investigate Protein-DNA Interactions During Genetic Recombination.- Holliday Junction Branch Migration and Resolution Assays.