Proteins for Genetic Profile

[Dreamerish*~]

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"Blood samples can also be analysed for genetic markers using a technique called electrophoresis. This technique separates the proteins within blood cells and can provide a genetic profile of the suspect. It has the potential to distinguish between several suspects of the same blood group." - Chemistry Contexts 2, page 438.

How exactly does the separation of proteins provide a genetic profile if genes are segments of DNA?

[mitochondria]

One of DNA's role is protein regulation, that is, DNA carries the information required for the production of proteins, and proteins are coded by a sequence on the DNA - which you would call genes. (DNA is first transcribed to RNA, a complementary strand to DNA. The strand of RNA then undergoes translation by ribosomes and proteins are finally produced after a series of complicated sequences which real Chemists don't need to know )

Therefore the presence of a particular protein would mean the presence of a particular sequence in the DNA.

That sounds about right You might want to check with someone else though ^^

(My alternative explanation is that you also get nucleic acid fragments, by using certain enzymes on the DNA of interest, and they can also be separated with electrophoresis.)

*yawn*

[Dreamerish*~]

Thank you so much.

[mitochondria]

That sounded funny... but I'll take it anyway

[Survivor39]

Hmmm, I think when you try to electrophesis for blood proteins, you are trying to separate the different proteins expressed by differnt alleles of a gene.

e.g, in the gel after electrophoresis, you see 2 bands (compared to the known sample as a standard), one hand has the A proteins, one has the B proteins, hence this person is AB. Then Sample 2 has only 1 band, and you can identify whether that person has A or B blood (from another standard). No bands means O.

That's how they do it