genomics

genomics, one of several omic branches of biological study, concentrates on the structure, function, and inheritance of an organism’s genome (its entire set of genetic material) . A major part of genomics is determining the sequence of molecules that make up the genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content of an organism. The genomic DNA sequence is contained within an organism’s chromosomes, one or more sets of which are found in each cell of an organism. The chromosomes can be further described as containing the fundamental units of heredity, the genes. Genes are transcriptional units, those regions of chromosomes that under appropriate circumstances are capable of producing a ribonucleic acid (RNA) transcript that can be translated into molecules of protein.

Every organism contains a basic set of chromosomes, unique in number and size for every species, that includes the complete set of genes plus any DNA between them. While the term genome was not brought into use until 1920, the existence of genomes has been known since the late 19th century, when chromosomes were first observed as stained bodies visible under the microscope. The initial discovery of chromosomes was then followed in the 20th century by the mapping of genes on chromosomes based on the frequency of exchange of parts of chromosomes by a process called chromosomal crossing over, an event that occurs as a part of the normal process of recombination and the production of sex cells (gametes) during meiosis. The genes that could be mapped by chromosomal crossing over were mainly those for which mutant phenotypes (visible manifestations of an organism’s genetic composition) had been observed, only a small proportion of the total genes in the genome. The discipline of genomics arose when the technology became available to deduce the complete nucleotide sequence of genomes, sequences generally in the range of billions of nucleotide pairs.

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Sequencing and bioinformatic analysis of genomes

Genomic sequences are usually determined using automatic sequencing machines. In a typical experiment to determine a genomic sequence, genomic DNA first is extracted from a sample of cells of an organism and then is broken into many random fragments. These fragments are cloned in a DNA vector (carrier) that is capable of carrying large DNA inserts. Because the total amount of DNA that is required for sequencing and additional experimental analysis is several times the total amount of DNA in an organism’s genome, each of the cloned fragments is amplified individually by replication inside a living bacterial cell, which reproduces rapidly and in great quantity to generate many bacterial clones. The cloned DNA is then extracted from the bacterial clones and is fed into the sequencing machine. The resulting sequence data are stored in a computer. When a large enough number of sequences from many different clones is obtained, the computer ties them together using sequence overlaps. The result is the genomic sequence, which is then deposited in a publicly accessible database. (For more information about DNA cloning and sequencing, see the article recombinant DNA technology.)

A complete genomic sequence in itself is of limited use; the data must be processed to find the genes and, if possible, their associated regulatory sequences. The need for these detailed analyses has given rise to the field of bioinformatics, in which computer programs scan DNA sequences looking for genes, using algorithms based on the known features of genes, such as unique triplet sequences of nucleotides known as start and stop codons that span a gene-sized segment of DNA or sequences of DNA that are known to be important in regulating adjacent genes. Once candidate genes are identified, they must be annotated to ascribe potential functions. Such annotation is generally based on known functions of similar gene sequences in other organisms, a type of analysis made possible by evolutionary conservation of gene sequence and function across organisms as a result of their common ancestry. However, after annotation there is still a subset of genes for which functions cannot be deduced; these functions gradually become revealed with further research.

Genomics applications

Functional genomics

Analysis of genes at the functional level is one of the main uses of genomics, an area known generally as functional genomics. Determining the function of individual genes can be done in several ways. Classical, or forward, genetic methodology starts with a randomly obtained mutant of interesting phenotype and uses this to find the normal gene sequence and its function. Reverse genetics starts with the normal gene sequence (as obtained by genomics), induces a targeted mutation into the gene, then, by observing how the mutation changes phenotype, deduces the normal function of the gene. The two approaches, forward and reverse, are complementary. Often a gene identified by forward genetics has been mapped to one specific chromosomal region, and the full genomic sequence reveals a gene in this position with an already annotated function. (For more information about genetic studies, see genetics: Methods in genetics.)