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The
terminology and technology of molecular biology/recombinant DNA and molecular genetics
have become an essential part of academic neuroscience. This chapter
includes a brief summary of the essentials of the DNA molecule (see also
under "Cells and within cells"), the more common techniques, and their application to genetics and molecular
neuroscience. It is written to be understood by persons who would not
necessarily have a background in molecular biology.
Inherent in the DNA
molecule are three properties fundamental to all of the diagnostic and
therapeutic applications, namely, the ability of DNA to separate into
single strands, recombine (annealment or hybridization), and the
presence of the negative charge enables DNA fragments to be separated
easily by electrophoresis. Genetic linkage analysis of a family with an
inherited disease enables one to identify the gene without knowing its
protein product. A number of diseases in neuroscience due to single-gene
disorders have been identified and multiple mutations have been
detected. The new therapeutic frontier will be stem cells and nuclear
transfer. Identification of genes responsible for a brain disorder made
possible by genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mapping
techniques paves the way for personalized medicine.
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