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Module 3. Transcription, Part II: What happens to the initial transcript made by RNA pol II?

This module demonstrates how the transcript generated by RNA polymerase II (the pre-mRNA) is processed to become mature mRNA using the sequence signals identified in Module 2. After completing this module students will be able to use the genome browser to explain the relationships among pre-mRNA, 5′ capping, 3′ polyadenylation, splicing, and mRNA.

Module 2. Transcription, Part I: From DNA sequence to transcription unit

This module illustrates how a primary transcript (pre-mRNA) is synthesized using a DNA molecule as the template. After completing this module students will be able to explain the importance of the 5′ and 3′ regions of the gene for initiation and termination of transcription by RNA polymerase II, and identify the beginning and end of a transcript using the capabilities of the genome browser (RNA-Seq, Short Match).

UNIX for Consed

This PowerPoint presentation discusses the basic directory structure required by Consed and the UNIX commands used to launch Consed.

Gene Finding in Chimpanzee

A step-by-step tutorial that takes the student through a gene identification problem in a chimpanzee BAC sequence using predictions from a gene finder (Genscan), the UCSC Browser and BLAST.

Generating Multiple Sequence Alignments with ClustalW

Dr. Susan Parrish (McDaniel College) developed a basic lecture and weblem exercise (found at the end of the lecture) on using ClustalW to generate multiple sequence alignments, phylograms, and cladograms. This lecture and exercise are given prior to beginning the GEP annotation projects. Students who submit their GEP annotation projects early are then asked to generate multiple sequence alignments and phylograms of the putative proteins encoded within their assigned contig or fosmid, compared to those related proteins encoded by other Drosophila species of interest to the GEP.

Generating Multiple Sequence Alignments with Clustal Omega

Developed by Dr. Susan Parrish (McDaniel College), this PowerPoint presentation describes how Clustal Omega can be used to produce multiple sequence alignments. The multiple sequence alignments of the nucleotide sequences surrounding the transcription start sites can be used to identify core promoter motifs, while the multiple sequence alignments of protein sequences can be used to identify conserved domains. The presentation also includes a discussion of two strategies (UPGMA and Neighbor Joining) that are often used to construct phylogenetic trees.

Overview of Multiple Sequence Alignment Algorithms

Developed by Yu He (TA for Bio 4342), this PowerPoint presentation provides a basic overview of the common algorithms used to generate multiple sequence alignments. The presentation also illustrates how one could use Clustal Omega to generate a multiple sequence alignment for a set of orthologous proteins in order to identify conserved domains within the protein.

Using FlyBase RNA-Seq Tools to Investigate Gene Expression Profiles

This walkthrough illustrates how GBrowse and the RNA-Seq tools at FlyBase can be used to identify genes with similar expression patterns. This walkthrough provides an introduction to the TopoView RNA-Seq track in FlyBase GBrowse, the FlyBase Expression Profile Search tool, and the Expression Similarity Search tool. It also illustrates how the Gene2Function web site can be used to infer the function of a D. melanogaster gene based on the functions of its orthologs in other model organisms.

Eukaryotic Comparative Genomics

This lecture from Dr. Barak Cohen discusses the major factors to consider (e.g., species to analyze, model for conserved sequences) when using phylogenetic footprinting to identify conserved regions across multiple species. The lecture also illustrates how the weight matrix model can be used to describe sequence motifs, and it provides an introduction to Magma, which uses the multiple species with multiple genes approach to discover conserved motifs.