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Genome technology in energy biology

Arabidopsis thaliana is a small flowering plant that is widely used as a model organism in plant biology. Arabidopsis is a member of the mustard (Brassicaceae) family, which includes cultivated species such as cabbage and radish. Arabidopsis is not of major agronomic significance, but it offers important advantages for basic research in genetics and molecular biology.

• Small genome (114.5 Mb/125 Mb total) has been sequenced in the year 2000.
• Extensive genetic and physical maps of all 5 chromosomes.
• A rapid life cycle (about 6 weeks from germination to mature seed).
• Prolific seed production and easy cultivation in restricted space.
• Efficient transformation methods utilizing Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
• A large number of mutant lines and genomic resources.
• Multinational research community of academic, government and industry laboratories.

Sourced from The Arabidopsis Information Resource

Our Research Background: Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

This dogma forms the backbone of molecular biology and is represented by four major stages.

1. 1. The DNA replicates its information in a process that involves many enzymes: replication.
2. 2. The DNA codes for the production of messenger RNA (mRNA) during transcription.
3. 3. In eucaryotic cells, the mRNA is processed (essentially by splicing) and migrates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm.
4. 4. Messenger RNA carries coded information to ribosomes. The ribosomes "read" this information and use it for protein synthesis. This process is called translation.

Proteins do not code for the production of protein, RNA or DNA. They are involved in almost all biological activities, structural or enzymatic.

Sourced from the National Health Museum Resource Centre

Transcription of DNA to RNA to protein

Overview of gene structure and expression

Protein coding genes

Protein coding genes have a coding region flanked by untranslated regions and may be split into exons and introns.

The boundaries of a protein-encoding gene are defined as the points at which transcription begins and ends. The core of the gene is the coding region, which contains the nucleotide sequence that is eventually translated into the sequence of amino acids in the protein.

The coding region begins with the initiation codon, which is normally ATG. It ends with one of three termination codons: TAA, TAG or TGA. On either side of the coding region are DNA sequences that are transcribed but are not translated. These untranslated regions or non-coding regions often contain regulatory elements that control protein synthesis.

Sourced from the Wellcome Trust

See Also: Gene Analysis Project