DNA Fingerprinting

by: Tina Espiritu and Virginia D. Monje

Introduction:

The fundamental techniques involved in genetic fingerprinting were discovered serendipitously

in 1984 by geneticist Alec J. Jeffreys of the University of Leicester in Great Britain while he was
studying the gene for myoglobin, a protein that stores oxygen in muscle cells. He found that the
myoglobin gene contains many segments that vary in size and composition from individual to
individual and that have no apparent function. Jeffreys called these segments ‘minisatellites’ because
they were small and they surround the part of the gene that actually serves as a genetic blueprint. The
minisatellites account for less than 1 percent of the total DNA of a human.
Jeffreys isolated several of these minisatellites and inserted each into bacteria, which
produced large amounts of the DNA segments. These segments could then be purified and labeled
with radioactive isotopes to produce genetic probes that are the key tools in producing genetic
fingerprints.

VNTRs
Every strand of DNA has pieces that contain genetic information about an organism's
development (exons) and pieces that, apparently, supply no relevant genetic information at all
(introns). Although the introns may seem useless, it has been found that they contain repeated
sequences of base pairs. These sequences, called Variable Number of Tandem Repeats (VNTRs),
can contain anywhere from twenty to over one hundred base pairs.

Every human being has some VNTRs. To determine if a person has a particular VNTR, a
Southern Blot is performed, and then the Southern Blot is probed, through a hybridization reaction,
with a radioactive version of the VNTR in question. The pattern which results from this process is what
is often referred to as a DNA fingerprint.

Any person's VNTRs come from the genetic information donated by his or her parents; he or
she inherits VNTRs only from his or her mother or father, or a combination of both. Because VNTR
patterns are inherited genetically, a given person's VNTR pattern is like his signature, and identifies
the person much like bar codes identify each of the supermarket items. The more VNTR probes used
to analyze a person's VNTR pattern, the more distinctive and individualized that pattern, or DNA
fingerprint, will be.

References:
1. http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/Gel/fingprint2.htm
2. http://protist.biology.washington.edu/fingerprint/vntrs.html

DNA Fingerprinting Activity by Tina Espiritu & Virginia Monje; The 3rd RevUp Workshop, October 22, 2005
 DNA Fingerprinting
Activity
by: Tina Espiritu and Virginia D. Monje

As volunteer scientists, you were sent to Thailand to help with the ongoing relief mission for
the victims of the tsunami. You are part of a forensic team tasked to identify the deceased victims left
by the recent tsunami, and return them to their surviving relatives.

A case is given to your group. A man was found dead holding what seems to be a very
priceless antique jar. Inside the jar was a note addressed to his long lost brother. The note revealed
a testament on how he had searched for his brother, and that upon his death, he leaves all his
possessions to him. And so, the search for the missing brother reached the media, prompting many
individuals to come forward and claim the dead man’s remains as well as (or especially for) the
inheritance. However, protocol has it that a person is only to be released if claimed by a legitimate
relative.

After doing several tests on the claimants, your team is left with only three persons, all
declaring to be the brother of the deceased. Your team now begins the process of determining who
the real brother is. With the information given below, find out who is the real brother by creating a
make-shift gel, illustrating the bands that should be present upon action of the given restriction
enzyme.

Clue: Find and mark the VNTRs

Restriction enzyme: Pst I CTGCA▼G

VNTR Repeat: [CAT]n

DNA Sequence of the deceased: A

1 c t g a t t g c a a t c g g t a a c t g c a g c a t c a t c
31 a t c a t c a t c a t c t g c a g g c c a t t c g g t c g t
61 a a t g t t c g t t c c g c t g c a g c a t c a t c a t c t
91 g c a g c a c a g g t g c a a t c c g t g c c a g t t g t c
121 t g c a g c a t c a t c a t c a t c t g c a g c t t c g

DNA Sequence of claimant 1: B

1 a c t a t t g c a c t g c a g c a t c a t c t g c a g a t c
31 t t g a t a a t c g a c t a c a g g t c a g t c g c t c a a
61 g c t c a g c g t g c t g c a g c a t c a t c a t c a t c a
91 t c a t c a t c t g c a g g t a t t c a c g c c a g t g c c
121 a g c t g c

DNA Fingerprinting Activity by Tina Espiritu & Virginia Monje; The 3rd RevUp Workshop, October 22, 2005
DNA Sequence of claimant 2: C

1 g c t g c a g c a t c a t c a t c t g c a g a t t c g g c a
31 a c c a g g a t c t g c a g c a t c a t c a t c a t c a t c
61 a t c a t c a t c t g c a g a g t c c g c t g g c a c t g c
91 a g c a t c a t c a t c a t c a t c a t c t g c a g g a c c
121 g t a g g c a c g c t c a g c c g a t c g a t g

DNA Sequence of claimant 3: D

1 t c a c g g c a g a t c a c t t a c c g t a g c a c t g c a
31 g c a t c a t c a t c a t c a t c t g c a g g a c a c t t c
61 a a t g t t c a a t c c t g c a g c a t c a t c a t c a t c
91 a t c a t c a t c a t c a t c t g c a g c c t a g g a c a g
121 t g c a a t g t c a g c c t a g c t

Gel:

[CAT]n M A B C D
Legend:
n M – DNA marker
A – deceased man
10
9 B – claimant 1
8 C – claimant 2
7 D – claimant 3

4
3
2
1

Who among these claimants is A’s legitimate

brother? (encircle your answer)

A B C D

DNA Fingerprinting Activity by Tina Espiritu & Virginia Monje; The 3rd RevUp Workshop, October 22, 2005