Predicting the DNA Sequence of Arhodomonas sp. seminole

Abstract

In this experiment we dealt with the bacteria Arhodomonas sp. Seminole, which is an aerobic, halophilic bacterium. Our goal is to sequence the DNA so we can identify and predict the enzymes, traits, phenotype, and other aspects of the bacterium. The DNA was extracted from the bacterium by rupturing cells, purifying the DNA, and then concentrating it by precipitation. DNA is found in the genes of all living organisms. When there would normally be one whole contiguous piece of DNA (complete genome), our genes are separated into two pieces (called contigs). There are missing segments within the gene and our job is to determine what is missing and how we can fit it together to form a complete genome. We obtained a specific region where we generated DNA sequence data of a gap to bring two pieces together. We also aligned our related protein to our fused contigs to determine if they could possibly be joined. We used procedures such as Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), thermocylcling, and DNA Gel Electrophoresis to obtain our results. We also used online methods such as BlastX and ClustalW2 that sequences our contigs. Our results proved the hypothesis that our contigs were joined. We obtained a reverse sequence and when we related it to the fused contig, there were matches before the gap as if it was a forward primer, proving that the contigs were joined.