Question

How is DNA-recombinant technology helping in detecting the presence of mutated genes in cancer patients?

Answer 1

DNA-recombinant technology helps in detecting mutated genes in cancer patients primarily through the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique. PCR amplifies specific DNA segments, allowing detection of even minute amounts of mutated DNA. In this process, a single-stranded DNA or RNA probe tagged with a radioactive molecule is allowed to hybridize to complementary DNA sequences in cell clones. If a gene is mutated, the probe will not bind due to lack of complementarity, and the mutated gene will not appear on the photographic film during autoradiography. This indicates the presence of gene mutations associated with cancer.