• Question from:Ayva

Cany anyone explain to how BACs are used to sequence the genome, I've gone over it in my textbook countless times and I feel more confused the more I try to understand it.
My textbook uses words such as microsatellites and clone libraries with no mention as to what they are and why thet are used.
I though sequencing the genome involved using the chain termination process in the automated technique involving PCR and electrophoresis. Apparently BACs are involved before the automated process.
Why can't you just use restriction enzymes or obtaining the mRNA and uding reverse transciptase?

:(

  • University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
  • Posts: 305

I think that what you are talking about is shotgun sequencing. This is where the genome is basically cut up, randomly cloned into BACs, sequenced and assembled back into the intact genome using a powerful computer. Because of the large numbers of base pairs, sequencing can be problematic if the entire thing is sequenced at once, due to repeated elements or similar sequences. The shotgun method alows small pieces to be isolated for sequencing, as part of a library of many thousands of individual pieces.