| consensus sequence | Of a series of related DNA, RNA or protein sequences, the sequence that reflects the most common choice of base or amino acid at each position. Areas of particularly good agreement often represent conserved functional domains. The generation of consensus sequences has been subjected to intensive mathematical analysis. (18 Nov 1997) |
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| conserved sequence | <molecular biology> A base sequence in a DNA molecule (or an amino acid sequence in a protein) that has remained essentially unchanged throughout evolution. (10 Nov 1998) |
| sequence | The noun: the order in which subunits appear in a chain, such as amino acids in a polypeptide or nucleotide bases in a DNA or RNA molecule. The verb: To find out in what order the subunits appear in the chain. (09 Oct 1997) |
| sequence alignment | The arrangement of two or more amino acid or base sequences from an organism or organisms in such a way as to align areas of the sequences sharing common properties. The degree of relatedness or homology between the sequences is predicted computationally or statistically based on weights assigned to the elements aligned between the sequences. This in turn can serve as a potential indicator of the genetic relatedness between the organisms. (12 Dec 1998) |
| sequence analysis | A multistage process that includes the determination of a sequence (protein, carbohydrate, etc.), its fragmentation and analysis, and the interpretation of the resulting sequence information. This information is useful in that it: 1) reveals the similarities of homologous genes, thereby providing insight into the possible regulation and functions of these genes; and 2) leads to a better understanding of disease states related to genetic variation. New sequencing methodologies, fully automated instrumentation, and improvements in sequencing-related computational resources contribute to the potential for genome-size sequencing projects. (12 Dec 1998) |
| sequence analysis, DNA | A multistage process that includes DNA cloning, physical mapping, subcloning, sequencing, and information analysis. New technological advances have led to the automation of certain steps in this process and contribute to the potential for large-scale DNA sequencing efforts. (12 Dec 1998) |
| sequence analysis, RNA | A multistage process that includes RNA cloning, physical mapping, subcloning, sequencing, and information analysis. (12 Dec 1998) |
| sequence, complementary | Nucleic acid sequence of bases that can form a double- stranded structure by matching base pairs. For example, the complementary sequence to c-a-t-g (where each letter stands for one of the bases in DNA) is g-t-a-c. (12 Dec 1998) |
| sequence, conserved | A base sequence in a DNA molecule (or an amino acid sequence in a protein) that has remained essentially unchanged throughout evolution. (12 Dec 1998) |
| sequence deletion | Deletion of sequences of bases or amino acids from the genetic material of an individual. Evidence for these deletions may be obtained by cytological methods. (12 Dec 1998) |
| sequence homology | <molecular biology> Strictly, refers to the situation where nucleic acid or protein sequences are similar because they have a common evolutionary origin. Often used loosely to indicate that sequences are very similar. Sequence similarity is observable, homology is an hypothesis based on observation. (18 Nov 1997) |
| sequence homology, amino acid | The degree of similarity between sequences of amino acids. This information is useful for the understanding of genetic relatedness of certain species. (12 Dec 1998) |
| sequence homology, nucleic acid | The sequential correspondence of nucleotide triplets in a nucleic acid molecule which permits nucleic acid hybridization. Sequence homology is important in the study of mechanisms of oncogenesis and also as an indication of the evolutionary relatedness of different organisms. The concept includes viral homology. (12 Dec 1998) |
| sequence hypothesis | Francis Crick's seminal concept that genetic information exists as alinear DNA code, DNA and protein sequence are colinear. (09 Oct 1997) |
| sequence ladder | The array of bands, made conspicuous by labeling, when DNA fragmented by endonucleases is subject to gel electrophoresis; corresponds to the nucleotide sequence. (05 Mar 2000) |