Zoo blot
Encyclopedia
A zoo blot or garden blot is a type of Southern blot
that demonstrates the similarity between specific, usually protein-coding, DNA sequence
s of different species. A zoo blot compares animal species while a garden blot compares plant species.
In order to understand the degree to which a particular gene is similar from species to species, DNA preparations from a set of species is isolated and spread over a surface. The sequence of interest is labeled and allowed to hybridize to the prepared DNA. Usually, the labeled DNA is marked with a radioactive isotope of phosphorus. The hybridization is a process that happens spontaneously: DNA pairs with complementary strands. The hybridization, however, is not perfect.
The hybridization of two strands will happen even when the strands are similar but not identical. This procedure is used to detect similar or exact relationships between the DNA in question and other organisms, so the technique takes advantage of non-exact hybridization. It also allows you judge the locations of introns and exons as the latter will be far more conserved than the former.
Southern blot
A Southern blot is a method routinely used in molecular biology for detection of a specific DNA sequence in DNA samples. Southern blotting combines transfer of electrophoresis-separated DNA fragments to a filter membrane and subsequent fragment detection by probe hybridization. The method is named...
that demonstrates the similarity between specific, usually protein-coding, DNA sequence
DNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
s of different species. A zoo blot compares animal species while a garden blot compares plant species.
In order to understand the degree to which a particular gene is similar from species to species, DNA preparations from a set of species is isolated and spread over a surface. The sequence of interest is labeled and allowed to hybridize to the prepared DNA. Usually, the labeled DNA is marked with a radioactive isotope of phosphorus. The hybridization is a process that happens spontaneously: DNA pairs with complementary strands. The hybridization, however, is not perfect.
The hybridization of two strands will happen even when the strands are similar but not identical. This procedure is used to detect similar or exact relationships between the DNA in question and other organisms, so the technique takes advantage of non-exact hybridization. It also allows you judge the locations of introns and exons as the latter will be far more conserved than the former.