Question

Why might there be mismatches in a BLASTN result when comparing a sequence to a clone from the WSSP Landolita puncata cDNA library, even if they are from the same organism?

a) Sequence Variability: The organism might exhibit natural genetic variability, leading to variations in the DNA sequence.

b) Experimental Errors: Errors during the cloning or sequencing process could introduce discrepancies between the original organism's DNA and the cDNA clone.

c) Splice Variants: The clone may represent a different splice variant of the gene, resulting in sequence differences.

d) Mutation Events: Mutations could have occurred either in the original organism or during the cloning process, causing mismatches in the sequences.

Answer 1

In BLASTN results, mismatches may arise due to sequence variability, experimental errors, splice variants, and mutation events, which can complicate sequence alignments and reflect the complexity of genetic variation.

Step-by-step explanation:

Mismatches in a BLASTN result when comparing a sequence to a clone from the same organism can occur for various reasons, despite using sophisticated computational tools to analyze the vast data available in databases like GenBank. These reasons include:

• Sequence Variability: Individual differences such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can result in different alleles, leading to variations in the DNA sequence.
• Experimental Errors: Discrepancies might arise due to errors during the cloning or sequencing process.
• Splice Variants: The cloned sequence may represent an alternative splice variant, which would differ from the original sequence.
• Mutation Events: Mutations can occur either in the natural population or during the cloning process, causing divergence between the sequences.

These factors contribute to the complexity of aligning sequences and understanding the molecular basis of genetic variation and evolution.