Objectives

The overall objective of this Core is to provide support of diabetes-related research projects by supplying cutting-edge technology and know-how in molecular biology and genetics. The specific objectives are:

1. Isolation of RNA and DNA
2. Isolation of cDNA and genomic (lambda, YAC, PAC and BAC) clones
3. DNA sequencing (cDNA and genomic clones and PCR products)
4. Analysis of gene expression using RNA blotting and real-time RT-PCR techniques
5. Analysis of gene expression using GeneChips and microarrays
6. Genotyping using both microsatellite and single-nucleotide polymorphisms
7. Analyses of linkage (using both parametric and nonparametric approaches) and association
8. Screening diabetic patients suspected of having maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) for mutations in known MODY genes: glucokinase, hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-1 a, HNF-1 ß, HNF-4 a, insulin promoter factor-1 and NeuroD1