ASCP Molecular Biology Certification
Exam with correct answers
[DNA] = 1535 ug/mL. You have 0.5 mL. What is the total yield. - CORRECT ANSWERS-767.5
ug = 1535 ug/mL * 0.5mL
[DNA] = 767.5 ug/mL. You have 0.5 mL What is the total yield. - CORRECT ANSWERS-383.75
ug = 767.5 ug/mL * 0.5 mL
[DNA] = 860 ug/mL. You have 0.5 mL. What is the total yield. - CORRECT ANSWERS-430 ug =
860 ug/mL * 0.5mL
5' cap - CORRECT ANSWERS-5'-5' pyrophosphate bridge to a methylated G added to 5' end of
a mRNA
Protects against degradation and as a recognition signal for TLN apparatus
A CEN probe is used to visualize chr 21. Three fluorescent signals are observed in the patient's
cells when they are stained. These results are consistent with what chr disorder? - CORRECT
ANSWERS-Trisomy 21, Down's syndrome
A small portion of chr 2 has been found on the end of chr 15 and a small portion of chr 15 was
found on the end of chr 2. This mutation is called a: - CORRECT ANSWERS-Reciprocal
translocation
,A-DNA conformation - CORRECT ANSWERS-Right-handed
Deep narrow major groove, wide shallow minor groove
Dehydrated DNA takes this form
Acrocentric - CORRECT ANSWERS-A chr where the with a centromere not in the middle, but
closer to one end or the other
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) - CORRECT ANSWERS-t(12;21) TEL-AML1 fusion
t(9;22)(q34;q11) BCR-ABL fusion (Philly chr)
Abl is a Tyr kinase; t causes Abl to be constitutively expressed > unregulated lymphoblast
proliferation
Common in children
Dx: karyotyping, IHC, S.blot, RT-PCR, q-PCR
Treatment: Imatinib (Gleevec), Tyr kinase inhibitor
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
Promyelocytic (APL) - CORRECT ANSWERS-t(8;21) RUNX1/RUNX1T1
Common in adults; myeloblasts 'freeze' in current state (don't differentiate) & proliferates
forming a clonal population
Dx: Flow cytometry, FISH
Treatment: Chemo., BM transplant
APL
t(15;17) PML;RARα, Promyelocytic leukemia protein;Retinoic acid receptor alpha
After an extraction/isolation, what should you elute with? - CORRECT ANSWERS-DNA - TE or
water
RNA - DEPC water
aminoacyl tRNA - CORRECT ANSWERS-tRNAs that carry amino acids
An RNA preparation has the following readings:
,260=0.208
280=0.096
Is this RNA suitable for use? - CORRECT ANSWERS-Yes, 2.17 is suitable for RNA analysis
A260/A280 = 0.208/0.096
Analyte specific reagent (ASR) - CORRECT ANSWERS-FDA defines analyte specific reagents
(ASRs) in 21 CFR 864.4020 as "antibodies, both polyclonal and monoclonal, specific receptor
proteins,ligands, nucleic acid sequences, and similar reagents which, through specific binding or
chemical reaction with substances in a specimen, are intended to use in a diagnostic application
for identification and quantification of an individual chemical substance or ligand in biological
specimens.
Analytical sensitivity is based on _____ and specificity is based on _______. - CORRECT
ANSWERS-limit of detection
target specificity
Aneuploid - CORRECT ANSWERS-Increased number of chr's (eg. Down's syndrome)
Angelman syndrome - CORRECT ANSWERS-del(15)(q11q13) maternal; paternal is imprinted
Ataxia, seizures, inappropriate laughter
At what wavelength does DNA and RNA absorb? - CORRECT ANSWERS-260 nm
At what wavelength does protein absorb? - CORRECT ANSWERS-280 nm
B-DNA conformation - CORRECT ANSWERS-Right-handed
Wide major groove, narrow minor groove
Common form found in cells
Bart's hydrops fetalis - CORRECT ANSWERS-4 α genes deleted, --/--
γ4 present, fatal in utero
, Base Excision repair (BER) - CORRECT ANSWERS-Done by DNA glycosylase, AP
endonuclease
Cleaves glycosidic bond of a single base base, leaving apurinic/apyrimidinc site
Bisulfate DNA sequencing - CORRECT ANSWERS-A type of chain termination sequencing
designed to detect methylated nucleotides. Methylation of cytosine residues in DNA is an
important part of gene regulation and expression - this is important for detecting different types
of cancer. During the incubation C is converted to U and 5-methylated C is unchanged. A PCR
reaction is then performed using normal chain termination methods.
Bisulfite DNA sequencing/Methylation specific - CORRECT ANSWERS-1. RE digest
2. Electrophorese and purify fragment of interest
3. Denature and incubate w/ sodium bisulfate (turns C>U, methylated C is unchanged)
4. clean, ppt, and resuspend
5. PCR --> sequence
6. Compare treated vs untreated, note where CG are not changed to TA
BK virus nephritis (BKVN) - CORRECT ANSWERS-Caused by BK virus (BKV) in renal
transplant recipients
Use of immunosupressent drugs allows BKV to replicate w/i graft, causing BKVN resulting in
graft failure for many
Blocking DNA (Hybridization) - CORRECT ANSWERS-minimizes probe binding to nonspecific
sequence
ie salmon sperm DNA, Human LINE-1
Blocking Proteins (Hybridization) - CORRECT ANSWERS-minimize nonspecific binding of
probe to membrane
ie casein (milk), Denhardt's sol
Branched DNA (bDNA) - CORRECT ANSWERS-Signal amplification
Target captured by probes on a solid support
Extender, pre-amp, and amp probes hybridized
Exam with correct answers
[DNA] = 1535 ug/mL. You have 0.5 mL. What is the total yield. - CORRECT ANSWERS-767.5
ug = 1535 ug/mL * 0.5mL
[DNA] = 767.5 ug/mL. You have 0.5 mL What is the total yield. - CORRECT ANSWERS-383.75
ug = 767.5 ug/mL * 0.5 mL
[DNA] = 860 ug/mL. You have 0.5 mL. What is the total yield. - CORRECT ANSWERS-430 ug =
860 ug/mL * 0.5mL
5' cap - CORRECT ANSWERS-5'-5' pyrophosphate bridge to a methylated G added to 5' end of
a mRNA
Protects against degradation and as a recognition signal for TLN apparatus
A CEN probe is used to visualize chr 21. Three fluorescent signals are observed in the patient's
cells when they are stained. These results are consistent with what chr disorder? - CORRECT
ANSWERS-Trisomy 21, Down's syndrome
A small portion of chr 2 has been found on the end of chr 15 and a small portion of chr 15 was
found on the end of chr 2. This mutation is called a: - CORRECT ANSWERS-Reciprocal
translocation
,A-DNA conformation - CORRECT ANSWERS-Right-handed
Deep narrow major groove, wide shallow minor groove
Dehydrated DNA takes this form
Acrocentric - CORRECT ANSWERS-A chr where the with a centromere not in the middle, but
closer to one end or the other
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) - CORRECT ANSWERS-t(12;21) TEL-AML1 fusion
t(9;22)(q34;q11) BCR-ABL fusion (Philly chr)
Abl is a Tyr kinase; t causes Abl to be constitutively expressed > unregulated lymphoblast
proliferation
Common in children
Dx: karyotyping, IHC, S.blot, RT-PCR, q-PCR
Treatment: Imatinib (Gleevec), Tyr kinase inhibitor
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
Promyelocytic (APL) - CORRECT ANSWERS-t(8;21) RUNX1/RUNX1T1
Common in adults; myeloblasts 'freeze' in current state (don't differentiate) & proliferates
forming a clonal population
Dx: Flow cytometry, FISH
Treatment: Chemo., BM transplant
APL
t(15;17) PML;RARα, Promyelocytic leukemia protein;Retinoic acid receptor alpha
After an extraction/isolation, what should you elute with? - CORRECT ANSWERS-DNA - TE or
water
RNA - DEPC water
aminoacyl tRNA - CORRECT ANSWERS-tRNAs that carry amino acids
An RNA preparation has the following readings:
,260=0.208
280=0.096
Is this RNA suitable for use? - CORRECT ANSWERS-Yes, 2.17 is suitable for RNA analysis
A260/A280 = 0.208/0.096
Analyte specific reagent (ASR) - CORRECT ANSWERS-FDA defines analyte specific reagents
(ASRs) in 21 CFR 864.4020 as "antibodies, both polyclonal and monoclonal, specific receptor
proteins,ligands, nucleic acid sequences, and similar reagents which, through specific binding or
chemical reaction with substances in a specimen, are intended to use in a diagnostic application
for identification and quantification of an individual chemical substance or ligand in biological
specimens.
Analytical sensitivity is based on _____ and specificity is based on _______. - CORRECT
ANSWERS-limit of detection
target specificity
Aneuploid - CORRECT ANSWERS-Increased number of chr's (eg. Down's syndrome)
Angelman syndrome - CORRECT ANSWERS-del(15)(q11q13) maternal; paternal is imprinted
Ataxia, seizures, inappropriate laughter
At what wavelength does DNA and RNA absorb? - CORRECT ANSWERS-260 nm
At what wavelength does protein absorb? - CORRECT ANSWERS-280 nm
B-DNA conformation - CORRECT ANSWERS-Right-handed
Wide major groove, narrow minor groove
Common form found in cells
Bart's hydrops fetalis - CORRECT ANSWERS-4 α genes deleted, --/--
γ4 present, fatal in utero
, Base Excision repair (BER) - CORRECT ANSWERS-Done by DNA glycosylase, AP
endonuclease
Cleaves glycosidic bond of a single base base, leaving apurinic/apyrimidinc site
Bisulfate DNA sequencing - CORRECT ANSWERS-A type of chain termination sequencing
designed to detect methylated nucleotides. Methylation of cytosine residues in DNA is an
important part of gene regulation and expression - this is important for detecting different types
of cancer. During the incubation C is converted to U and 5-methylated C is unchanged. A PCR
reaction is then performed using normal chain termination methods.
Bisulfite DNA sequencing/Methylation specific - CORRECT ANSWERS-1. RE digest
2. Electrophorese and purify fragment of interest
3. Denature and incubate w/ sodium bisulfate (turns C>U, methylated C is unchanged)
4. clean, ppt, and resuspend
5. PCR --> sequence
6. Compare treated vs untreated, note where CG are not changed to TA
BK virus nephritis (BKVN) - CORRECT ANSWERS-Caused by BK virus (BKV) in renal
transplant recipients
Use of immunosupressent drugs allows BKV to replicate w/i graft, causing BKVN resulting in
graft failure for many
Blocking DNA (Hybridization) - CORRECT ANSWERS-minimizes probe binding to nonspecific
sequence
ie salmon sperm DNA, Human LINE-1
Blocking Proteins (Hybridization) - CORRECT ANSWERS-minimize nonspecific binding of
probe to membrane
ie casein (milk), Denhardt's sol
Branched DNA (bDNA) - CORRECT ANSWERS-Signal amplification
Target captured by probes on a solid support
Extender, pre-amp, and amp probes hybridized
