Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

DNA as a Genetic Template02:05

DNA as a Genetic Template

27.9K
Two structural features of the DNA molecule provide a basis for the mechanisms of heredity: the four nucleotide bases and its double-stranded nature. The Watson-Crick model of double-helical DNA structure, proposed in 1952, drew heavily upon the X-ray crystallography work of researchers Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. Watson, Crick, and Wilkins jointly received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in 1962. Franklin was, controversially, excluded from the prize for...
27.9K
DNA Topoisomerases02:02

DNA Topoisomerases

35.7K
Topoisomerases are enzymes that relax overwound DNA molecules during various cell processes, including DNA replication and transcription. These enzymes regulate positive and negative DNA supercoiling without changing the nucleotide sequence. DNA overwinding in a clockwise direction results in positively supercoiled DNA, whereas underwinding in a counterclockwise direction produces negatively supercoiled DNA.
Types and Mechanism of action
Topoisomerases are divided into two main types. ...
35.7K
DNA Helicases00:55

DNA Helicases

24.2K
DNA unwinding helicase enzymes are a type of motor protein. Motor proteins can translocate along filaments or polymers using energy generated from ATP hydrolysis. Helicases are involved in all the important cellular processes where DNA unwinding is required, such as DNA replication, repair, recombination, and transcription. They are present in all living organisms, but vary in their structure, function, and mechanism of action. For example, in prokaryotes, DnaB helicase binds and translocates...
24.2K
Recombinant DNA01:09

Recombinant DNA

103.4K
Overview
103.4K
DNA Replication02:40

DNA Replication

59.7K
DNA replication involves the separation of the two strands of the double helix, with each strand serving as a template from which the new complementary strand is copied.  After replication, each double-stranded DNA includes one parental or “old” strand and one “new” strand. This is known as semiconservative replication. The resulting DNA molecules have the same sequence and are divided equally into the two daughter cells.
Replication in Prokaryotes
DNA replication...
59.7K
DNA-only Transposons02:57

DNA-only Transposons

17.5K
DNA-only transposons are called autonomous transposons since they code for the enzyme transposase that is required for the transposition mechanism. Insertion of transposons can alter gene functions in multiple ways. They can mutate the gene, alter gene expression by introducing a novel promoter or insulator sequence, introduce new splice sites, and change the mRNA transcripts produced, or remodel chromatin structure.
The donor site from where the transposon is excised is either degraded or...
17.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Investigating ancient human DNA preservation on cave walls and in rock art.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

ChASM: a statistically rigorous method for the detection of chromosomal aneuploidies in ancient DNA studies.

Bioinformatics (Oxford, England)·2026
Same author

Genomic history of early dogs in Europe.

Nature·2026
Same author

RAB3GAP2 is a regulator of skeletal muscle endothelial cell proliferation and associated with capillary-to-fiber ratio.

Cell reports·2026
Same author

Natural Selection of a Virus-Protective FUT2 Variant Following the Transition to Agriculture.

Molecular biology and evolution·2025
Same author

The genetic history of the Southern Caucasus from the Bronze Age to the Early Middle Ages: 5,000 years of genetic continuity despite high mobility.

Cell·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Optimized Bone Sampling Protocols for the Retrieval of Ancient DNA from Archaeological Remains
06:18

Optimized Bone Sampling Protocols for the Retrieval of Ancient DNA from Archaeological Remains

Published on: November 30, 2021

5.1K

snpAD: an ancient DNA genotype caller.

Kay Prüfer1

  • 1Department for Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.

Bioinformatics (Oxford, England)
|June 23, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Ancient DNA sequencing is prone to errors, complicating genotype calling. A new method, snpAD, accurately calls genotypes from ancient DNA and reveals Neandertals had low heterozygosity compared to modern humans.

Area of Science:

  • Genomics
  • Paleogenetics
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis is crucial for understanding evolutionary history.
  • Base modifications in aDNA introduce sequencing errors, particularly at sequence ends, challenging genotype calling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and implement a method for accurate genotype calling from ancient DNA sequences.
  • To assess Neandertal heterozygosity using ancient genome data.

Main Methods:

  • Developed an iterative method (snpAD) to estimate genotype frequencies and errors along sequences.
  • Validated snpAD using simulations and subsampling of high-coverage Neandertal genome data.
  • Applied snpAD to low-coverage Neandertal genomes to estimate heterozygosity.

More Related Videos

Genotyping of Plant and Animal Samples without Prior DNA Purification
11:00

Genotyping of Plant and Animal Samples without Prior DNA Purification

Published on: September 24, 2012

31.8K
High-throughput DNA Extraction and Genotyping of 3dpf Zebrafish Larvae by Fin Clipping
10:12

High-throughput DNA Extraction and Genotyping of 3dpf Zebrafish Larvae by Fin Clipping

Published on: June 29, 2018

14.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Optimized Bone Sampling Protocols for the Retrieval of Ancient DNA from Archaeological Remains
06:18

Optimized Bone Sampling Protocols for the Retrieval of Ancient DNA from Archaeological Remains

Published on: November 30, 2021

5.1K
Genotyping of Plant and Animal Samples without Prior DNA Purification
11:00

Genotyping of Plant and Animal Samples without Prior DNA Purification

Published on: September 24, 2012

31.8K
High-throughput DNA Extraction and Genotyping of 3dpf Zebrafish Larvae by Fin Clipping
10:12

High-throughput DNA Extraction and Genotyping of 3dpf Zebrafish Larvae by Fin Clipping

Published on: June 29, 2018

14.9K

Main Results:

  • The snpAD method enables accurate genotype calling from high-coverage ancient DNA data.
  • Simulations and real data analyses confirm snpAD's performance.
  • Approximate heterozygosity estimates for several low-coverage Neandertals were derived.
  • Neandertals exhibited lower heterozygosity compared to modern humans.

Conclusions:

  • snpAD is an effective tool for genotype calling in ancient DNA studies.
  • Ancient Neandertals generally possessed low heterozygosity.
  • The findings contribute to understanding Neandertal population genetics and evolution.