cDNAmikroarrayek

cDNA mikroarrayek, often referred to as cDNA microarrays, are laboratory tools used for the high-throughput study of gene expression. They consist of a solid surface, typically a glass slide, onto which thousands of known DNA sequences, called probes, are attached in an organized grid. These probes are synthesized fragments of complementary DNA (cDNA), which are complementary to messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules.

The principle behind cDNA microarrays relies on the hybridization of labeled cDNA derived from RNA samples to these immobilized probes. In a typical experiment, RNA is extracted from a biological sample, such as cells or tissues, under specific conditions. This RNA is then reverse-transcribed into cDNA and labeled with fluorescent dyes. The labeled cDNA sample is then hybridized to the microarray.

During hybridization, cDNA molecules from the sample will bind, or "hybridize," to their complementary probe sequences on the array. Regions of the array where binding occurs will fluoresce, and the intensity of the fluorescence is proportional to the abundance of the corresponding mRNA in the original sample. By analyzing the fluorescence patterns, researchers can determine which genes are expressed and to what extent under different experimental conditions. This allows for the simultaneous measurement of the expression levels of thousands of genes, providing a global view of cellular activity. cDNA microarrays have been instrumental in various fields, including cancer research, drug discovery, and developmental biology.