Western blot?

[m25]

Help with this question? The answer is D, but the explanation makes no sense to me. I thought western blot was used to analyze proteins, so what does nucleotide hybridization have anything to do with this?

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[amy_k]

The proteins are identified using hybridization probes - in a Western blot these are antibodies that bind to the specific proteins, this is the nucleotide hybridization step.

 

[m25]

The proteins are identified using hybridization probes - in a Western blot these are antibodies that bind to the specific proteins, this is the nucleotide hybridization step.

I see how they would use antibody for this, but why is it called "nucleotide" hybridization? There's no nucleotide involved, only proteins that we are analyzing and antibody(also made of protein) that we are hybridizing it with.

 

[amy_k]

I'm not completely sure why they are saying nucleotide hybridization, when antibody probes are used in a Western Blot not nucleotide probes. Nucleotide probes are northern/southern blots so either they are implying that there is a relationship between that reaction and the hybridization step in a western blot, or it is a mistake and they meant northern/southern blot. D is the only answer even close though.

 

[amy_k]

Where has this question come from by the way?

 

[m25]

I'm not completely sure why they are saying nucleotide hybridization, when antibody probes are used in a Western Blot not nucleotide probes. Nucleotide probes are northern/southern blots so either they are implying that there is a relationship between that reaction and the hybridization step in a western blot, or it is a mistake and they meant northern/southern blot. D is the only answer even close though.

Ok, so the only reason this reason is correct is because it mentions "hybridization"?
It's from back of kaplan bio textbook, called practice sections. I've seen some other typos here and there for kaplan, so I guess this is another error.

 

[amy_k]

Again, it could be an error or they are generalizing nucleotide hybridization to blots in general, in which case it is an odd question.

 

[EParker37]

I concur, weirdly worded question. But, based on it being a blot, you can eliminate A-C, leaving only D, even if it doesn't seem correct.