Question

Explain why we see different bands for different people following the restriction digest of the PCR product (the TAS2R38 gene specifically).

Answer 1

TAS2R38 gene is responsible for phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) bitter sensitivity. If a person in normal then he can taste phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and the person is mutated then he can't.

If the person has normal allele, i.e. a restriction site is present in the gene, then upon restriction digest of the PCR, it will give two bands.

If the person has mutated allele, i.e. a restriction site is absent in the gene, then upon restriction digest of the PCR, it will give one band.

Mutation either create a restrictions site which was not present in the wild type allele or it destroy the restriction site that was present in the wild type allele.

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