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Reading Assignment #1 – T2 BIOC 436.3
Journal article details: Dooley et al., 2016. The microRNA-29 family dictates the balance
between homeostatic and pathological glucose handling in diabetes and obesity. Diabetes
65, 53-61
Due Date – February 25th, 4 pm. Paper copy please.
Note – assignments handed in late will be assigned a mark of zero.
Your assignment is to read the paper, discuss it thoroughly with your fellow students if you
wish, and then submit a written assignment that address the following questions:
1. Describe the genomic organization and sequence relatedness of the miR-29 family.
2. Describe how the miR-29a/b-1 KO mice were made.
3. The authors did an inadequate job of describing all of the data in Fig. 1A in the first
paragraph of the Results. Provide your description and conclusions that can be drawn from
this panel of data.
4. The authors conclude from the data in Fig. 2A that miR-29a-/- mice have two distinct
defects in glucose regulation; an islet-intrinsic and islet-extrinsic. They went on to test this
by generating another mouse model. Briefly describe the mouse model they made, and
comment on their strategy; do you think it properly tested their hypothesis?
Remember: Effort and correctness is rewarded!
Assignments must conform to the following style:
Maximum 3 pages in length; Times New Roman font size 12; 1.5 spacing; 2 cm margin