Lesson plan
Hypervariable region
A hypervariable region (HVR) is a location within a sequence where polymorphisms frequently occur. It is used in two contexts: * In the case of nucleic acids, an HVR is where base pairs frequently change. This can be due to a change in the number of repeats (which is seen in eukaryotic nuclear DNA) or simply low selective pressure allowing a great number of substitutions and indels (as in the case of mitochondrial DNA D-loop and 16S rRNA). * In the case of antibodies, an HVR is where most of the differences among antibodies occur. This region is also called the complementarity-determining region. Because there already is a separate article for the antibody region, this article will focus on the nucleic acid case.
Article summary
A hypervariable region (HVR) is a location within a sequence where polymorphisms frequently occur. It is used in two contexts: * In the case of nucleic acids, an HVR is where base pairs frequently change. This can be due to a change in the number of repeats (which is seen in eukaryotic nuclear DNA) or simply low selective pressure allowing a great number of substitutions and indels (as in the case of mitochondrial DNA D-loop and 16S rRNA). * In the case of antibodies, an HVR is where most of the differences among antibodies occur. This region is also called the complementarity-determining region. Because there already is a separate article for the antibody region, this article will focus on the nucleic acid case.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.