The First Human Gene
Installation
The beginning sequence of the CFTR gene, encoding for the Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein. Each nucleotide is represented by a two-color letterpress print. The first 310 nucleotides of the gene (starting with ATG) are represented.
 The First Human Gene Ever Sequenced
Beginning in the early 1980s, a worldwide search began to find the causative gene behind the inherited disorder cystic fibrosis. Looking at the genetic makeup of many families that carried the cystic fibrosis trait, it was determined that the gene existed on a particular region of chromosome 7.
Molecular cloning was used to isolate a number of large, overlapping DNA fragments that make up the cystic fibrosis gene. Once these pieces of DNA were sequenced, they could be arranged together to determine the complete sequence of the gene. In 1989, Jack Riordan and his colleagues published the sequence of the gene they named cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CTFR).
In healthy individuals, the CTFR protein sits in the cell membrane and moves ions in and out of cells. In individuals with cystic fibrosis, mutations in this gene lead to CTFR proteins that do not work properly or are quickly degraded. This leads to problems in the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. Â
Part of Molecular Biology as Art, on display at the Fridge Gallery at Pixies & Peony in Alameda, CA during the month of February.
