Question

Which of the given statements is incorrect about Grouping Sequences?

(a) The problem of deciding which sequences to include in the same group or cluster and which to separate into different groups or clusters is a recurring one

(b) Divergence is necessary, but the sequences chosen should be clearly related based on inspection of each pair-wise alignment and a statistical analysis

(c) The conservative approach is to group distinct sequences

(d) The adventurous approach is to choose a set of marginally alignable sequences to pursue the difficult task of making a multiple sequence alignment and then to make profile models that may recognize divergence but will also give false predictions

This question was addressed to me in a job interview.

The query is from Comparative Genomics in division Collecting & Storing Sequences in Laboratory of Bioinformatics

Answer 1

Correct choice is (c) The conservative approach is to group distinct sequences

To explain I would say: The conservative approach is to group only very similar sequences together. However, in making a conservative multiple sequence alignment with only very alike sequences, it is not possible to analyze the evolutionary divergence that may have occurred in a family of proteins. Furthermore, if a matrix or profile model is made from this alignment, that model will not be useful for identifying more divergent members of a family.