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Genetic Analysis Analyzing Function by Classical Genetic Approaches Classical genetic analysis is a powerful approach to dissect complex biological processes. Selective removal or alteration of specific proteins allows inferences about processes too complex to study effectively with biochemical or molecular approaches and can provide definitive functional assignments. We will employ genetic analysis to identify and order genes in a pathway and determine the tissue and temporal requirement for gene function. These approaches will let us distinguish among competing hypotheses to explain biological phenomena. We will discuss two examples: cell cycle regulation in yeast and photoreceptor development in Drosophila. Methods include complementation tests, single- and double- mutant phenotype analyses to construct a functional pathway, activating mutations, suppressor screens, and gene disruptions. |
