Recombineering: a powerful new tool for mouse functional genomics

Highly efficient phage-based Escherichia coli homologous recombination systems have recently been developed that enable genomic DNA in bacterial artificial chromosomes to be modified and subcloned, without the need for restriction enzymes or DNA ligases. This new form of chromosome engineering, termed recombinogenic engineering or recombineering, is efficient and greatly decreases the time it takes to create transgenic mouse models by traditional means. Recombineering also facilitates many kinds of genomic experiment that have otherwise been difficult to carry out, and should enhance functional genomic studies by providing better mouse models and a more refined genetic analysis of the mouse genome.     

Technicolour transgenics: imaging tools for functional genomics in the mouse

Over the past decade, a battery of powerful tools that encompass forward and reverse genetic approaches have been developed to dissect the molecular and cellular processes that regulate development and disease. The advent of genetically-encoded fluorescent proteins that are expressed in wild type and mutant mice, together with advances in imaging technology, make it possible to study these biological processes in many dimensions. Importantly, these technologies allow direct visual access to complex events as they happen in their native environment, which provides greater insights into mammalian biology than ever before.     

Trends in large-scale mouse mutagenesis: from genetics to functional genomics

The primary goal of mouse mutagenesis programmes is to develop a fundamental research infrastructure for mammalian functional genomics and to produce human disease models. Many large-scale programmes have been ongoing since 1997; these culminated in the International Knockout Mouse Consortium (IKMC) in 2007 with the aim to establish knockout and conditional mouse strains for all mouse genes. This article traces the origins and rationale of these large-scale mouse mutagenesis programmes.     

蚜虫基因组及功能基因组研究进展

蚜虫作为刺吸式昆虫和植物病毒的传播者,已经成为严重威胁农业生产发展的重要害虫之一。近几年随着分子生物学的发展,尤其是基因组测序技术的进步,蚜虫基因组学和功能基因组学取得了重大突破,使我们对蚜虫特殊的生物学特征有了深层次的认识。本文就蚜虫与内共生菌关系、表型可塑性、发育和生殖、系统进化、解毒酶基因家族以及唾液腺方面在基因组和功能基因组水平上的研究进展进行了综述。     

Cell microarrays and functional genomics

With the complete sequencing of the human genome, research priorities have shifted from the identification of genes to the elucidation of their function. Methods currently used by scientists to characterize gene function, such as knock-out mice, are based upon loss of protein function and analysis of the resulting phenotypes to infer a potential role for the protein under scrutiny. Until now, these methods have been successful but time consuming and only a few genes at a time could be analyzed. Cell microarrays allow to simultaneously transfect thousands of different nucleic acid molecules, RNA or DNA, into adherent cells. It is then possible to analyze a large pallet of resulting phenotypes in clusters of transfected cells. We are currently manufacturing cell microarrays with collections of full-length cDNA cloned in expression vectors (gain of function analyses) or siRNA (loss of function studies) to unravel function of genes involved in differentiation and proliferation of human cells. Although there are still some technological difficulties to overcome, the potential for cell microarrays to speed up functional exploration of genomes is very promising.     

Evolutionary and ecological functional genomics

A unique combination of disciplines is emerging--evolutionary and ecological functional genomics--which focuses on the genes that affect ecological success and evolutionary fitness in natural environments and populations. Already this approach has provided new insights that were not available from its disciplinary components in isolation. However, future advances will necessitate the re-engineering of scientific attitudes, training and institutions, to achieve extensive multidisciplinarity.     

RNA干涉与功能基因组

RNA干涉是通过双链RNA的介导特异性抑制具有相应序列的基因表达的转录后水平基因沉默机制,它为反向遗传方法研究基因功能开辟了一条新路。本综述了RNA干涉的机制以及它在功能基因组研究方面的最新进展。     

Integration of structural and functional genomics

This paper introduces a special issue of Animal Genetics , which is devoted to the recent symposium held at Iowa State University entitled 'Integration of Structural and Functional Genomics'. We describe issues and needs that confront the animal genomics community, and describe how this symposium was structured to address these issues by improving communication and collaboration across species and disciplines. The session topics and oral presentations are briefly described for all invited speakers.     

小麦的比较基因组学和功能基因组学

小麦是异源多倍体植物,具有大的染色体组,并且基因组中重复序列所占比例较高,这些特征限制了小麦基因组研究的进展。比较基因组学方法为运用模式植物进行小麦基因组学研究提供了一个操作平台。功能基因组学的研究集中于基因组中转录表达的部分,基因功能的确定是功能基因组学研究的主要内容。对比较基因组学在小麦基因组研究中的应用和小麦功能基因组学的研究内容和方法进行了综述。     

Integrating sequence, evolution and functional genomics in regulatory genomics

With genome analysis expanding from the study of genes to the study of gene regulation, 'regulatory genomics' utilizes sequence information, evolution and functional genomics measurements to unravel how regulatory information is encoded in the genome.     

植物重要功能基因研究进展及其应用

随着越来越多植物全基因组测序的完成,植物基因研究的重点将逐渐从基因的发现转移到对基因功能的研究上来。近年来,植物基因功能的阐述日益深入,尤其是与作物产量和抗性相关的重要农艺性状调控机理的研究更加引人注目,一些具有应用价值的功能基因相继被鉴定并得到功能注释。该文综述植物功能基因研究领域近年来的主要进展,着重介绍具有应用前景的重要功能基因的研究。同时,对目前利用基因工程、分子标记辅助选择等于段改良作物的现状及其前景进行讨论。     

功能基因组学的研究方法

基因组学的研究已从结构基因组学转向功能基因组学,功能基因组学时代对于基因功能的研究也由单一基因转向大规模,批量分析,本综述了功能基因组学的研究内容与方法,主要包括：差异显示反转录PCR,基因表达序列分析（SAGE）,微点阵,遗传足迹法,反求遗传学,蛋白质组学和生物信息学等新方法。