Beyond induced mutants: using worms to study natural variation in genetic pathways

Induced mutants in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans are used to study genetic pathways of processes ranging from aging to behavior. The effects of such mutations are usually analyzed in a single wildtype background: N2. However, studies in other species demonstrate that the phenotype(s) of induce...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in genetics 2008-04, Vol.24 (4), p.178-185
Main Authors: Kammenga, Jan E, Phillips, Patrick C, De Bono, Mario, Doroszuk, Agnieszka
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
c-elegans
Caenorhabditis
Caenorhabditis - genetics
Caenorhabditis - physiology
Caenorhabditis elegans
Chromosome Mapping
Classical genetics, quantitative genetics, hybrids
Disease
expression
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genetic Variation
Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution
genotype-environment interactions
genus caenorhabditis
Humans
Invertebrata
life-history traits
linkage disequilibrium
Medical Education
Models, Genetic
Molecular and cellular biology
Mutagenesis
Nematoda
nematode caenorhabditis-elegans
quantitative trait loci
single-nucleotide polymorphisms
wild populations
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Summary:Induced mutants in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans are used to study genetic pathways of processes ranging from aging to behavior. The effects of such mutations are usually analyzed in a single wildtype background: N2. However, studies in other species demonstrate that the phenotype(s) of induced mutations can vary widely depending on the genetic background. Moreover, induced mutations in one genetic background do not reveal the allelic effects that segregate in natural populations and contribute to phenotypic variation. Because other wildtype Caenorhabditis spp., including C. elegans , are now available, we review how current mapping resources and methodologies within and between species support the use of Caenorhabditis spp. for studying genetic variation, with a focus on pathways associated with human disease.
ISSN:0168-9525
DOI:10.1016/j.tig.2008.01.001