Forward Genetic Screens
A forward genetic screen is a biomedical technique that aims to discover the genes behind an observed phenotype. It is a technique that can be used to discover genes that control neuronal development, for example by creating mutants that interfer with the development of neurons and then genetically screening these mutants to determine what genes are effecting the mutant phenotype.
Forward genetic screens can deduce both the funtion of genes involved in molecular pathways and also determine the molecular mechanisms behind such pathways.
C. elegans are often used as a tool when carrying out forward genetic screens because they are easy to induce mutations in and also because we have a complete fate map for every cell the adult C. elegan, allowing researchers to determine the roles of specific genes and how they affect the lineage of certain cells in the C. elegan. The nervous system of a C. elegan is also relatively simple and easy to access.
There are a number of techniques currently avalible that can induce mutations into C. elegans, most commonly:
The knowledge gained from forward genetic screens can be applied to combating human neurological diseases because C. elegan genes often have homologs in vetebrates.
The genomic sequecing of other nematodes has also allowed researchers to compare molecular genetics between species in order to gain new insights into how developmental control mechanisms have evolved. Knowledge which can be used in order to study developmental pathologies in humans.
Articles related to forward genetics in C. elegans
Genetic and Cellular Analysis of Behaviour in C. Elegans
Invertebrates as Powerful Genetic Models for Human Neurodegenerative Diseases
