From sequence to function: insights from natural variation in budding yeasts

Nieduszynski, Conrad A.; Liti, Gianni

Abstract

Background
Natural variation offers a powerful approach for assigning function to DNA sequence—a pressing challenge in the age of high throughput sequencing technologies.

Scope of Review
Here we review comparative genomic approaches that are bridging the sequence–function and genotype–phenotype gaps. Reverse genomic approaches aim to analyse sequence to assign function, whereas forward genomic approaches start from a phenotype and aim to identify the underlying genotype responsible.

Major Conclusions
Comparative genomic approaches, pioneered in budding yeasts, have resulted in dramatic improvements in our understanding of the function of both genes and regulatory sequences. Analogous studies in other systems, including humans, demonstrate the ubiquity of comparative genomic approaches. Recently, forward genomic approaches, exploiting natural variation within yeast populations, have started to offer powerful insights into how genotype influences phenotype and even the ability to predict phenotypes.

General Significance
Comparative genomic experiments are defining the fundamental rules that govern complex traits in natural populations from yeast to humans.

Citation

Nieduszynski, C. A., & Liti, G. (2011). From sequence to function: insights from natural variation in budding yeasts. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, 1810(10), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2011.02.004

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Oct 1, 2011
• Deposit Date: Mar 31, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 31, 2014
• Journal: BBA - Biochimica et Biophysica Acta
• Print ISSN: 1388-1981
• Electronic ISSN: 0006-3002
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 1810
• Issue: 10
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2011.02.004
• Keywords: Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Forward genomics; Reverse genomics; Functional analysis; Quantitative trait locus; Comparative genomics
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1009659
• Publisher URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304416511000377