Functional characterization of genes

摘要

Insertions into a gene of known sequence can be generated by crossing two parent plants, one of which contains a transposable element, to produce F1 progeny plants in which the insertion is detected by means of a PCR. F1 progeny plants containing such an insertion are self-fertilized to produce F2 progeny which are homozygous for the insertion. The function of a gene disabled by the insertion can be ascertained from a comparison of the phenotype of the F2 progeny with a parental phenotype. Large numbers of F1 progeny can be tested simultaneously for the presence of insertions. A collection of F2 seed can be stored and used for phenotype comparison when an insertion is detected.