Complex Organization of Promoter and Enhancer Elements Regulate the Tissue- and Developmental Stage-Specific Expression of the <i>Drosophila melanogaster Gld</i> Gene

Keplinger, Brian L.; Guo, Xinmei; Quine, J A; Yue, Feng; Cavener, Douglas R.

doi:10.1093/genetics/157.2.699

Cited by 12 publications

References 37 publications

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The genetics of Drosophila transgenics

Roman¹

2004

BioEssays

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In Drosophila, the genetic approach is still the method of choice for answering fundamental questions on cell biology, signal transduction, development, physiology and behavior. In this approach, a gene's function is ascertained by altering either the amount or quality of the gene product, and then observing the consequences. The genetic approach is itself polymorphous, encompassing new and more complex techniques that typically employ the growing collections of transgenes. The keystone of these modern Drosophila transgenic techniques has been the Gal4 binary system. Recently, several new techniques have modified this binary system to offer greater control over the timing, tissue specificity and magnitude of gene expression. Additionally, the advances in post-transcriptional gene silencing, or RNAi, have greatly expanded the ability to knockdown almost any gene's function. Regardless of the growing experimental intricacy, the application of these advances to modify gene activity still obeys the fundamental principles of genetic analysis. Several of these transgenic techniques, which offer more precise control over a gene's activity, will be reviewed here with a discussion on how they may be used for determining a gene's function.

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