Dissection of Genetic Pathways in C. elegans - Caenorhabditis Elegans: Molecular Genetics and Development - page 147

the transcription factor ELT-3 was found and its transcriptional regulation on the target
genes was experimentally verified, the hierarchical relationship between them was
evident. Conversely, in Section II.B.4., Yo o et al.(2004) searched for downstream
target genes of the known transcription factor LAG-1, and identified and placed five
novel targets genes into the LIN-12/Notch signaling pathway.
IV. Future Outlook
C. elegans is a powerful model organism to decode the cellular and molecular
mechanisms underlying a variety of biological processes. Looking into the future, we
anticipate forward genetic screens to continue to be an important approach for gene
identification. More sophisticated genetic screens, such as enhancer screens on
genetic backgrounds with tissue-specific gene perturbations, are expected to be
carried out to cope with genetic lethality and substantial redundancy. Emerging
cytometry-based automated screening techniques and whole genome sequencing
for pinpointing mutation lesions will simplify mutant isolation and identification,
allowing a more exhaustive and effective interrogation of genetic pathways involved
in many biological processes. Technological advances in functional genomics and
systems biology are revolutionizing C. elegans studies by providing diverse
approaches to complement classic genetic screens to dissect genetic pathways/net-
works at unprecedented scales. Given the wealth of this functional data, we antic-
ipate that strategies involving traditional genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, and
functional genomics, will be further refined to effectively construct genetic path-
ways. The development of new technologies coupled with the established powerful
traits of the C. elegans model system ensures that this organism will continue to
serve an important role at the forefront of biological discovery.
Acknowledgments
We gratefully acknowledge the support from our laboratory and deeply appreciate helpful input from
all of the lab members during the preparation of this manuscript. Research in the Sherwood Lab was
supported by a March of Dimes Basil O ' Connor Award, Pew Scholars Award, and National Institutes of
Health Grant GM079320 to D.R.S.
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