Identifying Genes and Proteins of Interest

The purpose of this chapter is to describe methods useful for identifying which genes or proteins are important for a specific biological phenotype. These methods usually involve screening thousands of genes to identify just a few that contribute to a neurobiological phenomenon. In previous chapters, we examined techniques that generally study whole brains, behaviors, or the activity of cells. Starting with this chapter, we begin to study genetic and molecular neuroscience—the contribution of genes and molecules to development, physiology, and behavior. Therefore, we start the chapter with a brief introduction to studying genes and proteins, as well as a survey of commonly used genetic model organisms (Box 9.1 and Table 9.1). The second half of the chapter describes various methods for identifying genes or proteins of interest: using genetic screens, in silico screens, and molecular screens. Once these genes are identified, scientists can perform other experiments to further understand their contribution to a phenotype, as described in later chapters. Scientists can also use knowledge about the genes that specific neurons express to design genetically modified organisms for targeting and manipulating neural populations of interest (Chapter 12).