Function of genome

Functional genomics : 

Functional genomics targets to extract the biological meaning carried in the DNA sequence by exploring the genomic information at DNA, RNA and protein level. Structural genomics provides partial information about the function of the protein product decipherable only from the structural information, such as domain specific functionality of proteins. Functional genomics provides much broader coverage by providing molecular insights about the Funtional network of the cell that not only involve proteins but also other metabolites, events of developmental networks, characterization of transcriptome, DNA-RNA, DNA-protein and RNA-protein interactions. Starting point of functional genomics projects may be collection of mutant libraries or collections, either already available or generated through insertional muted genesis and knockdown of gene function, as well as reading frames of sequenced genome whose function has not been assigned. Transposable elements, T-DNA insertions, RNA interferencem mediated knockdown or mutagenesis through random nucleotide insertions and substitutions are extensively used to generate mutant libraries. Insertion of these mutated sequences to expression systems through transgenesis is one of the popular
approaches for determination of function of a gene. Altered expression of an otherwise steady reporter gene in expression system coupled with transgenic DNA inserts have been extensively used to identify regulatory sequences in the genome. If the preceding foreign DNA sequence of the reporter gene contains a promoter element, the expression of the reporter gene will be altered. Functional analysis has also been performed in
 dentification and characterization of numerous stress related proteins. Common examples are heat shock proteins of Drosophila and other organisms or protein kinases involved in stress related pathways etc.

      Functional genomics, therefore, extensively utilizes transformation technologies for identification of gene functions. A malor portion of this book provides outlines on principles and applications of transgenics
in microbes, plants and animals with details of types of cloning methodologies, vectors used and selection approaches. It is also essential for ftmctional genomic analysis of development and cpigenetic mechanisms that play significant role in physiological processes and gene environment interaction. One of the major targets of functional genomics is to interpret the signal transduction cascades in the cellular processes like disease development and drug response. a key component of biomedical research and pliarmacogenoniics. For profiling of transcriptome. methods like DNA microarrav and C- DNA AFLP are routmely used which helps in understanding the processes like alternative splicing. mRNA editing and mRNA turnover.