Molecular genetics gene composition

Today s understanding of information pathways has arisen from the convergence of genetics, physics, and chemistry in modern biochemistry. This was epitomized by the discovery of the double-helical structure of DNA, postulated by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953 (see Fig. 8-15). Genetic theory contributed the concept of coding by genes. Physics permitted the determination of molecular structure by x-ray diffraction analysis. Chemistry revealed the composition of DNA. The profound impact of the Watson-Crick hypothesis arose from its ability to account for a wide range of observations derived from studies in these diverse disciplines. 

Genetic analysis can give important information about the functional role of a specific gene, but it is often difficult to make definitive conclusions about the molecular basis for an observed phenotype. This is especially true for MFCs in which many proteins make up a functional unit and the deletion of one subunit can have significant consequences for the integrity of the whole or at least parts of the analyzed complex. To address this problem, MFCs from mutant strains can be purified and compared to the wildtype complex for biochemical activity and subunit composition. A careful comparison of genetic and biochemistry data will enable the... 

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