Genetic Recombination

Genetic recombination plays an essential role in such vitally important biological processes as DNA repair, regulation of gene expression, disease etiology, meiotic chromosome segregation, and evolution. In Genetic Recombination: Reviews and Protocols, prominent international investigators actively engaged in recombination research describe in great detail their best techniques for studying recombination. The methods range from approaches and model systems to be used in a variety of eukaryotic organisms and in a mammalian parasite, to biochemical analyses useful for furthering the understanding of recombination mechanisms. Additional techniques use recombination as a reporter of genomic instability in lower and higher eukaryotes and as a tool for producing targeted genetic modification. Each readily reproducible method includes step-by-step instructions, a background introduction outlining the principle behind the technique, lists of equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. §Cutting-edge and highly practical, Genetic Recombination: Reviews and Protocols offers both novice and experienced investigators an illuminating synthesis of what we currently know about recombination, as well as a wide-ranging collection of powerful tools for elucidating its mechanisms and regulation throughout biology today.Genetic recombination is any process in which DNA sequences interact and undergo a transfer of information, producing new "recombinant" sequences that contain information from each of the original molecules. This book presents leading peer-reviewed protocols to carry out recombinant investigations in the lab. Part I provides approaches and model systems for studying several aspects of recombination in a variety of eukaryotic organisms and in mammalian parasites. Part II describes approaches for using recombination as a reporter of genomic instability in lower and higher eukaryotes. Part III discusses various methods and approaches for targeted genomic manipulation in higher and lower eukaryotes, while the final part presents biochemical analyses useful for furthering the understanding of recombination mechanisms, thus making this an invaluable book for both the novice and the established researcher in the field of recombination.