This project seeks to understand the development of the vertebrate visual system using genetic analysis. By producing mutations via insertional DNA techniques we will be able to identify genes responsible for normal visual development in a vertebrate. We will insert DNA into the germline of fish species that: (1) have a short generation time; (2) can be scored rapidly for recessive mutations by artificial parthenogenesis; (3) can be cloned; and (4) are easily scored for visual defects. Some of the insertions will cause changes in the normal development of the visual system. Some of these changes should provide basic insights into this complex process. We will use anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry to analyze these mutants. We will apply a host of modern molecular biological techniques to identify and characterize the genes, the function of which is known from their phenotypes.
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