Genetic Engineering as a Methodological Basis for Functional Plant Genomics

Functional genomics studies the dynamic aspects of gene and genome expression, the fine mechanisms of transcription and translation, as well as interprotein interactions of components participating in these processes. Genetic engineering includes a set of knowledge and developed methods that allow experimentally studying the physiological role of gene products, which is one of the tasks of functional genomics. Complex studies related to the study of genome functioning require analysis of a large amount of data. In this case, algorithms of bioinformatics are used—an interdisciplinary field that combines a complex of sciences and computer technologies. A review is performed of combined methodological approaches employed in current genetic engineering for investigating the physiological role of genes on models of stable transformed plants. Attention is given to insertional mutagenesis and RNA interference, and to their application in studying fine mechanisms of key biological processes.