Liang Ying, Van Zant Gary
Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0093, USA.
Curr Opin Hematol. 2003 May;10(3):195-202. doi: 10.1097/00062752-200305000-00001.
Studies to uncover genes regulating stem cells usually adopt one of two distinct lines of investigation: forward genetics and reverse genetics approaches. The forward genetics approach proceeds from measurable phenotypic differences to genetic polymorphism and, as the name implies, the path of investigation is reversed using reverse genetics. The number of newly discovered loci responsible for stem cell-specific phenotypes and functioning is increasing at a rapid rate owing to the success of both approaches. These loci regulate stem cells by intrinsic (cell autonomous) and/or extrinsic mechanisms and dictate stem-cell fate decisions. During the aging process, stem cells undergo both quantitative and qualitative changes, which are hypothesized to affect both the rate of aging and the longevity of an organism.
正向遗传学和反向遗传学方法。正向遗传学方法从可测量的表型差异出发，研究基因多态性，顾名思义，反向遗传学则是将研究路径反过来。由于这两种方法的成功，新发现的负责干细胞特异性表型和功能的基因座数量正在迅速增加。这些基因座通过内在（细胞自主）和/或外在机制调控干细胞，并决定干细胞的命运抉择。在衰老过程中，干细胞会经历数量和质量上的变化，据推测这些变化会影响衰老速度和生物体的寿命。
