Genetic complexity of complex traits: looking for answers using yeast

“In nature, differences for most phenotypes among individuals, in a population, vary in degree than having discrete phenotypes, for example, human diseases like diabetes and cancer. Despite their high frequency of occurrence, there is very little understanding of genetic underpinnings of these complex traits, the traits affected by multiple alleles of multiple genes interacting with environment. Difficulties arise from the lack of simple correspondence between phenotype and genotype caused by multifactorial inheritance, genetic heterogeneity and gene-environment interactions. Yeast, as a model of complex trait, has been used to unravel and provide insights into the fundamental genetic principles governing these traits. To have a comprehensive understanding of complex traits, their biology and genetics, we apply whole genome techniques and functional genomics to elucidate DNA variation-function relationships.”