Elucidating cis- and trans-regulatory variation using genetical genomics

Genetic variation, through its effects on gene regulatory networks, has an important role in determining biologic phenotypes and disease susceptibility. Recent studies using segregating populations have characterized variation in gene expression resulting from genetic differences and have used well-established assays to identify many cis-acting polymorphisms. Although trans effects have been shown to be globally important, their individual effects are small, such that their genome-wide identification remains a challenge. Two recent studies using approaches capitalizing on intercrossed mouse strains and novel computational methods have yielded examples of trans-regulatory networks.