For each interaction entered in the tool, an experimental system must be selected. The experimental systems include genetic analyses. The different types of genetic experimental systems are described in the table below.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Dosage Growth Defect | Overexpression/increased dosage of one gene causes a growth defect in a strain that is mutated/deleted for another gene (e.g. PMID: 15166139). |
| Dosage Lethality | Overexpression/increased dosage of one gene causes lethality in a strain that is mutated/deleted for another gene (e.g. PMID: 10805723, Fig. 3). |
| Dosage Rescue | Overexpression/increased dosage of one gene rescues the lethality or growth defect of a strain mutated/deleted for another gene (e.g. PMID: 12207708, Fig. 3). |
| Negative genetic | Mutations/deletions in separate genes, each of which alone causes a minimal phenotype, but when combined in the same cell results in a more severe fitness defect or lethality under a given condition (e.g. PMID: 20093466). This term is reserved for high or low throughput studies with scores. |
| Phenotypic Enhancement | Mutation/deletion/overexpression of one genes results in enhancement of any phenotype (other than lethality/growth defect) associated with mutation/deletion/overexpression of another gene, for example response to DNA damage or transcriptional output (e.g. PMID: 11890933, Fig. 2). |
| Phenotypic Suppression | Mutation/deletion/overexpression of one gene results in suppression of any phenotype (other than lethality/growth defect) associated with mutation/deletion/overexpression of another gene (e.g. PMID: 10073572). |
| Positive genetic | Mutations/deletions in separate genes, each of which alone causes a minimal phenotype, but when combined in the same cell results in a less severe fitness defect than expected under a given condition.(e.g. PMID: 20093466). This term is reserved for high or low throughput studies with scores. |
| Synthetic Growth Defect | Mutations/deletions in separate genes, each of which alone causes a minimal phenotype, but when combined in the same cell results in a significant growth defect under a given condition (e.g. PMID: 12871902, Fig. 8). |
| Synthetic Haploinsufficiency | A genetic interaction is inferred when mutations or deletions in separate genes, at least one of which is hemizygous, cause a minimal phenotype alone but result in lethality when combined in the same cell under a given condition (e.g. PMID: 17167106). |
| Synthetic Lethality | Mutations/deletions in separate genes, each of which alone causes a minimal phenotype, but when combined in the same cell results in lethality under a given condition (e.g. PMID: 14690608). |
| Synthetic Rescue | Mutation/deletion of one gene rescues the lethality or growth defect of a strain mutated/deleted for another gene (e.g. PMID: 14734533, Fig. 1). |
Please note that going forward we will not curate cases such as sensitivity to caffeine, temperature, etc. with the terms 'phenotypic enhancement' or 'phenotypic suppression'. Instead we will use the other relevant terms that refer to a growth defect under a given condition, such as 'synthetic growth defect' or 'synthetic lethality'. Basically, the terms are to be used as follows:
This has implications for how we curate phenotypes. Please see the phenotype curation section below.
As a rule, we only curate genetic interactions when each of the single mutants is shown in comparison to the double or multiple mutants within the same paper. Some exceptions to this policy are described in question 13 of the Curation Questions and Answers Section on the BioGRID Curation Guide page. For rescue experiments of any type (phenotypic suppression/synthetic rescue/dosage rescue) you can infer the interaction with only one phenotype shown.