Thus far, this technique has primarily been used to identify genes that can cause a disease when they alone are mutated (i.e., single-gene mutations). By analyzing such randomly induced mutations on different genetic backgrounds, researchers eventually may be able to also identify genes that only modify the risk for a disease. Although ENU mutagenesis was met with great enthusiasm when it was first introduced, this technique has not yet been highly successful in mapping genes involved in complex traits, such as alcohol-related behaviors.
