9.14 After the gene for an autosomal dominant humandisease was identified, sequence analysis of the mutant allele revealed it to be a missense mutation. Two alternate hypotheses are proposed for how the mutant allele could cause disease. In one hypothesis, the missense mutation alters a critical amino acid in the protein so that the protein is no longer able to function: heterozygotes with just one copy of the normal allele develop the disease because they have half of the normal dose of this protein's function. In the second hypothesis, the missense mutation alters the protein so that it interferes with a normal process: heterozygotes develop the disease because the mutant allele actively disrupts a required function. How could you gather evidence to support one of these alternate hypotheses using knockout mice?

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