Beadle and Tatum are known for proposing which hypothesis related to gene function?

Beadle and Tatum proposed the one gene-one enzyme hypothesis, which postulates that each gene within an organism's DNA corresponds to the production of a specific enzyme that catalyzes a particular biochemical reaction. Their work with the fungus Neurospora crassa led them to demonstrate that mutations in specific genes result in the inability to produce certain enzymes, causing defects in metabolic pathways.

This hypothesis has been foundational in understanding the relationship between genes and their functional products, paving the way for the gene-to-protein paradigm. Over time, it has been refined to the one gene-one protein hypothesis, acknowledging that some genes can encode multiple related proteins through mechanisms such as alternative splicing. However, Beadle and Tatum's original proposition focused specifically on enzymes, making it a critical point in the development of molecular biology and genetics.