Test 1 Material BSC 315

4. Epistasismultigene traits

Polygenic inheritance: two (or more) genes control a phenotype

Epistasis: when two (or more) genes control a trait, one of the genes masks the effects of
the other(s).
Recessive epistasis: homozygous recessive at one gene hides phenotype of other genes
o Recessive epistasis in dog coat color:
B-E- black
bbE- brown
-- ee golden
Gene E is epistatic to B (genotype ee masks the effect of
B)
o Recessive epistasis in cats:
Genotype cc (albino) masks effects of all other coat color
genes
o Recessive epistasis can occur for two genes in the same
pathway
Dominant alleles are required for flower color
Results of a dihybrid selfcross: aa- - and - -bb genotypes give white flowers
Result: 9:7 purple:white
Dominant epistasis: dominant allele hides phenotype of another gene
o Dominant epistasis in chicken feather color
B- genotype is epistatis to A.
Allele A produceds pigment only in a bb genotype.
A-B- white feathers
aa- - white feathers
A-bb colored feathers
F2 progeny: 13:3 white: colored feathers
o Dominant epistasis in cats
W- (white dominant) genotype masks effects of all other coat color genes
Recessive alleles in different genes may produce the same phenotype
o Congenital deafness (recessive)
o Can two deaf parents have hearing children?
Yes, if the parents are homozygous for different genes. These genes
complement each other
No, if the parents are homozygous for same gene.
Additive effects
o Two genes contribute additively to lentil coat color:
4 genotype produce 4 different phenotypes
Dihybdrid selfcross: 9:3:3:1 ; A-B-:A-bb:aaB-:aabb ; brown:tan:grey:green
o Additive mechanism:
A allele produces tan
B allele produces grey
Grey + tan = brown
Alleles a and b are inactive no pigment
If neither grey nor tan no pigment in coat, so underlying green seed color by
virtue of chlorophyll
o Incomplete dominance of two genes gives 9 different phenotypes
Example: two different purple pigments. A contributes more pigment than B.
Continuous variation and additive genes
o Continuous traits are best modeled by several genes (polygenic inheritance) with
incomplete dominance and additive effects

Test 1 Material BSC 315

o Example: skin color in humans

Enrionmental variation
o Environmental conditions affect phenotype examples:
Humans: height, weight, skin color, cancer, etc.
Siamese cats: foot and face pigmentation (heat sensitive enzyme)

5.

Meiosis I
o Prophase I
o Metaphase I
o Anaphase I
Chromosomes do not split
Whole chromosomes segregate from each other!
Homologs separate and segregate
o Telophase I
Each daughter cell contains 2 chromosomes (n=haploid)
Each chromosome contains 2 chromatids
Meiosis II
o Prophase II
2 haploid cells
Each chromosome contains 2 chromatids
o Metaphase II
o Anaphase II
Chromosomes split into 2 chromatids
Chromatids segregate
o Telophase II/Result
4 haploid cells
Each chromosome contains 1 chromatid
Meiosis and Mendel
o Segregation explained:

5. Sexlinked inherit .