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Ch. 7 - Linkage and Chromosome Mapping in Eukaryotes
Klug - Essentials of Genetics 10th Edition
Klug10th EditionEssentials of GeneticsISBN: 9780135588789Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 7, Problem 17

In Drosophila, two mutations, Stubble (Sb) and curled (cu), are linked on chromosome III. Stubble is a dominant gene that is lethal in a homozygous state, and curled is a recessive gene. If a female of the genotype
Genetic notation showing linked genes Stubble (Sb) and curled (cu) on chromosome III with dominant and recessive traits.
is to be mated to detect recombinants among her offspring, what male genotype would you choose as a mate?

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Identify the female genotype given: she is heterozygous for the linked genes Stubble (Sb) and curled (cu), with the genotype \( \frac{Sb\;cu}{+\;+} \). This means one chromosome carries both mutant alleles (Sb and cu), and the homologous chromosome carries the wild-type alleles (+ and +).
Recall that Stubble (Sb) is dominant and lethal in homozygous form, while curled (cu) is recessive. This affects which offspring survive and how phenotypes appear.
To detect recombinants among offspring, you need to mate the female with a male whose genotype allows clear identification of recombinant phenotypes. The male should be homozygous recessive for both genes, i.e., \( \frac{+\;+}{+\;+} \) but carrying recessive alleles for both traits, so that any recombinant gametes from the female can be distinguished in the progeny.
In Drosophila genetics, the standard practice is to use a male that is homozygous recessive for both genes (\( sb\;cu \)) so that all offspring phenotypes directly reflect the female's gametes, allowing detection of parental and recombinant types.
Therefore, the male genotype to choose is \( \frac{sb\;cu}{sb\;cu} \), which is homozygous recessive for both Stubble and curled, enabling clear scoring of recombinant offspring.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Linked Genes and Recombination

Linked genes are located close together on the same chromosome and tend to be inherited together. Recombination occurs during meiosis when crossing over between homologous chromosomes can separate linked genes, producing new allele combinations. Detecting recombinants helps map gene distances and understand linkage.
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Sex-Linked Genes

Dominant Lethal Alleles

A dominant lethal allele causes death when present in a homozygous state, preventing individuals with two copies from surviving. In heterozygotes, the dominant trait is expressed without lethality. This affects genotype frequencies and must be considered when predicting offspring genotypes.
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Variations on Dominance

Test Cross and Choice of Mate Genotype

A test cross involves mating an individual with a known genotype to a homozygous recessive individual to reveal the genotype of the first parent through offspring phenotypes. Choosing a male homozygous recessive for both genes allows detection of recombinant offspring by their phenotypes, clarifying linkage and recombination.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Drosophila melanogaster has one pair of sex chromosomes (XX or XY) and three pairs of autosomes, referred to as chromosomes II, III, and IV. A genetics student discovered a male fly with very short (sh) legs. Using this male, the student was able to establish a pure breeding stock of this mutant and found that it was recessive. She then incorporated the mutant into a stock containing the recessive gene black (b, body color located on chromosome II) and the recessive gene pink (p, eye color located on chromosome III). A female from the homozygous black, pink, short stock was then mated to a wild-type male. The F1 males of this cross were all wild type and were then backcrossed to the homozygous b, p, sh females. The F2 results appeared as shown in the following table. No other phenotypes were observed.

Based on these results, the student was able to assign short to a linkage group (a chromosome). Which one was it? Include your step-by-step reasoning.

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Textbook Question

Drosophila melanogaster has one pair of sex chromosomes (XX or XY) and three pairs of autosomes, referred to as chromosomes II, III, and IV. A genetics student discovered a male fly with very short (sh) legs. Using this male, the student was able to establish a pure breeding stock of this mutant and found that it was recessive. She then incorporated the mutant into a stock containing the recessive gene black (b, body color located on chromosome II) and the recessive gene pink (p, eye color located on chromosome III). A female from the homozygous black, pink, short stock was then mated to a wild-type male. The F₁ males of this cross were all wild type and were then backcrossed to the homozygous b, p, sh females. The F₂ results appeared as shown in the following table.

The student repeated the experiment, making the reciprocal cross, with F₁ females backcrossed to homozygous b, p, sh males. She observed that 85 percent of the offspring fell into the given classes, but that 15 percent of the offspring were equally divided among b + p, b + +, + sh p, and + sh + phenotypic males and females. How can these results be explained, and what information can be derived from the data?

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Textbook Question

Drosophila females homozygous for the third chromosomal genes pink and ebony (the same genes from Problem 16) were crossed with males homozygous for the second chromosomal gene dumpy. Because these genes are recessive, all offspring were wild type (normal). F1 females were testcrossed to triply recessive males. If we assume that the two linked genes, pink and ebony, are 20 mu apart, predict the results of this cross. If the reciprocal cross were made (F1 males—where no crossing over occurs—with triply recessive females), how would the results vary, if at all?

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Textbook Question

A female of genotype

produces 100 meiotic tetrads. Of these, 68 show no crossover events. Of the remaining 32, 20 show a crossover between a and b, 10 show a crossover between b and c, and 2 show a double crossover between a and b and between b and c. Of the 400 gametes produced, how many of each of the 8 different genotypes will be produced? Assuming the order a–b–c and the allele arrangement previously shown, what is the map distance between these loci?

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Textbook Question

In a certain plant, fruit is either red or yellow, and fruit shape is either oval or long. Red and oval are the dominant traits. Two plants, both heterozygous for these traits, were testcrossed, with the following results.

Determine the location of the genes relative to one another and the genotypes of the two parental plants.

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Textbook Question

In Drosophila, Dichaete (D) is a mutation on chromosome III with a dominant effect on wing shape. It is lethal when homozygous. The genes ebony body (e) and pink eye (p) are recessive mutations on chromosome III. Flies from a Dichaete stock were crossed to homozygous ebony, pink flies, and the F₁ progeny, with a Dichaete phenotype, were backcrossed to the ebony, pink homozygotes. Using the results of this backcross shown in the table.

Diagram this cross, showing the genotypes of the parents and offspring of both crosses.

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