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Ch. 4 - Gene Interaction
Sanders - Genetic Analysis: An Integrated Approach 3rd Edition
Sanders3rd EditionGenetic Analysis: An Integrated ApproachISBN: 9780135564172Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 4, Problem 18b

Strains of petunias come in four pure-breeding colors: white, blue, red, and purple. White petunias are produced when plants synthesize no flower pigment. Blue petunias and red petunias are produced when plants synthesize blue or red pigment only. Purple petunias are produced in plants that synthesize both red and blue pigment (the mixture of red and blue makes purple). Flower-color pigments are synthesized by gene action in two separate pigment-producing biochemical pathways. Pathway I contains gene A that produces an enzyme to catalyze conversion of a colorless pigment designated to blue pigment. In Pathway II, the enzymatic product of gene B converts the colorless pigment designated to red pigment. The two genes assort independently.
Diagram showing biochemical pathways for petunia flower color synthesis.
What are the possible genotype(s) for true-breeding blue petunias? 

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1
Understand the problem: The question asks for the possible genotype(s) of true-breeding blue petunias. From the diagram, we see that blue pigment is produced by Pathway I, which is controlled by gene A. Pathway II, controlled by gene B, is responsible for red pigment. True-breeding means the genotype must be homozygous for the trait in question.
Analyze Pathway I: For a petunia to produce blue pigment, gene A must be functional. This means the genotype for gene A must be homozygous dominant (AA) to ensure consistent production of the enzyme required to convert the colorless pigment to blue.
Analyze Pathway II: To ensure the petunia is blue and not purple, it must not produce red pigment. This means gene B must be non-functional. A non-functional gene B is represented by the homozygous recessive genotype (bb), which prevents the conversion of the colorless pigment to red.
Combine the genotypes: Since the petunia must be true-breeding for blue, the genotype must be homozygous for both traits. This results in the genotype AA for gene A (blue pigment production) and bb for gene B (no red pigment production).
Conclude the solution: The possible genotype(s) for true-breeding blue petunias is AA bb. This ensures that the petunia consistently produces blue pigment and no red pigment, resulting in a blue flower color.

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Key Concepts

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

Gene Action and Enzymatic Pathways

Gene action refers to the process by which genes produce enzymes that catalyze biochemical reactions. In the case of petunias, two distinct pathways are involved in pigment synthesis: Pathway I, where gene A converts a colorless pigment to blue, and Pathway II, where gene B converts a colorless pigment to red. Understanding these pathways is crucial for determining how different flower colors are produced.
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Independent Assortment

Independent assortment is a fundamental principle of genetics stating that alleles for different genes segregate independently during gamete formation. In this scenario, the genes controlling blue and red pigment synthesis (genes A and B) assort independently, meaning the inheritance of one does not affect the inheritance of the other. This principle is essential for predicting the genotypes of offspring based on parental traits.
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True-Breeding Genotypes

True-breeding organisms are homozygous for a particular trait, meaning they carry two identical alleles. For blue petunias, which are produced by the action of gene A, the true-breeding genotype would be homozygous for the allele that produces blue pigment. This understanding is vital for identifying the possible genotypes of true-breeding blue petunias, which would be represented as 'AA' if 'A' is the dominant allele responsible for blue pigment synthesis.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

The coat color in mink is controlled by two codominant alleles at a single locus. Red coat color is produced by the genotype R₁R₁, silver coat by the genotype R₁R₂, and platinum color by R₂R₂. White spotting of the coat is a recessive trait found with the genotype ss. Solid coat color is found with the S– genotype.


If the cross SsR₁R₂ x SsR₁R₁ is made, what are the progeny phenotypes, and in what proportions are they expected to occur?

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Textbook Question

The coat color in mink is controlled by two codominant alleles at a single locus. Red coat color is produced by the genotype R₁R₁, silver coat by the genotype R₁R₂, and platinum color by R₂R₂. White spotting of the coat is a recessive trait found with the genotype ss. Solid coat color is found with the S– genotype.


Two crosses are made between mink. Cross 1 is the cross of a solid, silver mink to one that is solid, platinum. Cross 2 is between a spotted, silver mink and one that is solid, silver. The progeny are described in the table below. Use these data to determine the genotypes of the parents in each cross. 

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Textbook Question

Strains of petunias come in four pure-breeding colors: white, blue, red, and purple. White petunias are produced when plants synthesize no flower pigment. Blue petunias and red petunias are produced when plants synthesize blue or red pigment only. Purple petunias are produced in plants that synthesize both red and blue pigment (the mixture of red and blue makes purple). Flower-color pigments are synthesized by gene action in two separate pigment-producing biochemical pathways. Pathway I contains gene A that produces an enzyme to catalyze conversion of a colorless pigment designated to blue pigment. In Pathway II, the enzymatic product of gene B converts the colorless pigment designated to red pigment. The two genes assort independently.

What are the possible genotype(s) for pure-breeding red petunias? 

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Textbook Question

Strains of petunias come in four pure-breeding colors: white, blue, red, and purple. White petunias are produced when plants synthesize no flower pigment. Blue petunias and red petunias are produced when plants synthesize blue or red pigment only. Purple petunias are produced in plants that synthesize both red and blue pigment (the mixture of red and blue makes purple). Flower-color pigments are synthesized by gene action in two separate pigment-producing biochemical pathways. Pathway I contains gene A that produces an enzyme to catalyze conversion of a colorless pigment designated to blue pigment. In Pathway II, the enzymatic product of gene B converts the colorless pigment designated to red pigment. The two genes assort independently.

True-breeding red petunias are crossed to pure-breeding blue petunias, and all the F₁ progeny have purple flowers. If the F₁ are allowed to self-fertilize and produce the F₂, what is the expected phenotypic distribution of the F₂ progeny? Show your work.

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Textbook Question

Feather color in parakeets is produced by the blending of pigments from two biosynthetic pathways shown below. Four independently assorting genes (A, B, C, and D) produce enzymes that catalyze separate steps of the pathways. For the questions below, use an uppercase letter to indicate a dominant allele producing full enzymatic activity and a lowercase letter to indicate a recessive allele producing no functional enzyme. Feather colors produced by mixing pigments are green (yellow + blue) and purple (red + blue). Red, yellow, and blue feathers result from the production of one colored pigment, and white results from the absence of pigment production.

What is the genotype of a pure-breeding purple parakeet strain? 

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Textbook Question

Feather color in parakeets is produced by the blending of pigments from two biosynthetic pathways shown below. Four independently assorting genes (A, B, C, and D) produce enzymes that catalyze separate steps of the pathways. For the questions below, use an uppercase letter to indicate a dominant allele producing full enzymatic activity and a lowercase letter to indicate a recessive allele producing no functional enzyme. Feather colors produced by mixing pigments are green (yellow + blue) and purple (red + blue). Red, yellow, and blue feathers result from the production of one colored pigment, and white results from the absence of pigment production.

What is the genotype of a pure-breeding yellow strain of parakeet? 

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