In a diploid plant species, an F₁ with the genotype Gg Ll Tt is test-crossed to a pure-breeding recessive plant with the genotype gg ll tt. The offspring genotypes are as follows:

Explain the meaning of this I value.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the problem. The question involves a test cross between an F₁ plant with the genotype Gg Ll Tt and a pure-breeding recessive plant (gg ll tt). The offspring genotypes and their frequencies are provided. The goal is to calculate the I value, which measures interference in genetic recombination.
2. Step 2: Define interference (I). Interference is a measure of how one crossover event in a region of a chromosome affects the likelihood of another crossover occurring nearby. It is calculated using the formula: I = 1 - (C / E), where C is the observed number of double crossovers, and E is the expected number of double crossovers.
3. Step 3: Identify the observed double crossovers (C). From the offspring data, the double crossover genotypes are those that result from recombination in both loci. These are the genotypes Gg Ll tt and gg ll Tt. Add their frequencies to find C.
4. Step 4: Calculate the expected double crossovers (E). To find E, first calculate the recombination frequencies for each gene pair (G-L, L-T, and G-T) using the offspring data. Then, multiply the recombination frequencies for the two relevant gene pairs and the total number of offspring (1600) to estimate E.
5. Step 5: Calculate the interference (I). Substitute the observed double crossovers (C) and the expected double crossovers (E) into the formula I = 1 - (C / E). This will give you the interference value, which indicates the extent to which crossover events are interfering with each other in this genetic cross.

Key Concepts

Test Cross

A test cross is a genetic cross between an individual with an unknown genotype and a homozygous recessive individual. This method helps determine the genotype of the unknown individual based on the phenotypes of the offspring. In this case, the F₁ plant (Gg Ll Tt) is crossed with a pure-breeding recessive plant (gg ll tt) to reveal the segregation of alleles in the offspring.

Genotype and Phenotype Ratios

Genotype refers to the genetic constitution of an organism, while phenotype is the observable physical or biochemical characteristics. The offspring's genotypes from the test cross can be analyzed to determine the ratios of different genotypes and phenotypes, which can provide insights into the inheritance patterns and the dominance of alleles in the plant species.

Chi-Square Test

The Chi-square test is a statistical method used to determine if there is a significant difference between observed and expected frequencies in genetic data. In this context, the I value likely refers to the Chi-square statistic calculated from the observed offspring genotypes compared to the expected ratios based on Mendelian inheritance. A high I value may indicate a deviation from expected ratios, suggesting potential linkage or other genetic interactions.