165k views
0 votes
What phenotype would you expect to see in the adult fruit fly if the embryo is exposed to dsRNAS specific for the gene that affects the scarlet pigment?

a. Scarlet color eyes
b. Normal Brick color eyes
c. Brown color eyes
d. White color eyes
e. I don't know

User Madmurphy
by
8.3k points

1 Answer

1 vote

Final answer:

Exposing a Drosophila embryo to dsRNA specific for the gene affecting scarlet pigment would likely result in adult fruit flies with white color eyes due to the silencing of the scarlet pigment gene. The correct answer is option d.

Step-by-step explanation:

When an embryo of a fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) is exposed to dsRNA specific for a gene affecting scarlet pigment, the process of RNA interference (RNAi) occurs, which leads to the silencing of that gene. As a result, the fruit fly is likely to have a phenotype where the scarlet pigment is not produced. Given the context of eye color in Drosophila and considering that the scarlet gene is involved in the production of red eye pigment, the absence of this pigment would not produce red (or scarlet) eyes.

In fruit flies, mutation in pigmentation genes often results in white eyes if the pathway is completely disrupted. Hence, if dsRNA specific for the scarlet pigment gene is introduced, we would expect the phenotype of the adult fruit fly to be d. White color eyes.

User Soroush Mirzaei
by
7.6k points

Related questions

asked Mar 6, 2024 32.2k views
Lalji Dhameliya asked Mar 6, 2024
by Lalji Dhameliya
8.1k points
1 answer
5 votes
32.2k views