Question

In corn, the allele A allows the deposition of anthocyanin (blue) pigment in the kernels (seeds), while aa plants have yellow kernels. At a second gene, W– produces smooth kernels, while ww kernels are wrinkled. A plant with blue smooth kernels was crossed to a plant with yellow wrinkled kernels. The progeny consisted of 1447 blue smooth, 169 blue wrinkled, 186 yellow smooth, and 1510 yellow wrinkled.

a. Are the a and w loci linked? If so, how far apart are they?
b. What was the genotype of the blue smooth parent? Include the chromosome arrangement of alleles
c. If a plant grown from a blue wrinkled progeny seed is crossed to a plant grown from a yellow smooth F, seed, what kinds of kernels would be expected, and in what proportions?

Answer 1

A) Yes, 12 mu

B) AaWw

C) 0.25%

Step-by-step explanation:

As given,

Allele A for blue anthocynin.

aa for yellow kernel;

at second locus;

W produce smooth kernel,

ww for wrinkled kernel;

Parents as given are: AaWw and aaww

Progeny are:

blue smooth ( AaWw)= 1447;

blue wrinkle (Aaww)= 169;

yellow smooth (aaWw)= 186;

yellow wirnked (aaww)= 1510

a)

Recombinant progeny are 169+ 186= 355

non- recombinant progeny are = 1447+ 1510= 2957

so recombination frequency (RF)= 346/2957×100= 12.0054%

So a and w are linked genes.

They are 12 mu far away from each other.

b) Blue smooth parent= AaWw.

c) Aaww crossed with aaWw

progeny are= AaWw, Aaww, aaWw, aaww,

They all are produced in same proportion =0.25% or 1/4.