Module on Extension of Mendelian Principles

Extension of Mendelian Principles

Mendel studied traits with only one mode of inheritance in pea plants. The inheritance
followed simple pattern of dominant and recessive allele. As more and more experiments were
performed, there are crosses that do not follow the Mendelian ratios. These observations did not
in any way disprove Mendel’s principles, rather, they extended and developed them.

1. Incomplete Dominance
Pattern of inheritance in which the dominant phenotype is not fully expressed in the
heterozygous individuals. The heterozygotes are phenotypically intermediate between the two
homozygous parents. Example is the flower color in snap dragon

P: RR X rr
red white

F1: Rr
all pink

F2 : 1RR, 2 Rr, 1 rr
red, pink white

PR - 1: 2 :1
GR - 1: 2: 1

2. Over dominance
The heterozygotes exceed the phenotypic expression of the homozygous parents.
Overdominance can also be described as heterosis or hybrid vigor wherein the heterozygote is
better than the homozygous parents.

Example
Sickle cell anemia is an autosomal recessive disorder. The affected individuals produce
abnormal form of hemoglobin. This trait is governed by two alleles: HbA that encodes the normal
hemoglobin, hemoglobin A and HbS that encodes the abnormal hemoglobin, hemoglobin S.
HbSHS individuals have red blood cells that deform into a sickle shape under conditions of low
oxygen tension. HbAHbA individuals have normal red blood cells. HbAHbS individuals are “better”
than HbAHbS than homozygous parents because they do not suffer from sickle cell anemia and
more resistant to malaria.

P: HbAHbA x HbSHbS
Normal hemoglobin A abnormal hemoglobin

F1 HbAHbS
Normal hemoglobin and resistant to malaria
3. Co-dominance
Inheritance characterized by full expression of both alleles in the heterozygote.
Heterozygotes exhibit a mixture of phenotypic characters of both homozygotes instead of a single
intermediate expression. Example is the coat color in cattle.

P: CRCR x CWCW
red white

F1: all CRCW

roan

F2: 1 CRCR, 2 CRCW, 1 CWCW

red roan white

PR = 1 : 2 : 1
GR = 1 : 2 : 1

4. Multiple Alleles

Multiple allele is a case in which genes have more than two alternative form of a gene
(allele). The inheritance of ABO blood group is an example. This blood group is governed by three
alleles (Table 3.2) namely: IA (A antigen on surface of RBC, IB (B antigen on surface of RBC), i
(O antigen on surface of RBC).

Table 3.2 Genotype, Blood Type and Antibody in ABO Blood Group

Genotype Blood Type Antibody

IA IA , IA i A Anti - B
IB IB , IB i B Anti - A
IA IB AB none
Ii O Anti - A and Anti - B

P: IAi x IBi
blood type A blood type B

F:

IB I
A
I IA IB A
I i
I IB i Ii

PR: 1 A : 1 B: 1 AB and 1 O
GR: 1:1:1:1
Another example of multiple allele is the one that controls coat color in rabbit. The fur
color is governed by four alleles: C (agouti), cch (chinchilla), ch (Himalayan) and c (albino). The
dominance hierarchy is as follows: C > cch > ch > c.

5. Lethal Genes

Lethal genes are genes that can cause death to the individual that carries them. Death may
occur at any stage of development or life. Some genes may cause lethality at early in life while
others in the later stage of development. Tay Sach’s disease is lethal at the age of 3 or 4 while
Huntington’s disease may not be lethal until middle age. The lethal gene may be a dominant or a
recessive gene.

1. Dominant lethal genes are expressed in homozygous or heterozygous condition. Huntington’s

disease, a neurological disease, which reduces the life expectancy is an example dominant lethal.
This can cause death when a heterozygous individual reach 40 years old.
Another example is “creeper” allele in chicken. Creepers have shortened legs and must
creep along. Such birds also have shortened wings. Creeper is dominant so that it is lethal when
present in homozygous dominant condition. The cross below shows how lethal allele may deviate
from Mendelian ratios.

P: Cc x Cc
(creeper) (creeper)

F: 1 CC 2Cc 1 cc
dead creeper normal

Since the homozygous dominant creeper is dead, the modified ratio is 2/3 creeper :1/3
normal.

2. Recessive lethal genes can cause lethality when present in homozygous recessive condition.
These genes can code for either dominant or recessive traits, but they do not actually cause death
unless an organism carries two copies of the lethal genes (Lobo, 2008). Examples include cystic
fibrosis, sickle cell anemia and achondroplasia. Figure below shows how recessive lethal gene is
inherited when two yellow mice were crossed.
Problem Set

1. It has long been known in the field of human genetics that wavy hair is the expression of a
heterozygous genotype in which the allele for straight hair is paired with the allele for curly hair.
Lucinda Lovelee married Larry Legg. Both of these charmers have wavy hair. What is the
probability that their offspring, the littlest Legg, will have:
a. wavy hair?
b. curly hair?
c. straight hair?

2. Two women gave birth to girls in the same hospital at the same time. The nurses think they may
have accidentally switched the babies' name tags and given the babies to the wrong parents. One
baby, Jane, is type O. The other baby, Mary, is blood type A. The father in one set of parents, the
Reds, is blood type A, and the mother is type B. The father in the other set of parents, the Greens,
is blood type AB, and the mother is type O. Figure out which baby belongs to which parents. Show
your work and reasoning

3. Mexican hairless dogs have little hair and a few teeth. When a Mexican hairless is mated to
another breed of dog, about half of the puppies are hairless. When two Mexican hairless dogs are
mated to each other, about 1/3 of the surviving puppies have hair, and about 2/3 of the surviving
puppies are hairless. However, about two out of eight puppies from this type of cross are born
grossly deformed and do not survive. Explain this pattern of inheritance.

4. Huntington's chorea is a dominant lethal in humans. The disease does not appear until later in
life, so that afflicted individuals may already have produced children. What are the F1 genotypic
and phenotypic ratios of parents who are homozygous dominant and heterozygous?