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GENERAL GENETICS 1 The practical outcome of ≅ 1.5 century of genetics and ≅ 50 years of molecular biology 2 Application of genetics -1 (lesson from the field) A new species cobs 3 Application of genetics -2 4 Application of genetics -3 5 Application of genetics -4 rDNA stands for: derived from recombinant DNA technology 6 ALL STARTED WITH … MENDELISM 7 MENDELIAN METHOD or MENDELIAN GENETICS 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 9 Johann Gregor Mendel (1822-1884) Ð 1842 attends the Olmutz Institute of Phylosophy. Among the other topics (phylosophy, ethics) he selected also Physics. This will provide a solid background for his future work. Scientific Method Hypothesis Experimental work Results Analysis of the data (by means of mathematics) Ð 1843 enters the monastery of Saint Thomas – Brünn - Royal Society for the improvement of agriculture Ð 1851 enters the University of Wien, where he attended, in addition to 3 courses of Physics (as an assistant of Christian Doppler), also: Chemistry, Math, Paleontology, Botanics and Phyisiology approach) (multidisciplinary 10 Ð 1853 back to Brünn, where he will face the scientific problem: “What is inherited and how is inherited?” Fundamental choice ´ model organism Pisum sativum (fam. Papilionatae) 1. It is easy to cultivate 2. Developing time relatively short (≅ 3 months) 3. The flower is suitable for manipulation ´ sexual elements very well defined: anther (male ) containing POLLEN pistill (female) 11 Choice of 7 characters that can be easily distinguished by visual inspection (Was he lucky, or smart ?!) Seed color Pod color Pod shape Seed shape Flower color Inflated Stem length Wrinckled Flower position At tip tall dwarf Along stem 12 Mendel used some terms derived from German language to define what we commonly know today as a gene: Merkmal (characteristic, mark) Anlage (plan, design or predisposition) Elemente Hypothesis: Inside each cell there are well defined elements (Elemente) (or factors) that control the characters (Merkmal). These Elemente work together as a couple and the two Elemente are derived from both parents. When the germ cell forms, the two factors are separated (segregation) and either one or the other is transferred to reproductive cells. Experimental Approach : Production of Plant Hybrids using 7 well-defined Merkmal (true breeds) Instruments: • Pincers, to remove stamen and pollen, • Brush, to sprinkle stigma with pollen. • Cotton hood, to prevent external fertilization. 13 Ð 1854 starts teaching at the Realschule of Brünn (secondary school comparable to a Liceo Scientifico) Physics and Natural Science Ð 1856 after two years of hard work on 34 varieties of seeds, he managed to obtain 22 true breeds and some preliminary results. An individual that produces identical offspring when self-fertilized or hybridized with an individual of like genotype Crossed Pollination (in genetic terms: homozygous) Ð from 1856 until 1863 he carries out with truebreeding plants a set of experiments of seeding, cross fertilization and analysis of first generation (F1) and second generation (F2) plants with the aim of “… observing how different merkmal are transmitted to the offspring, and deduce the rules governing the appearance of these merkmal in the next generations of individuals” In other words: “ how hybridization can produce new species?” 14 Results Conclusions 1) Crossing true breeds produced always the same trait; 2) F1 progeny appeares as one of the two parental phenotypes (e.g. smooth seeds); F1 F2 3) The character that was not present in F1 reappeared in the second generation (F2) with approx. a 3:1 frequency (75% smooth seeds, 25% rough seeds); 4) The trait which is expressed in F1 progeny is defined dominant, and the one which is NOT expressed is called recessive. 5,474 smooth seeds and 1,850 rough seeds 2,96 : 1 F1 plants have a genotype S/r, where S= dominant allele, determining the smooth character of the seed and r = recessive allele determining the rough character. 15 Mendel used as nomenclature an uppercase letter (S big) for dominant allele and a lowercase letter (s small) for the recessive allele Dominant allele Recessive allele Homo-zygous (same zygotic constitution)? Hetero-zygous (different zygotic constitution)? Number of S alleles in the population? Number of s alleles in the population? 16 KEY WORDS Genotype: the genetic make-up of an individual (e.g. RR, Rr or rr) used with reference to a particular characteristic Phenotype: the physical expression of an organism’s genes (e.g. green or yellow seeds) Homozygous: possessing a pair of identical genes (e.g. RR and rr plants are homozygous) Heterozygous: possessing a pair of different genes (e.g. Rr) Allele: alternative forms of a gene ( or a DNA sequence) found at a given locus on a chromosome Female: the circle with the cross at the bottom represents the mirror of Venus, the goddess of love Male: the circle with the arrow point sticking outward represents the shield and spear of Mars, the god of war. 17 18 RESULTS OBTAINED WITH HYBRIDIZATION EXPERIMENTS (7 CHARACTERS) p g F2 (numeri) Carattere F1 (3) Semi: lisci /rugosi Tutti lisci (2) Semi: giallo/verdi Tutti gialli Involucri del seme:grigi/bianchi Tutti grigi (1) Tutti porpora Fiori: porpora/bianchi Fiori: assiali/terminali Tutti assiali (7) Baccelli: pieni/irregolari (5) Tutti pieni Baccelli: verdi/gialli Tutti verdi (4) Stelo: lungo/corto (6) Tutti lunghi Totale F2 (rapporto) Dominanti 5.474 6.022 705 Recessivi 1.850 2.001 224 Totale 7.324 8.023 929 Domin./Recess. 2.96 : 1 3.01 : 1 3.15 : 1 651 882 428 787 14.949 207 299 152 277 5.010 858 1.181 580 1.064 19.959 3.14 : 1 2.94 : 1 2.82 : 1 2.84 : 1 2.98 : 1 Ð 1866 he published the results and interpretations of his experiments in a scientific article titled: “Versuche über Pflanzen-Hybriden” in the Proceedings of the Brünn Natural History Society. He also sent 40 reprints of this work to distinguished scientists (e.g. Charles Darwin): he got a reply from only one, Karl Wilhelm von Nägeli, professor of Botany at the University of Munchen. 19 WHY 3:1 RATIO ? 20 R. Punnet – Prof. of Genetics at Cambridge (co-discovered genetic linkage) The genotypes of the offspring are obtained by combining the gamete from each column with the gamete from each row. ga The use of Punnet squares to predict the outcomes of genetic experiments when the parental genotypes are known. Number of A alleles ? Number of a alleles ? 21 GENETIC BASIS OF A PHENOTYPE Key terms: GENOTYPE = the genetic makeup of an individual organism PHENOTYPE = the observable outward appearance of an organism, which is controlled by the genotype and its interaction with the environment 22 Notes concerning the experimental design of Mendel’s experiments Selection of “true breeds” & initial use of monohybrids (i.e. crosses between plants differing for a single character) Prevention of self- and spurious pollination by removal of anthers (no pollen) and by placing “hoods” on flowers The stigmata are “brushed” with pollen derived from the desired plant Apply interdisciplinary approach to evaluate results 23 Parental generation → crosses → First filial generation (F1) of monohybrids → all offsprings display the same (dominant) character → self-fertilize monohybrids → second filial generation (F2) → both phenotypes appear, always in the same ratio ≅ 3 Mendel’s interpretation based on “cell theory” → both characters are present in the zygote → segregation occurs in the gamets Reciprocal cross experiments indicate that segregation of alleles is the same in both male and female parents 24 DI-HYBRID EXPERIMENTS Punnett square illustrating the genoptypes and phenotypes of the F2 generation from Mendel’s dihybrid experiment I = seed color (yellow or green) R = seed shape (smooth or rough) Results: 9 (IR): 3 (Ir): 3 (iR) : 1 (ir) An expansion of the 3 : 1 ratio Each gene behaves exactly as it does in a monohybrid cross 25 The product law can be used to predict the frequency with which two independent events will occur simultaneously 26 27 INDEPENDENT ASSORTMENT Remember cell theory ? 28 29 Mendel’s Principles a) Principle of SEGREGATION In the formation of pollen and ovules, the alleles of each pair “segregate” from each other into different gametes b) Principle of PARENTAL EQUIVALENCE In the formation of both male and female gametes, segregation of alleles is the same (exceptions: sex-linked genes, mitochondrial genes) c) Principle of INDEPENDENT SEGREGATION or INDEPENDENT ASSORTMENT The inheritance of alleles at one locus does not influence the inheritance of alleles at another locus 30 PRE GEN REQUI S ETI CS C ITE FO RG MIT OUR ENE OS I SE: RA L S– - CR M O EIO SSI DI F N G O SIS I FE R V ENC ES ER – D MEIO S E TA ILS IS II A ND Segregation explained using cell theory Diploid 2n Haploid n F1 31 2n F1 Meiosis ensures that when an individual is heterozygous at any locus, half of its gametes will carry one allele (A), and half will carry the other (a). n 32 Meiosis not only preserves the genome size of sexually reproducing eukaryotes but also provides 3 mechanisms to diversify the genomes of the offspring. 1. Crossing Over (Prophase I) Chiasmata represent points where earlier (and unseen) nonsister chromatids had swapped sections. The process is called crossing over. It is reciprocal; the segments exchanged by each nonsister chromatid are identical (but may carry different alleles). Each chromatid contains a single molecule of DNA. So the problem of crossing over is really a problem of swapping portions of adjacent DNA molecules. It must be done with great precision so that neither chromatid gains or loses any genes. In fact, crossing over has to be sufficiently precise that not a single nucleotide is lost or added at the crossover point if it occurs within a gene. Otherwise a frameshift would result and the resulting gene would produce a defective product or, more likely, no product at all. In this photomicrograph (grasshopper chromosomes), a tetrad shows 5 chiasmata. 33 When the chromosomes of the pair cross over, the chiasmata do not always occur at the same points along the lengths of the chromosomes; there are different sites at which chiasmata may occur: this gives endless different chromosome combinations after meiosis and NO two chromosomes will be identical in the gametes. Diagram 3 illustrates this point: the same pair of chromosomes, one black and one white, have formed chiasmata at different sites, producing different chromosomes to those in Diagram 2. 34 2. Random Assortment In meiosis I, the orientation of paternal and maternal homologues at the metaphase plate is random. Therefore, although each cell produced by meiosis contains only one of each homologue, the number of possible combinations of maternal and paternal homologues is 2n, where n = the haploid number of chromosomes. In this diagram, the haploid number is 3, and 8 (23) different combinations are produced. Ch.1 Ch.2 Ch.2 Ch.3 Ch.1 Random assortment of homologues in humans produces 223 (8,388,608) different combinations of chromosomes. Furthermore, because of crossing over, none of these chromosomes is "pure" maternal or paternal. The distribution of recombinant and non-recombinant sister chromatids into the daughter cells at anaphase II is also random. So it is safe to conclude that of all the billions of sperm produced by a man during his lifetime (and the ≅ 500 eggs that mature over the life of a woman), no two have exactly the same gene content. 35 36 3. Fertilization By reducing the number of chromosomes from 2n to n,the stage is set for the union of two genomes. If the parents differ genetically, new combinations of genes can occur in their offspring. Taking these three mechanisms together, it is safe to conclude that no two human beings have ever shared an identical genome unless they had an identical sibling; that is a sibling produced from the same fertilized egg (monoovular twins). The behavior of chromosomes during meiosis (2n → n) and fertilization (n + n → 2n) provides the structural basis for Mendel's rules of inheritance. 37 Can we PREDICT if a purple flowered plant is heterozygous or homozygous? 38 A TESTCROSS can be used to determine whether an individual is heterozygous (Aa) or homozygous (AA) The tester organism is homozygous recessive (aa white-flowered plant) 39 THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF DOMINANCE vs RECESSIVENESS 40 (This is related to Incomplete Dominance) 41 The effect of dominance A dominant allele a recessive allele 42 1 2 3 4 6 Discovery of Mendel’s data 7 - Hugo De Vries (NL) 8 - W. Bateson (ENG) 9 - K.H. Correns (D) 5 10 - E. von T.-Seysenegg (A) 11 12 - A. Garrod (ENG) 13 14 15 “Inborn Errors of Metabolism” 1908 16 - Giuseppe Cuboni (1903) 17 43 GENETICS OF CHARACTERS SHOWING ALTERNATIVE FORMS [Discontinuous variation] GENETICS OF QUANTITATIVE CHARACTERS (e.g. body size, human weight, height). The majority of measures fall in the middle of a bell-shaped frequency distribution with a range of observation tailing away on either side → continuous variation [many gene loci and environmental factors] 44 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Thomas Hunt Morgan Deviations from Mendel's Predicted Ratios 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 DISCOVERY OF SEX LINKAGE Genes on the Same Chromosome, DO NOT Assort Independently always 45 Drosophila melanogaster as MODEL ORGANISM: - Very easy to isolate and cultivate - Larvae feed not on the vegetable matter itself but on the yeasts and microorganisms present on the decaying breeding substrate. - Fast development time = 10 - 12 days - Sexual dimorphism - Only 4 pairs of chromosomes - Larvae salivary glands provide polytenic chromosomes. The term "Drosophila", means "dew-loving" “melanogaster” means “black belly” 1. narcotize (ether) 2. collect 46 3. observe with stereomicroscope SEX LINKAGE First experimental evidence of characters linked to sex was produced by T.H. Morgan in 1910 who found a white eyed male Drosophila and made the following crosses: Parental F1 F2 wild female x white male all wild offspring – red eyes (mated together) all females were wild : 1/2 wild males and 1/2 white males White eye character is recessive, but is found ONLY in males “the fly room” > 13.000.000 flies examined female male 47 X = “straight chromosome” Y = “bent chromosome” white recessive in only one type of cross ! 3470 R 783 W all ♂ 50% RED 50% WHITE Based on these results, Morgan postulated that the gene for white eyes was on the X chromosome. Morgan deduced that the X-chromosome carried a number of discrete hereditary units, or factors. Other characters (variations) were found to be X-linked. 48 The abstract ideas of gene become tangible; genes are discrete physical units Morgan adopted the term gene, which was introduced by the Danish botanist Wilhelm Johannsen in 1909. This was the first experimental proof that: i) genes are located on chromosomes; ii) genes are possibly arranged in a linear fashion on chromosomes. Calvin Bridges Alfred Sturtevant 49 Using crossover data, A. H. Sturtevant and his coworkers mapped other Drosophila genes in linear arrays at particular genetic loci. This figure depicts an abbreviated GENETIC MAP (or LINKAGE MAP) of a chromosome in Drosophila 50 Morgan found that some alleles do not separate (segregate); instead they tend to “travel together” B = wild type body (grey) b = mutant body (black) Vg= wild type (normal wings) vg= mutant (vestigial wings) Experiment: tester Test-cross with F1 individuals Expected ratio: 1 : 1 : 1 : 1 2300 Drosophila examined Expected results 51 Obtained results The tester organism is homozygous recessive (bb vgvg) Expected results Obtained results nonparental combinations t recombinant An exchange event between homologous chromosomes, crossingover, results in the recombination of genes in the homologous chromosomes. 52 Frequency of recombination = frequency of nonparental combinations (recombinant phenotypes) of the traits over the total number of phenotypes The FR values allow to determine: 1. The linear order of loci along the chromosome 2. The relative distance between them 1 + 2 = LINKAGE MAP 53 B = wild type body (grey) b = mutant body (black) = 17 cM Vg= wild type (normal wings) vg= mutant (vestigial wings) 2300 Drosophila examined 54 - Maps of relative positions, (the orders ) of linked genes on a chromosome can be constructed by noting the frequencies of crossing-over between genes. The closer two genes are together, the less likely they will show crossing-over. - Conversely, the greater the distance between two genes on a chromosome, the greater the chance that a cross-over will happen between them. -The probability of crossing over between any two genes can be expressed as a distance or value (the % of crossing-overs that occurs between 2 points on the chromosome). -One map unit, (m.u.) is the distance between linked genes in the space where 1% of crossing-over occurs, or is the distance between genes for which one result of meiosis out of 100 is recombinant. 1 map unit = 1% recombinant = 1cM (centi-Morgan) In humans 1 cM ≅ 1.000.000 bp 55 The position on the map (LINKAGE MAP) where a gene is located is called the gene locus. On Drosophila chromosome 1, for instance, the locus of the crossveinless wings (cv) is 13.7. The locus of cut wings (ct) is 20.0, so the distance is 6.3 m.u. The relationship could be shown like this: cv ct __|___________________________|__ 6.3 If the recombination frequency between cv and ct is 6.3, and ct and vermillion eyes (v) is 13, the order on the chromosome could either be cv-ct-v, or ct-cv-v. We can determine which of these is correct by measuring the recombination frequency between cv and v. If cv and v are found to recombine with a frequency of 19.3 %, then we deduce that ct is located between them. The genetic mapping of linked genes is an important research tool in genetics because it enables a new gene to be assigned to a chromosome and often to a precise position relative to other genes within the same chromosome. Genetic mapping in the pre-genomic era was the first step in the identification and isolation of a new gene and the determination of its DNA sequence. 56 [1 cM = the distance between two loci determined by 1 % frequency of recombination] 57 MATHS & GENETICS A theoretical framework to study population genetics (1908) p+q=1 (p + q)2 = 1 (p + q)2 = p2 + 2pq + q2 Godfrey Harold Hardy Wilhelm Weinberg W.E. Castle (1903) and S. Chetverikov 1. How can “O” be the most common of the blood types if it is a recessive trait? 2. If Huntington's disease is a dominant trait, shouldn't threefourths of the population have Huntington's while one-fourth have the normal phenotype? 3. Shouldn't recessive traits be gradually “swamped out' so they disappear from the population? 58 F1 4/4 = 100% purple F2 3/4 purple 1/4white 59 Vocabulary Evolution – changes in population allele frequencies over time. The population is the smallest unit which can evolve. Population – any group of organisms coexisting at the same time and place that are capable of interbreeding with one another. Allele frequency – proportion of a particular allele among all other alleles in a population. They are represented by the letters p and q (range 0 – 1). Gene Pool – all of the alleles at all loci in the population. Natural Selection – differential survival and reproduction of individuals in a population due to trait differences. Genetic Drift – changes in the gene pool of a small population due to chance. Random changes due to sampling errors in propagation of alleles. Bottleneck Effect – population undergoes a drastic reduction in size as a result of chance events. A cause of genetic drift. Founder Effect – a small group of individuals becomes separated from the larger population. A cause of genetic drift. Gene flow – movement of genes between populations. Gain or loss of alleles from a population due to migration of fertile individuals, or from the transfer of gametes. Allele fixation – when a gene has only one allele. When one allele of a gene becomes the only allele, while the alternatives are eliminated from the 60 population. The Hardy-Weinberg Theorem states that: the allele frequencies of a gene in a population will remain constant, as long as evolutionary forces are not acting. H-W therefore provides a baseline (a null expectation) for a population that is not evolving. For a population to be in H-W equilibrium, the following conditions or assumptions must be met: 1. The population is very large; there is no genetic drift 2. Matings are random 3. There is no mutation 4. There is no migration 5. There is no selection If one of these conditions is broken, an evolutionary force is acting to change allele frequencies, and the population may not be in H-W equilibrium. Natural populations probably seldom meet all of these conditions; H-W provides a nice model to study EVOLUTION via deviations from H-W equilibrium. 61 Frequency of Allele O Hardy-Weinberg Equation Basic Relations: p+q=1 where A = dominant allele a = recessive allele applies to all populations with only two alleles at one locus p = frequency of A allele and q = frequency of a allele p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1 this equation (binomial square) provides the genotype frequencies. Where p2 = 2pq = q2 = frequency of homozygous AA genotype frequency of heterozygous Aa genotype frequency of homozygous aa genotype 62 If p equals the frequency of allele A and q is the frequency of allele a, union of gametes would occur as follows: p q p p2 pq q pq q2 In the above table the genotypic frequency for AA is p2, the genotypic frequency for Aa is 2pq and the genotypic frequency for aa will be q2 These are the values that are predicted by the law. The prediction is that the frequencies of the two alleles will remain the same from generation to generation. The following is a mathematical proof of the prediction. To determine the allelic frequency, they can be derived from the genotypic frequencies as shown above. p = f(AA) + ½f(Aa) (substitute from the above table) p = p2 + ½(2pq) p = p (p + q) (p + q =1; therefore q =1 - p) p = p [p + (1 - p)] (subtract and multiply) p = p Therefore, gene frequencies do not change in one generation ! There would be less type O blood in that next generation, but not less O alleles ! 63 F2 Allele frequency = p (0.5); q (0.5) Genotype frequency = 25% Homozygous dominant; 50% Heterozygous; 25% Homozygous recessive Phenotype frequency = 75% purple 25% white 64 Table 1: Punnett square for H–W equilibrium Females A (p) a (q) A (p) AA (p2) Aa (pq) a (q) Aa (pq) aa (q2) Males Probability of being homozygous AA: the probability of receiving A from the mother parent is p and the probability of receiving A from the father parent is p. Combined probability is p2. Probability of being homozygous aa: the probability of receiving “a” from the mother parent is q and the probability of receiving “a” from the father parent is q. Combined probability is q2. Probability of being heterozygous Aa: Combined probability is 2pq. 65 If 9% of a population is born with a severe form of “disease r” (rr), what percentage of the population will be heterozygous (Rr) ? What percentage of the population will be homozygous (RR) ? Start from q: 9% =0.09 = rr = q2 (f)r = q = Square root of 0.09 = 0.3 p+q=1 → p = 1 - 0.3 = 0.7 2pq = 2 (.7 x .3) = .42 = 42% of the population are heterozygotes Rr (carriers) In a certain population of 1000 fruit flies, 640 have red eyes while the remainder have sepia eyes. The sepia eye trait is recessive to red eyes. How many individuals would you expect to be homozygous for red eye color? Calculations: Start from q: q2 for this population is 360/1000 = 0.36 q = √0.36 = 0.6 p = 1 - q = 1 - 0.6 = 0.4 The homozygous dominant frequency = p2 = (0.4)(0.4) = 0.16 Therefore, you can expect 16% of 1000, or 160 individuals, to be homozygous dominant for red eye color. 66 Gene pool frequencies are inherently stable. That is to say, they do not change by themselves. Despite the fact that evolution is a common occurrence in natural populations, allele frequencies will remain unaltered indefinitely unless evolutionary mechanisms such as mutation and natural selection cause them to change. Example: f(A/A) f(A/a) f(a/a) I 0.3 0.0 0.7 II 0.2 0.2 0.6 III 0.1 0.4 0.5 Frequency p of allele A in the three populations is: I p = f(A/A) + ½ f(A/a) = 0.3 + ½ (0) = 0.3 II p= 0.2 + ½(0.2) = 0.3 III p= 0.1 + ½(0.4) = 0.3 Conclusion: these three populations have different genotypic composition, but share the same allelic frequencies. 67 Before Hardy and Weinberg, it was thought that dominant alleles must, over time, inevitably swamp recessive alleles out of existence. This incorrect theory was called "genophagy" (literally "gene eating"). According to this wrong idea, dominant alleles always increase in frequency from generation to generation. Hardy and Weinberg were able to demonstrate with their equation that dominant alleles can just as easily decrease in frequency. … as G. H. Hardy stated in 1908, 'There is not the slightest foundation for the idea that a dominant trait should show a tendency to spread over a whole population, or that a recessive trait should die out.' Gene frequencies can be high or low no matter how the allele is expressed, and can change, depending on the conditions that exist. It is the changes in gene frequencies over time that result in evolution. 68 Amish community Chi-square is used to test whether or not some observed distributional outcome fits an expected pattern. Since it is unlikely that the observed genotype frequencies will be exactly as predicted by the Hardy-Weinberg equation, it is important to look at the nature of the differences between the observed and expected values and to make a judgment as to the "goodness of fit" between them. In the chi-square test, the expected value is subtracted from the observed value in each category, and this value is then squared. Each squared value is then weighted by dividing it by the expected value for that category. The sum of these squared and weighted values, called chi square (denoted as χ2), is represented by the following equation: χ2 = Σ (observed - expected)2 expected In the chi-square test, two hypotheses are tested. The null hypothesis (Ho) states that there is no difference between the two observed and expected values; they are statistically the same and any difference that may be detected is due to chance. The alternative hypothesis (Ha) states that the two sets of data, the observed and expected values, are different; the difference is statistically significant and must be due to some reason other than chance. 69 70