4. Genetic Mapping and Linkage

Crossing Over and Recombinants

Open Question
Why does more crossing over occur between two distantly linked genes than between two genes that are very close together on the same chromosome?
Open Question
Explain why a 50 percent recovery of single-crossover products is the upper limit, even when crossing over always occurs between two linked genes?
Open Question
Why are double-crossover events expected less frequently than single-crossover events?
Open Question
What is the proposed basis for positive interference?
Open Question
What two essential criteria must be met in order to execute a successful mapping cross?
Open Question
Alleles A and a are on one pair of autosomes, and alleles B and b are on a separate pair of autosomes. Does crossover between one pair of homologs affect the expected proportions of gamete genotypes? Why or why not? Does crossover between both pairs of chromosomes affect the expected gamete proportions? Why or why not?
Open Question
You have isolated (1) a streptomycin-resistant mutant (strᴿ) of Chlamydomonas that maps to the chloroplast genome and (2) a hygromycin-resistant mutant (hygᴿ) of Chlamydomonas that maps to the mitochondrial genome. What types of progeny do you expect from the following reciprocal crosses?

mt⁺ strᴿ hygˢ× mt⁻ strˢ hygᴿ
mt⁺ strˢ hygᴿ× mt⁻ strᴿ hygSˢ
Open Question
Two different female Drosophila were isolated, each heterozygous for the autosomally linked genes b (black body), d (dachs tarsus), and c (curved wings). These genes are in the order d–b–c, with b being closer to d than to c. Shown here is the genotypic arrangement for each female along with the various gametes formed by both:Identify which categories are noncrossovers (NCOs), single crossovers (SCOs), and double crossovers (DCOs) in each case. Then, indicate the relative frequency in which each will be produced.
Open Question
In Drosophila, two mutations, Stubble (Sb) and curled (cu), are linked on chromosome III. Stubble is a dominant gene that is lethal in a homozygous state, and curled is a recessive gene. If a female of the genotypeis to be mated to detect recombinants among her offspring, what male genotype would you choose as a mate?
Open Question
If the cross described in Problem 18 were made, and if Sb and cu are 8.2 map units apart on chromosome III, and if 1000 offspring were recovered, what would be the outcome of the cross, assuming that equal numbers of males and females were observed?
Open Question
Are mitotic recombinations and sister chromatid exchanges effective in producing genetic variability in an individual? in the offspring of individuals?
Open Question
Gene R and gene T are genetically linked. Answer the following questions concerning a dihybrid organism with the genotype Rt/rT:

If two crossover events occur between these two genes, what are the genotypes of the recombinant chromosomes?
Open Question
Gene R and gene T are genetically linked. Answer the following questions concerning a dihybrid organism with the genotype Rt/rT:

Can you make a general statement about how the occurrence of two crossover events between a given pair of linked genes affects the estimate of recombination frequency? (Hint: Think about this problem for a gene pair with a small recombination frequency versus a gene pair with a much higher recombination frequency. See also Figure 5.10.)
Open Question
What possible conclusions can be drawn from the observations that in male Drosophila, no crossing over occurs, and that during meiosis, synaptonemal complexes are not seen in males but are observed in females where crossing over occurs?
Open Question
The boss in your laboratory has just heard of a proposal by another laboratory that genes for eye color and the length of body bristles may be linked in Drosophila. Your lab has numerous pure-breeding stocks of Drosophila that could be used to verify or refute genetic linkage. In Drosophila, red eyes (c⁺) are dominant to brown eyes (c) and long bristles (d⁺) are dominant to short bristles (d). Your lab boss asks you to design an experiment to test the genetic linkage of eye color and bristle-length genes, and to begin by crossing a pure-breeding line homozygous for red eyes and short bristles to a pure-breeding line that has brown eyes and long bristles.

How would the results of the cross differ if the genes are not linked?