A maize plant is homozygous for an allele Cm, caused by the insertion of a Ds el

Question

A maize plant is homozygous for an allele Cm, caused by the insertion of a Ds element into the coding region of a gene (C) that encodes an enzyme necessary for the synthesis of anthocyanin in maize kernels.

(i) If this plant also contains an Ac element in its genome, what will be the phenotype of its kernels? Justify your answers.
(ii) If this plant does not contain an Ac element, what will be the kernel phenotype? Justify your answers.
(iii) If the plant does not contain an Ac element, but it does contain an autonomous element for another family of transposon, what will be the kernel phenotype? Justify your answers.

Explanation / Answer

1). If the plant also contains the Ac element, the resulting progeny will have mutant phenotype because the Ds element will be moves by the transposase of the Ac element. Thus, the resulting will be spotted phenotype.

2). If the plant does not contain the Ac element, no movement of the Ds element, the lant would be homozygous for the Cm. No chromosomal breaks means, the phenotype of the kernel is colourless.

3). If the plant does not contain Ac element means, the phenotype is colourless. Though there is a transposon of another family, it does not affect because the transposase enzyme activity is family specific.

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