Can someone please explain this in basic terms? I feel like an idiot. Thanks.
Genetic Complementation
- Thread starter moto_za
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No problem!
Consider this biochemical pathway:
Reactant ---(enzyme A)---> Intermediate ---(enzyme B)---> Product
So, let's assume that the product is a brain, lol.
Given the central dogma, genes code for RNA which codes for protein. Enzymes are globular proteins (usually...sometimes RNA).
Therefore, a mutation in an organism could cause an enzyme to fail. If an enzyme fails in a pathway, the "product" is not produced.
Now, assume I have two mutant frogs:
1) Mutant exhibiting no translation of enzyme A
2) Mutant exhibiting no translation of enzyme B
Both will lack a brain.
(Note: This could also apply to varying levels of "product" transcription/translation, and we usually see a continuum of function)
If I cross both of these mutant frogs, there is a chance that I could produce a frog with a fully functioning brain.
How did this happen? Usually, the alleles (traits, distinct variants of a character) that cause these mutations are recessive. When I breed these two together, they essentially take the "best from both worlds" and end up heterozygous for the enzyme, which usually is enough to compensate.
So, for Mutant 1: if he was "zz" for enzyme A, and Mutant 2 was "ZZ" for enzyme A, the offspring are "Zz" and likely functioning if classical dominance is assumed.
Hope that helps.
Consider this biochemical pathway:
Reactant ---(enzyme A)---> Intermediate ---(enzyme B)---> Product
So, let's assume that the product is a brain, lol.
Given the central dogma, genes code for RNA which codes for protein. Enzymes are globular proteins (usually...sometimes RNA).
Therefore, a mutation in an organism could cause an enzyme to fail. If an enzyme fails in a pathway, the "product" is not produced.
Now, assume I have two mutant frogs:
1) Mutant exhibiting no translation of enzyme A
2) Mutant exhibiting no translation of enzyme B
Both will lack a brain.
(Note: This could also apply to varying levels of "product" transcription/translation, and we usually see a continuum of function)
If I cross both of these mutant frogs, there is a chance that I could produce a frog with a fully functioning brain.
How did this happen? Usually, the alleles (traits, distinct variants of a character) that cause these mutations are recessive. When I breed these two together, they essentially take the "best from both worlds" and end up heterozygous for the enzyme, which usually is enough to compensate.
So, for Mutant 1: if he was "zz" for enzyme A, and Mutant 2 was "ZZ" for enzyme A, the offspring are "Zz" and likely functioning if classical dominance is assumed.
Hope that helps.
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Oops...lost the whole point...wow...
So,
If the offspring produce wild type pathways, then the two strains are said to be complement to each other.
If they still fail to produce a functional pathway, they likely involve the same mutation.
Pretty nifty test, eh?
So,
If the offspring produce wild type pathways, then the two strains are said to be complement to each other.
If they still fail to produce a functional pathway, they likely involve the same mutation.
Pretty nifty test, eh?
