International University - VNUHCM

School/Department Name
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Midterm Examination
Date: ; Duration: 90 minutes
Close book. Laptops, cellphone, documents are not allowed. One A5 paper is allowed.

SUBJECT: Genetics (ID: BT313IU)

Approval by the School/Department of Lecturer:
Biotechnology Signature
Signature

Full name: Tong Thi Hang

Full name:
Proctor 1 Proctor 2
Signature Signature

Full name: Full name:

STUDENT INFO
Student name:

Student ID:

INSTRUCTIONS: the total of point is 100 (equivalent to 30% of the course)

1. Purpose:
 Test your knowledge in cell reproduction, principles of inheritance (CLO1, CLO2)
 Examine your skill in analysis of the inheritance model in different organisms (CLO3)
 Evaluate your English skill, ethical understanding (CLO4)
2. Requirements:
 Read carefully each question and answer it with appropriate explanation and discussion.
 There are 3 pages of question sheets.
 Do your exam on provided exam papers. Submit your exam papers.
 International University – VNUHCM Student Name:………...
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[The questions from here…]

Question 1
A geneticist discovers a new mutation in Drosophila melanogaster that causes the flies to shake and
quiver. She calls this mutation spastic (sps) and determines that spastic is due to an autosomal
recessive gene. She wants to determine if the spastic gene is linked to the recessive gene for
vestigial wings (vg). She crosses a fly homozygous for spastic and vestigial traits with a fly
homozygous for the wild-type traits and then uses the resulting F1 females in a testcross. She
obtains the following flies from this testcross.
vg+ sps+ 230
vg sps 224
vg sps+ 97
vg+ sps 99
total 650
Are the genes that cause vestigial wings and the spastic mutation linked (5)? Do a series of chi-
square tests to determine if the genes have assorted independently (10). What is the distance
between two genes (5)? Gene vg and sps in coupling or repulsion configuration (5)? Why (5)?

Are the genes that cause vestigial wings and the spastic mutation linked (5)?
Yes (3)
As resulted from the test cross of heterozygous, there should be 4 genotypes with equal proportions
if 2 genes are not link. In this example, they are four but not equal, then they are probably linked (2)

Do a series of chi-square tests to determine if the genes have assorted independently (10)
genotypes ++ -- +- -+ sum mark
observed 230 224 97 99 650
expected 162.5 162.5 162.5 162.5 2
Chi squared 67.5 61.5 -65.5 -63.5
4556.25 3782.25 4290.25 4032.25
28.03846 23.27538 26.40154 24.81385 102.5292 2
df 3 2
p <0.001 2
conclusion p<0.05 then the observed values and expected values 2
are significantly different, genes are not independent,
they are linked

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The distance between 2 genes

genotypes ++ -- +- -+ sum mark
observed 230 224 97 99 650
Distance 5
= (97+99)/650
=0.3 = 30 CM

Gene vg and sps in coupling or repulsion configuration (5)? Why (5)?

Genes are in coupling configuration (5)
Because: the recombinations which have the smaller number of phenotypes are in heterologous
genotype (5)

Question 2
Allele A is epistatic to allele B. Indicate whether each of the following statements is true or false.
Explain why.
(a) Alleles A and B are at the same locus. (3)
False. Epistasis indicate that 2 alleles are at different loci
(b) Alleles A and B are at different loci. (3)
True. Explanation as A
(c) Alleles A and B are always located on the same chromosome. (3)
False. Effect of B on A in epistasis occurs even they are on different chromosomes.
(d) Alleles A and B may be located on different, homologous chromosomes. (3)
True. They can
(e) Alleles A and B may be located on different, nonhomologous chromosomes. (3)
True. Their location might be on same or different chromosomes.

Question 3
Red–green color blindness is a human X-linked recessive disorder. A young man with a 47,XXY
karyotype (47 chromosomes, sex chromosome set XXY, Klinefelter syndrome) is color-blind. His
46,XY brother also is colorblind. Both parents have normal color vision. Where did the nondisjunction
occur that gave rise to the young man with Klinefelter syndrome? (15)
Parents have normal color vision, then give birth to colorblind sons  father genotype XBY,
mother genotype XBXb
The cross: XBXb x XBY  XbY (colorblind), XbXbY (colorblind, Klinefelter) – (5)
The colorblind son with XXY should have b on both X. He can take one X b from mother only
because father does not have this allele: Xb from mother is separated normally in meiosis 1

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from XB then in meiosis 2, Xb chromatids remain in double chromosome and delivered to

gamete, then combine with Y from father XbXbY (10)

Question 4
A strain of bacteria possesses a temperature-sensitive mutation in the gene that encodes the sigma
factor. At elevated temperatures, the mutant bacteria produce a sigma factor that is unable to bind to
RNA polymerase. What effect will this mutation have on the process of transcription when the
bacteria are raised at elevated temperatures (15)? Provide the solution to recover the original
function of this factor to transcription (10).
At elevated temperature  Gene produces sigma factor that can not bind to RNA-Pol  no
transcription  the transcription of genes that dependent on this sigma factor are halted 
some processes might be deficient (10), some genes that independent on this sigma factor is
not affected (5).
Solution: maintain organism at optimal temperature/add the normal gene to the bacterial cell
to compensate for this mutant/edit the gene to recover to normal form… (10)

Question 5
Would you expect to see more or less acetylation in regions of DNA that are sensitive to digestion by
DNase I (5)? Why (10)?
More (5)
Because acetylation in histone proteins alters histone structure, then reduce the binding to
DNA in chromatin, therefore DNA is released from histone, exposing itself  sensitive to
DNAse (10)

-END OF QUESTIONS-

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