Dihybrid Inheritance

Dihybrid Cross Problem Set

A dihybrid cross involves a
study of inheritance patterns
for organisms differing in
two traits.
Mendel invented the
dihybrid cross to determine
if different traits of pea
plants, such as flower color
and seed shape, were
inherited independently

 Mendel invented the

dihybrid cross to
determine if different
traits of pea plants, such
as flower color and seed
shape, were inherited
independently.

 In contrast to a

monohybrid cross,
adihybrid crossis a cross
betweenF1offspring
(first-generation offspring)
of twoindividualsthat
differ in twotraitsof
particular interest.
BB = Dark brown, bb =
white, SS= short whiskers,
ss= long tail

 When two dihybrids are

crossed, four kinds of

gametes are produced in
equal in both male and
female
A 4x4 checkerboard can
be used to show all 16
possible phenotypic
combinations of these
gametes in the ratio of
9:3:3:1

 This method is laborious

and time consuming, and

offers more opportunities
for errors.
P:

BBLL

bbll
Black, short white, long
F1 :
=
black,
short

Epistasis
This is another type of

genetic interaction in
which one gene modified
or masks the action of
another gene
It can give rise to unusual
ratios in genetic crosses
Epitasis will change the

classical 9:3:3:1 ratio.

 When epitasis is

operative between two

gene loci the number of
phenotypes appearing in
the offspring fro dihybrid
parents will be less than
four
There are six types of
Epistatic ratio commonly
recognized.

Dominant Epitasis

The dominant gene A will

mask the phenotypic

expression at two loci A-B
and A-bb giving a
phenotypic ratio of 12:3:1

Recessive epistasis
If the recessive genotype

aa at one locus
suppresses the expression
of the alleles at the Blocus
The A- locus is said to
exhibit recessive epitasis
over the B-locus
The 9:3:3:1 becomes a
9:3:4 ratio

genotypes

A-B

Classical
ratio

Duplicate
dominant
genes

aaB

Dominant
epitasis
Recessive
epitasis

A-bb

12

aabb
1

15

 There are many examples of

epitasis; one of the first to be

described in humans is the
Bombay phenotype involving the
ABO blood group system
An individual with this phenotype
lacks a protein called the H
antigen (genotype hh) which is
used to form A and B antigens.
Even though such individuals
may have A or B genes they
appear to be blood group 0
because they lack the H
antigens.

 The phenomenon is an

example of the intricate

interaction of linked genes
in which one gene on a
chromosome controls the
expression or suppression
of another gene that is not
its allele.

 Another well known

example is provided by
the inheritance of certain
coat colours in mice.
Most mice have a colour
described as agouti, a
grayish pattern formed by
alternating bands of
pigment on each hair,
however, some mice are
black and others white.

 The allele for agouti coat colour

(A) is dominant to the allele for

black (a). White coat colour is
due to the presence of a
recessive allele (w) at a
separate locus, so that white
mice are homozygous
recessive (ww).
A mouse that is homozygous
receive has a white coat
irrespective of the alleles at the
other locus. Thus AAww, Aaww
and aaww are all white.

Widows
peak/Baldness
In humans a widows peak

is controlled by one gene

and baldness by another.
If you have the alleles for
baldness ,it does not
matter whether you have
the alleles for widows
peak or not, as you have
no hair

 The baldness genes are

epistatic to widows peak,

as the baldness genes
mask the expressions of
the widows peak gene