Drosophila females homozygous for loss-of-functionmutations in the gene aubergine are sterile. RNA-Seqexperiments show that in the ovaries of these females,the levels of RNAs for many kinds of transposable elements are more than 10× higher than in wild-type ovaries. The aubergine gene encodes a Piwi-family protein.a. Why do you think these females are sterile?b. Piwi proteins interact with piRNAs that are transcribed from piRNA gene clusters. Given that thelevels of many kinds of TEs are elevated in mutantovaries, what kinds of DNA sequences do youthink are located in these clusters?c. Many investigators think of piRNAs as a kind ofdefensive mechanism that protects organisms fromthe effects of new transposable elements that mightbe introduced into genomes, for example fromother species. Explain
Gene Interactions
When the expression of a single trait is influenced by two or more different non-allelic genes, it is termed as genetic interaction. According to Mendel's law of inheritance, each gene functions in its own way and does not depend on the function of another gene, i.e., a single gene controls each of seven characteristics considered, but the complex contribution of many different genes determine many traits of an organism.
Gene Expression
Gene expression is a process by which the instructions present in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) are converted into useful molecules such as proteins, and functional messenger ribonucleic (mRNA) molecules in the case of non-protein-coding genes.
Drosophila females homozygous for loss-of-function
mutations in the gene aubergine are sterile. RNA-Seq
experiments show that in the ovaries of these females,
the levels of RNAs for many kinds of transposable elements are more than 10× higher than in wild-type ovaries. The aubergine gene encodes a Piwi-family protein.
a. Why do you think these females are sterile?
b. Piwi proteins interact with piRNAs that are transcribed from piRNA gene clusters. Given that the
levels of many kinds of TEs are elevated in mutant
ovaries, what kinds of DNA sequences do you
think are located in these clusters?
c. Many investigators think of piRNAs as a kind of
defensive mechanism that protects organisms from
the effects of new transposable elements that might
be introduced into genomes, for example from
other species. Explain
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