Answer to Question #300657 in Genetics for claire yeboah

Question

Produce a key to clearly show the nature of the genetics associated with the colour of cat fur for the gene given, and in each case justify your choice of letters and / or style of presentation to best depict the genetics involved.                                                          (6 marks)

 

 

 

e) A male black short furred cat mates with a ginger short furred female cat – without further information and using the information you have provided in your keys above, what are the possible genotypes of these two cats and why? (Hint: You need to show the genotypes as an expression of both genes together - and you need to explain the logic of how you have arrived at your answer).                                                               

Answer 1

A) A gene called Dkk4 is involved in color patterning in domestic cats and other cats.

A gene that regulates tabby cat color variation is the same gene that control the different fur patterns in cheetahs.

By analyzing fetal cat tissue,skin tissue become thicker in some places during development and seemed to form a kind of pattern that foreshadowed fur color.

Thicker areas of the skin were places where darker fur grew in, and where the skin was thinner, the fur that appeared was a lighter color.

Dkk4 is very active in thicker skin but less active in thinner skin.

B) Genes involved with cat coat color has two alleles, black and ginger, which are associated with sex linkage on the X chromosomes. Three types of phenotypes are seen in females, black and ginger, whilst male cats only exhibit two fur colours with this gene namely ginger or black.In cat, females are homogametic sex.