Genetics Quiz: Antler Dysplasia & Conjugation

Study Notes

Antler dysplasia is an autosomal recessive genetic disease in jackalopes caused by a mutated allele of the Ant gene
The disease affects jackalopes' ability to defend themselves with their antlers.
Heterozygous individuals have a survival advantage in hot desert climates (like Arizona) because their antlers radiate excess body heat more efficiently
In temperate climates (like Wisconsin), heterozygous and homozygous dominant individuals have similar fitness

F- E.coli is the recipient cell during conjugation.
This cell acquires antibiotic resistance and the ability to transfer the antibiotic resistance gene.
The donor cell was most likely either an F+ cell or an Hfr cell, as they both possess the ability to transfer genetic material

The template strand is used to make the mRNA molecule.
mRNA is complementary to the template strand and identical to the coding strand (except for the replacement of Thymine with Uracil)

The -10 sequence (Pribnow box) and the -35 sequence are important for the initiation of transcription
The -10 sequence is rich in adenine and thymine bases while the -35 sequence is rich in guanine and cytosine bases.
Changing the proportion of G:C bases in the -10 sequence can make it more difficult to unwind the DNA at the promoter and reduce the amount of RNA transcribed.
The cell can counter this by using an enzyme called helicase, which is responsible for unzipping the DNA helix.
Drastic changes to the -35 sequence can prevent the cell from identifying the beginning of the gene and initiating transcription.

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