Genetics: Analysis and Principles 5th Edition by Robert Brooker

Exercise 32

In the experiments described in Figure 16.7, explain the relationship between coat color and DNA methylation. How is coat color related to the diet of the mother
Figure 16.7 Dietary effects on coat color in mice. (a) A mutation in the Agouti gene, designated A vy , is caused by the insertion of a TE upstream from the normal Agouti promoter. The TE promoter is very active and causes the overexpression of the Agouti gene. (b) Mice carrying the A vy allele exhibit a range of phenotypes. The mice shown here are heterozygotes, A vy a ; they carry the mutant A vy allele and a loss-of-function allele ( a ). (c) Effects of diet supplementation on coat color. White bars represent offspring from females given a normal diet and black bars represent offspring from females given a supplemented diet. (d) DNA methylation patterns among mice with different coat colors. The samples to determine DNA methylation were obtained from cells in the tail.