/*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} Problem 22 A farmer plants transgenic Bt co... [FREE SOLUTION] | 91Ó°ÊÓ

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A farmer plants transgenic Bt corn that is genetically modified to produce its own insecticide. Of the corn borer larvae feeding on these \(\mathrm{Bt}\) crop plants, only 10 percent survive unless they have at least one copy of the dominant resistance allele \(B\) that confers resistance to the Bt insecticide. When the farmer first plants Bt corn, the frequency of the \(B\) resistance allele in the corn borer population is \(0.02 .\) What will be the frequency of the resistance allele after one generation of corn borers fed on Bt corn?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: Approximately 0.14737

Step by step solution

01

Determine the initial genotype frequencies

To find the initial genotype frequencies, we can use the Hardy-Weinberg principle equation: \(p^2 + 2pq + q^2 = 1\), where \(p = B\) (resistance allele frequency) and \(q = (1-p)\) (non-resistance allele frequency). The given resistance allele frequency (\(p\)) is 0.02, so non-resistance allele frequency (\(q\)) is 1 - 0.02 = 0.98.
02

Calculate the initial genotype distribution

Using the Hardy-Weinberg equation, we can calculate the initial genotype distribution: - \(BB\) (homozygous resistant) frequency: \(p^2 = (0.02)^2 = 0.0004\) - \(Bb\) (heterozygous resistant) frequency: \(2pq = 2 \times 0.02 \times 0.98 = 0.0392\) - \(bb\) (homozygous susceptible) frequency: \(q^2 = (0.98)^2 = 0.9604\)
03

Find the survival rates for each genotype

We know that only 10% of \(bb\) genotype survive. The survival rates for each genotype are as follows: - \(BB\): 100% survive - \(Bb\): 100% survive - \(bb\): 10% survive
04

Calculate the surviving genotype frequencies after one generation

Multiply the initial genotype frequencies with their survival rates: - Surviving \(BB\): \(0.0004 \times 1 = 0.0004\) - Surviving \(Bb\): \(0.0392 \times 1 = 0.0392\) - Surviving \(bb\): \(0.9604 \times 0.1 = 0.09604\)
05

Find the new population size and normalize the genotype frequencies

Add the surviving genotype frequencies to find the new population size: New population size = \(0.0004 + 0.0392 + 0.09604 = 0.13564\) Normalize the surviving genotype frequencies by dividing by the new population size: - Normalized \(BB\): \(0.0004/0.13564 = 0.00295\) - Normalized \(Bb\): \(0.0392/0.13564 = 0.28885\) - Normalized \(bb\): \(0.09604/0.13564 = 0.70820\)
06

Calculate the new resistance allele frequency

To find the frequency of the resistance allele after one generation, we calculate the sum of the frequencies of the \(BB\) genotype and half the frequency of the \(Bb\) genotype: New \(B\) frequency = \(0.00295 + 0.5 \times 0.28885 = 0.00295 + 0.14442 = 0.14737\) After one generation of corn borers fed on Bt corn, the frequency of the resistance allele B increases to approximately \(0.14737\).

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Genotype Frequency
To fully grasp the concept of genotype frequency, imagine a great big fruit salad. Now, each type of fruit represents a genotype - a genetic makeup of an organism. In a bowl of fruit salad, the amount of each fruit present can be compared to the frequency of each genotype within a population.

In our example with the transgenic Bt corn affecting a population of corn borers, genotype frequencies refer to how common each genetic combination is within the corn borer population. Initially, we calculated the frequencies by squaring and multiplying the resistance allele and non-resistance allele frequencies. It's a bit like counting out how many apples, oranges, and pears you have in the salad to see what you're going to taste most. Genotype frequency changes when external factors, like our Bt corn insecticide, affect the survival rates of the organisms.
Allele Frequency
If we continue with our fruit salad analogy, think of allele frequency as counting the seeds of each type of fruit. Alleles are different versions of a gene, and in a population, the frequency of an allele is how many times that specific version appears compared to others.

In the initial population of corn borers, the allele frequency for the resistance gene (B) was given as 0.02. This is like saying out of 100 seeds, only 2 are from the special 'resistant' fruit. Utilizing the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, which assumes allele frequencies remain constant from generation to generation in the absence of other evolutionary influences, allows us to calculate the expected genotype frequencies, providing a baseline for understanding how factors such as selective pressures from Bt corn can alter the genetic makeup of the population.
Transgenic Bt Corn
Transgenic Bt corn, now that's some high-tech farming! Bt stands for Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacteria whose gene has been inserted into the corn's DNA, making it produce an insecticide. This bio-engineered corn is like a sci-fi movie star among crops because it has superpowers - it can fend off pests all by itself!

Here’s the deal: when the corn borer larvae munch on this modified plant, most find it lethal due to the Bt toxin. However, some larvae have a resistance allele, B, which is like a secret agent helping them survive this toxic dinner. Over time, as these tough little critters with their B alleles survive and reproduce more than the susceptible ones, the genetic fabric of the corn borer population begins to change.
Resistance Allele
The resistance allele (B) in our corn borer scenario is like a superpower gene. It provides the corn borers with the ability to survive the Bt corn's secret weapon. Initially, it’s rare—only present in about 2% of the population.

Consider this a genetic lottery ticket, and the corn borers with at least one copy of the resistance allele just hit the jackpot because they can withstand the Bt corn while their non-resistant comrades can't. Over generations, as these 'winner' larvae have more babies with the same lucky ticket, the resistance allele becomes more common, a clear demonstration of natural selection at work. This mirrors the way certain traits can become more frequent in a population due to conferring an advantage in survival or reproduction.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

In a population of cattle, the following color distribution was noted: \(36 \%\) red \((R R), 48 \%\) roan \((R r),\) and \(16 \%\) white \((r r) .\) Is this population in a Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium? What will be the distribution of genotypes in the next generation if the Hardy-Weinberg assumptions are met?

The genetic difference between two Drosophila species, \(D\). heteroneura and \(D .\) sylvestris, as measured by nucleotide diversity, is about 1.8 percent. The difference between chimpanzees \((P\) troglodytes and humans (H. sapiens) is about the same, yet the latter species are classified in different genera. In your opinion, is this valid? Explain why.

The original source of new alleles, upon which selection operates, is mutation, a random event that occurs without regard to selectional value in the organism. Although many model organisms have been used to study mutational events in populations, some investigators have developed abiotic molecular models. Soll (2006) examined one such model to study the relationship between both deleterious and advantageous mutations and population size in a ligase molecule composed of RNA (a ribozyme). Soll found that the smaller the population of molecules, the more likely it was that not only deleterious mutations but also advantageous mutations would disappear. Why would population size influence the survival of both types of mutations (deleterious and advantageous) in populations?

Price et al. (1999. J. Bacteriol. 181: 2358-2362) conducted a genetic study of the toxin transport protein (PA) of Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax in humans. Within the 2294 -nucleotide gene in 26 strains they identified five point mutations-two missense and three synonyms-among different isolates. Necropsy samples from an anthrax outbreak in 1979 revealed a novel missense mutation and five unique nucleotide changes among ten victims. The authors concluded that these data indicate little or no horizontal transfer between different \(B\). anthracis strains. (a) Which types of nucleotide changes (missense or synonyms) cause amino acid changes? (b) What is meant by horizontal transfer? (c) On what basis did the authors conclude that evidence of horizontal transfer is absent from their data?

A certain form of albinism in humans is recessive and autosomal. Assume that \(1 \%\) of the individuals in a given population are albino. Assuming that the population is in HardyWeinberg equilibrium, what percentage of the individuals in this population is expected to be heterozygous?

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