Genetics and Recombinant DNA Technology Important and

previous years questions.

Que 1. If DNA can be amplified by simple PCR, then why cloning is required?

Images

Que 2. Under what circumstances, law of independent assortment is not followed? Present
arguments to support your answer.

Genes that are on different chromosomes (like the Y and R genes) assort independently. The seed
colour and seed shape genes are on chromosomes 1 and 7 of the pea genome, respectively, in real
life. Genes that are far apart on the same chromosome also assort independently thanks to the
crossing over, or exchange of homologous chromosome bits, that occurs early in meiosis I.

There are, however, gene pairs that do not assort independently. When genes are close together on
a chromosome, the alleles on the same chromosome tend to be inherited as a unit more frequently
than not. Such genes do not display independent assortment and are said to be linked.

Scientists now know that Independent Assortment occurs because the chromosomes pair up
randomly during meiosis I, along the metaphase plate. As a result, genes on different chromosomes
will sort independently. This also means that two genes residing on the same chromosome violate
the law of independent assortment, especially when they are very close to one another, as they will
nearly always be inherited together. This phenomenon is described as “linkage” on the level of the
chromosome. Linked genes do not demonstrate a 9:3:3:1 ratio in the F2 generation of a dihybrid
cross.

Que 3. Explain Multiple allelic inheritance and its significance.

Multiple allelism describes genes that exist in three or more allelic forms. Although diploid
organisms, like humans, normally possess only two alleles of each gene, there are multiple alleles of
many (if not most) human genes present in a population. Blood type is one example of multiple
allelism. There are three alleles for blood type (HBB gene) in humans: IA, IB, and i.

There are six possible ABO genotypes because the three alleles, taken two at a time, result in six
possible combinations. The IA and IB alleles are dominant to the i allele. As a result, both IAIA and IAi
genotypes have the same phenotype, with the A antigen in their blood (type A blood). Similarly, both
IBIB and IBi genotypes have the same phenotype, with the B antigen in their blood (type B blood). No
antigen is associated with the i allele, so people with the ii genotype have no antigens for ABO blood
type in their blood (type O blood).

Significance of multiple allelic inheritance___________

https://aklectures.com/lecture/principles-of-heredity/multiple-alleles-and-codominance

https://bio.libretexts.org/Courses/Community_College_of_Vermont/Human_Biology_(Gabor_Gyurk
ovics)/16%3A_Inheritance_and_Biotechnology/16.05%3A_Non-Mendelian_Inheritance

Que 4. Enumerate different types of exonucleases and endonucleases and highlight their activities.

https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Biochemistry/Supplemental_Modules_(Biochemistry)/1%3A_
DNA/1.4%3A_DNA_Modifying_Enzymes
Que 5. What are linkers and adapters and how are they different from each other?

T Brown CH 4

Que 6. Enlist similarities & differences among E. coli Polymerase I, II and III and explain how does
the 5’ → 3’ exonuclease activity of DNA polymerase I contribute to its special function through the
nick translation?

DNA polymerase I is therefore an example of an enzyme with a dual activity—DNA polymerization

and DNA degradation. The polymerase and nuclease activities of DNA polymerase I are controlled by
different parts of the enzyme molecule.

Nick translation is a tagging technique where DNA polymerase I is used to replace some of the
nucleotides of a DNA sequence with their labelled analogues. In this process, DNA molecules are first
treated with DNase to produce single-stranded “nicks”. Then DNA polymerase I elongates the 3’
hydroxyl terminus of the nicked sites, removing nucleotides by 5’→3’ exonuclease activity and
replacing them with modified dNTPs, thus labelling the DNA molecule.

DNA polymerase I, which initially fills in nicks but then continues to synthesize a new strand,
degrading the existing one as it proceeds. The nuclease activity is contained in the first 323 amino
acids of the polypeptide, so removal of this segment leaves a modified enzyme that retains the
polymerase function but is unable to degrade DNA. This modified enzyme, called the Klenow
fragment, can still synthesize a complementary DNA strand on a single-stranded template, but as it
has no nuclease activity it cannot continue the synthesis once the nick is filled in. Several other
enzymes—natural polymerases and modified versions—have similar properties to the Klenow
fragment.
Reference: Lehninger page 965

https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Genetics/Book%3A_Working_with_Molecular_Genetics_(Har
dison)/Unit_II%3A_Replication_Maintenance_and_Alteration_of_the_Genetic_Material/5._DNA_re
plication_I%3A_Enzymes_and_mechanism/Polymerases