DIHYBRID INHERITANCE

The dihybrid cross

 Dihybrid crossisacrossbetweentwo
differentlines(varieties,strains)thatdiffer
intwoobservedtraits.IntheMendelian
sense,betweentheallelesofboththese
locithereisarelationshipofcomplete
dominance-recessive.Intheexample
picturedtotheright,RRYY/rryyparents
resultinF1offspringthatareheterozygous
forbothRandY(RrYy).

 To understand the dihybrid cross it is necessary

to understand the process of meiosis. You must
have a clear understanding of the stages of
meiosis. In the first meiotic division, the
homologous pairs of chromosomes have
aligned at random before being separated from
each other. The separation of the chromosomes
gives rise to the independent assortment of the
chromosomes. In the second meiotic division,
the four cells that are formed develop into
haploid gametes.

 All genetic crosses show how

characteristics are inherited through
the generations:

 a monohybrid cross shows the

inheritance of one through two
generations. From parents to the
F1 generation and then from the
F1 generation to the F2generation.

 The table show the alleles for two

genes on two different pairs of
homologous chromosomes in gamete
mother cells from two different pea
plants (parents).

Colour and shape of pea plants

Colour

Y = allele for yellow y = allele for green

seeds
seeds

Shape

R = allele for round r = allele for

seeds
wrinkled seeds

 Crosses have a recognised format and the

structures of chromosomes are not shown.
Instead, the letters used to identify the alleles of
the genes are used to represent the chromosome.
Thus, when showing a cross, YYRR would
represent two homologous pairs of chromosomes.
On one of the homologous pairs both alleles would
be for the dominant form of the gene for seed
colour and in the other, both alleles would be for
the dominant form of the gene for seed shape.

 Example 1
Show the results of a cross between
the following pea plants through to
the second generation:

 A homozygous (true-breeding) pea

plant with yellow round seeds
crossed with a homozygous pea
plant with green wrinkled seeds.
The allele for yellow (Y) is dominant
to the allele for green (y).
The allele for round (R) is dominant
to the allele for wrinkled (r).

 First stage of parental cross

 This shows a cell with two homologous

pairs of chromosomes at the start of
meiosis. The chromosomes have already
replicated. The dominant allele for the
gene for seed colour is present on both
members of one of the homologous
pairs(longer chromosome in diagram)
and the dominant allele for the gene for
seed shape on the other pair(shorter
chromosome in diagram).

 The first task is to show the cross to

the F1generation. In the format of
the cross the phenotypes and
genotypes of the parents must be
shown together with the genotypes
of the gametes that can be formed
as a result of meiosis.

 A table of
information
about meiosis

Parents:
Phenotype

yellow round
seeded

green wrinkle
seeded

Parents:
Genotype

YYRR

yyrr

Gametes

YR

yr

F1generation
genotype

All YyRr

F1generation
phenotype

All yellow
round seeded

 Summary
All the F1 generation have the YyRr
genotype because in meiosis the only
gametes that can be formed will be YR in
the yellow round seeded parent and yr in
the green wrinkle seeded parent. All the
F1 generation have a yellow round
phenotype as they have all inherited
copies of these dominant alleles from the
yellow round seeded parent.

 Second stage of parental cross

 Pea plants grown from the seeds of

the F1generation are crossed. In the
format of the cross the phenotypes
and genotypes of the parents must
be shown together with the
genotypes of the gametes that can
be formed as a result of meiosis.

A table with information about meiosis

Parents:
Phenotype

yellow round
seeded

yellow round
seeded

Parents: Genotype YyRr

YyRr

Gametes

YR
Yr
yR
yr

YR
Yr
yR
yr

 Four types of gamete are produced

for each parent. This is the result of
random alignment of the homologous
pairs of chromosomes and their
separation during the process of
meiosis.

A table with information about meiosis

Diagram 1: Original Maternal

and Paternal chromosomes
aligned towards the same
pole

Diagram 2: Original Maternal and

Paternal chromosomes not
aligned

 The diagrams show the two different

ways in which the homologous pairs
may align before being separated.

 Cross between members of the

F1 generation
Diagram 1 - The homologous pairs
have aligned in such a way that the
chromosomes with the dominant
alleles will be separated together at
the next stage in meiosis and those
with the recessive alleles will also be
separated together.

 Diagram 2 - The homologous pairs

have aligned in such a way that a
chromosome with a dominant allele
of one of the genes will be separated
together with a chromosome with
the recessive allele for the other
characteristic at the next stage in
meiosis.

 Each parent has produced the same four

types of gamete. Fertilisation is a random
process with an element of chance, therefore,
any one of the gametes from one parent can
fuse with any one of the four types of gamete
of the other parent. These possible
combinations of gamete are best shown in
a Punnett square. The possible gametes of
each parent are set out along different axis
and the possible combinations of gametes
shown within the squares:

A table with information about meiosis

Gametes

YR

Yr

yR

yr

YR

YYRR

YYRr

YyRR

YyRr

Yr

YYRr

YYrr

YyRr

Yyrr

yR

YyRR

YyRr

yyRR

yyRr

yr

YyRr

Yyrr

yyRr

yyrr

 When the phenotypes of the 16

possible combinations are
identified, it is found that the
expected ratio in the F2
generation is:

A table with information about meiosis

Ratio

Phenoty
pes

yellow
round

yellow
wrinkle
d

green
round

green
wrinkle
d

 The results from such crosses show

the expected ratios of the four
different phenotypes.

 The ratio produced in crosses can

differ from the expected because
it's a random or chance process,
if the sample size is too small or
if the genes being examined are
both on the same chromosome
(linked genes).

 The phenotypes with the ratios of 3

(yellow, wrinkled and green, round)
are known as recombinants because
they contain a combination of both
parental phenotypes.

 Testcross (Backcross)
Another common dihybrid cross is
between individuals heterozygous for
both characteristics and individuals
homozygous recessive for both
characteristics. This cross is shown
using the same characteristics as in
the previous example.

A table with information about meiosis

Parents:
Phenotypes

yellow round
seeded

green wrinkle
seeded

Parents:
Genotypes

YyRr

yyrr

Gametes

YR
Yr
yR
yr

all yr

A table with information about meiosis

Gametes

YR

Yr

yR

yr

yr

YyRr

Yyrr

yyRr

yyr

A table with information about meiosis

Gametes

YR

Yr

yR

yr

yr

YyRr

Yyrr

yyRr

yyrr

 When the phenotypes of the 4

possible combinations are
identified, it is found that the
expected ratio is:

A table with information about meiosis

Ratio

Phenoty
pes

yellow
round

yellow
wrinkle
d

green
round

green
wrinkle
d

 Linked genes
Linked genes are found on the same
chromosome and are transmitted
together, unless crossing over has
occurred during gamete formation in
a heterozygous parent.

 The parental characteristics will be present

in the offspring in approximately a 3:1
ratio of dominant to recessive. There will
also be a small number of recombinants
this important to increase variation within
species.
This news clip from Oct 2008 reports that
scientists have developed purple tomatoes
(by crossing genes) which they hope may
be able to keep cancer at bay.