G E N E T I C S-I

MODULE-7

EXTENSION OF MENDELIAN INHERITANCE-5.2

MULTIPLE ALLELISM AND POLYGENIC TRAITS

 G E N E T I C S-I
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Explain the concept of multiple alleles at a single gene locus and its effect
on phenotypic variation within a population.

• Describe specific examples of multiple allelism, and highlight the

dominance relationships between members of the multiple allelic series.

• Explain what is meant by the term polygenic traits and cite relevant
examples of such traits.

• Distinguish between qualitative (oligogenic) and quantitative (polygenic)

traits and between oligogenic inheritance and polygenic inheritance.

• Explain the differences between studying the inheritance of oligogenic vs.

polygenic traits.
 G E N E T I C S-I
Extensions of Mendelian inheritance
1. Modifying factors
- Intra allelic interactions
- Inter allelic interactions
- Environment

2. Multiple allelism

Genotypic variability as well as

3. Polygenic traits
Phenotypic variability is affected

4. Linkage of genes
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Multiple allelism
• Mendel assumed the existence of two alleles per gene locus.

• Mutations continue to create new gene variants.

• Gene variants that result in novel phenotypes are called allelomorphs or

alleles.

• Most genes have more than two alleles – the presence of more than two
alleles per gene locus is referred to as multiple allelism.

• Each gene locus however can carry only two alleles of the multiple allelic
series.
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Multiple allelism

e.g. Coat colour in rabbits

Multiple allelic series

C+ > Cch > Ch > c

Agouti C+C+, C+Cch , C+Ch ,C+c

Chinchilla CchCch , CchCh ,Cch c
Himalayan ChCh , Chc
Albino cc
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Multiple allelism
e.g. Blood groups in human
A, AB, B , O

Multiple allelic series

IA = IB> i

A IAIA IAi - Antigen A

B IBIB IBi - Antigen B
AB IAIB - Antigen A & B
O ii - neither
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Multiple allelism

ABO
Blood Anti- Anti-
Antigen Antigen
Type body body
A B anti-A Anti-B
A yes no no yes
B no yes yes no
O no no yes yes
AB
yes yes no no

Anti-D : deals with Rhesus factor

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Multiple allelism
Greater the no. of multiple alleles with respect to a gene,
greater is the genetic variability.

Number of alleles No. of genotypes

2 3
3 6
4 10
5 15
n n/2 (n+1)
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Polygenic vs. oligogenic traits
Polygenic traits
• Trait determined by many
genes
• Each gene has a small effect
on phenotype
• Genetic effects are largely
additive in nature
• Environmental influence is
large on phenotype
• Continuous distribution,
symmetric, normal
• Quantitative traits
• Inheritance studied by
quantitative approaches
Oligogenic traits
• Determined by a few genes
• Each gene has a major effect on
phenotype (Major gene trait)
• Non-additive effects are high
(dominance & epistasis)
• Environmental influences are not
large.
• Discrete distribution, often non-
symmetric
• Qualitative traits
• Inheritance studied by observing
segregation ratios
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Polygenic traits
Genotypic variation in the F2 generation increases with the number of
genes.

In polygenic traits it approximates a normal distribution.

F1 Aa AaBb AaBbCc

F2 Phenotypic
distributions
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Polygenic traits
Additive genetic effects
When a character is NOT under the influence of non-additive
genetic effects such as dominance and epistasis, it is said to
be under additive genetic influence.

In other words, each allele manifests a certain phenotypic

value to the individual.

The overall phenotype is the summation of the allelic effects

the alleles that contribute to the character.
e.g. Two genes control plant height A = 6 cm, a = 3 cm, B = 10 cm and b =
4 cm. AaBb will have a height of 6+3+10+4 = 19 cm.
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Polygenic traits
Phenotypic variation Complete dominance Additive

F2

1 2 3 1 2 3
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Phenotypic variation in polygenic traits

- Large number of genes ensure a wide distribution.

- Additive genetic effects ensure a symmetric distribution.

- The large environmental influence ensures that the

phenotypic classes merge with each other to produce a
smooth distribution.

- Phenotypic distributions are hence quantitative in nature,

resulting in a normal distribution.

- E.g. survival and behavioral traits.

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Studying Polygenic Inheritance
• One can study the inheritance in oligogenic traits by
looking at the phenotypic segregation ratios.
– e.g. 3:1 ratio will signify - one gene, complete dominance
– e.g. 9:7 ratio will signify – two genes, complete dominance, duplicate
recessive epistasis.

• For polygenic traits, F2 variation doesn’t fall into discrete

classes but is continuous – segregation ratios cannot be
calculated.
– Inheritance has to be studied using quantitative genetic analysis,
which involves the partitioning of the total phenotypic variation into its
components.
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Studying Polygenic Inheritance
VPh = VG + VE

VPh = (VA + VD + VEp) + VE

Heritability (broad sense) = VG

VPh

Heritability (narrow sense) = VA

VPh
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Studying Polygenic Inheritance
Heritability in the broad sense (Hbs)
= Variation in genotype
Variation in phenotype

Environmental influence = [1 – Hbs]

Heritability in the narrow sense (Hns)

= Variation due to additive genetic effects
Variation in phenotype

Modifying influences = [1 – Hns]

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Studying Polygenic Inheritance
Heritability (ns) = Breeding value
- When h2 (ns) is high
- the modifying influences are small
- phenotype is a good indicator of genotype
since phenotype = genotype + modifying factors
- selection of parents for hybridization by breeders
based on phenotype will yield superior progeny

- When h2 (ns) is low

- the modifying influences are high
- phenotype is not a good indicator of genotype
- progress in breeding will be slow.
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SUMMARY

• Polygenic traits are affected by large no. of genes each with a

small additive effect.

• The inheritance of polygenic traits is studied by partitioning the

total phenotypic variability into components and calculating
heritability.

• Heritability in the broad sense indirectly measures the magnitude

of environmental influences on the character.

• Heritability in the narrow sense indirectly measures the strength of

association between genotype and phenotype (breeding value).