Introduction About What is Pleiotropy
Pleiotropy is the process of having multiple traits because of a single gene. ‘Pleiotropy’ is a Greek word. Its meaning is having many or more ways. In this article, we will study the process and effects of Pleiotropy. Starting with Gene Pleiotropy to Human Gene Disorder. Let us start with understanding the meaning of Gene Pleiotropy.
Gene Pleiotropy is also known as Molecular Gene Pleiotropy. The gene which centres around the number of elements of a specific gene is alluded to as the gene Pleiotropy. Discussing Mendel’s test with white-shaded flowers and purple-hued plants, we do not contemplate aggregate worries about the shades of two flowers. Mendel saw that tones were constantly identified with the two distinctive shaded seed coats and the shade of the axil. A plant with white-hued flowers (also known as blossoms) comprises brown-dark-hued coats while plants bearing purple blossoms have brown-dim shaded seeds coats with ruddy axils. Along these lines as opposed to influencing just a single trademark, the shading gene influences three qualities.
Gene Disorders in Human Beings
The genes also affect human beings, which are known as human genetic disorders. Let us discuss a few genetic disorders with examples.
Illustration 1 -
There is a genetic disorder called Phenylketonuria. It is generally caused by the low metabolism rate of the amino acid (phenylalanine) in all the cells of the body. When there is a deficiency of an enzyme called the phenyl aniline hydroxylase enzyme. This enzyme is very important to convert amino acid phenyl aniline to tyrosine. This deficiency or this disorder results in lung disorder, pain, eczema, etc. Pleiotropic genes can give significant data about the advancement of various genes and gene families as genes are co-settled on new purposes. All in all, pleiotropy mirrors the way that most proteins play various parts in unmistakable cell types. Any genetic change which is answerable for the modification in gene articulation and its capacity can have wide-running impacts on the assortment of tissues.
Illustration 2 -
Another disease is known as Marfan syndrome. It is caused by a single gene. A single gene can be responsible for the growth of various body cells. The symptoms that are shown in this are dislocation of the eye lens, lean fingers, abnormal tall height, heart problems such as affecting the aorta, blood vessels, and so on. It works to minimize the metabolism of the body.
FAQs on Pleiotropy
1. What is the meaning of Pleiotropy?
The meaning of the word Pleitropy is having many or more ways. ‘Pleiotropy’ is a Greek word from its origin. Pleiotropy is the process of having multiple traits because of a single gene. It is a phenomenon in which two or more phenotypic traits by a single locus it is identified by the effect caused by it on the two or more wild-type traits by a single mutation.
2. What is Gene Pleiotropy and how does Mendel’s test relate to it?
The gene which centres around the number of elements of a specific gene is alluded to as the gene Pleiotropy. Gene Pleiotropy is also known as Molecular Gene Pleiotropy. Discussing Mendel’s test with white-shaded flowers and purple-hued plants, we do not contemplate aggregate worries about the shades of two flowers. Hence, it relates to Gene Pleiotropy.
3. How Mendel’s test was recognized and which flower was considered in Mendel’s test?
Mendel’s test was recognized when he saw that tones were constantly identified with the two distinctive shaded seed coats and the shade of the axil. A plant with white-hued flowers comprises brown-dark-hued coats while plants bearing purple blossoms have brown-dim shaded seeds coats with ruddy axils. Along these lines as opposed to influencing just a single trademark, the shading gene influences three qualities.
4. What do you mean by Phenylketonuria as a phenomenon?
There is a genetic disorder called Phenylketonuria. This deficiency or this disorder results in lung disorder, pain, eczema, etc. It is generally caused by the low metabolism rate of the amino acid in all the cells of the body. This enzyme is very important to convert amino acid phenyl aniline to tyrosine. When there is a deficiency of an enzyme called the phenyl aniline hydroxylase enzyme.
5 . What do you mean by Marfan syndrome?
Marfan syndrome is a disease, caused by a single gene. A single gene can be responsible for the growth of various body cells. It works to minimize the metabolism of the body. The symptoms that are shown in this are -
- dislocation of the eye lens, lean fingers
- abnormal tall height
- heart problems such as affecting the aorta
- It also affects blood vessels
6. What is the difference between pleiotropy and epistasis?
Pleiotropy refers to the involvement of one gene in many different phenotypes. This can be explained with an example of the CFTR gene when the mutated gene causes cystic fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis is a disease in which there is a perturbation of systems including the lungs, liver, pancreas, kidneys, and bowel.
Epistasis refers to the interaction of multiple genes (two or more loci) to determine a phenotype outcome.
Epistasis mostly occurs when two or more genes encoding proteins have a shared biochemical pathway. In Epistasis interactions, the genes are involved in a similar pathway, there may be competition for the same substrate.
7. What is sickle cell anaemia?
Sickle cell anaemia refers to a group of disorders that causes red blood cells to break down. This disease is caused by a mutation in the gene which helps our body to make the iron-rich compound haemoglobin d enables red blood cells to carry oxygen from the lungs throughout our body.
In this disease, an inherited group of disorders red blood cells contort into a sickle cell shape. Leaving a shortage of healthy red blood cells (sickle cell anaemia), the cells die early. This can block the flow of the blood causing pain in the body.
Some symptoms of Sickle cell anaemia are pain, infections, fatigue. Treatment includes medication, blood transfusion, and rarely a bone-marrow transplant.
