What is the Difference Between Complementation and Epistasis?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Complementation and epistasis are two genetic interactions that involve multiple genes. Here are the key differences between them:
- Complementation:
- Occurs when two strains of an organism with different homozygous recessive mutations are crossed, and some offspring show recovery of the wild-type phenotype.
- The mutations are almost non-allelic (in different genes).
- The interaction refers to the relationship between two different strains of an organism.
- Epistasis:
- Describes the interaction between different genes affecting the same phenotype.
- One gene's allele masks the phenotype of the other.
- Some genes cannot be expressed because of another genetic factor hindering their expression.
In summary, complementation involves the restoration of the wild-type phenotype when different mutant organisms are combined, while epistasis refers to the interaction between genes that affect the same phenotype, with one gene's allele masking the phenotype of the other.
On this pageWhat is the Difference Between Complementation and Epistasis? Comparative Table: Complementation vs Epistasis
Comparative Table: Complementation vs Epistasis
Complementation and epistasis are both gene interactions, but they have distinct differences. Here is a table comparing the two:
| Feature | Complementation | Epistasis |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Complementation refers to the interaction between two or more genes that are separately required to produce a single phenotype. Epistasis refers to the action of one gene upon another, with one gene masking the phenotypic expression of another gene. | |
| Phenotype | In complementary gene action, the phenotype is only expressed when the necessary genes are present. If any of the required genes are missing, the phenotype is not expressed. In epistasis, the phenotype is expressed only when all interacting genes are present for a certain trait. If any of the interacting genes are missing, a different phenotype is expressed. | |
| Gene Expression | In complementation, the genes are independently required for the expression of a trait. In epistasis, one gene's expression can directly affect the expression of another gene. | |
| Genotype Ratios | Complementation does not result in specific genotype ratios. Epistasis can result in specific genotype ratios, such as dominant and recessive epistasis, which follow patterns like 9:3:4 and 9:7. | |
| Examples | Complementation: In Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies), four different genes separately control the production of red, purple, brown, and black cuticle pigments. Epistasis: In the production of the chemical malvidin in the plant Primula, one allelic pair masks the presence of the other gene, resulting in a different phenotype. This is an example of dominant epistasis. |
In summary, complementation involves the interaction of multiple genes to produce a single phenotype, while epistasis involves the action of one gene upon another, where one gene can mask the expression of another gene.
Read more:
- Dominance vs Epistasis
- Epistasis vs Pleiotropy
- Dominant vs Recessive Epistasis
- Complementation vs Recombination
- Epistatic Gene vs Hypostatic Gene
- Complementary vs Supplementary Genes
- Genetics vs Epigenetics
- Codominance vs Incomplete Dominance
- Dominance vs Codominance
- Polygenic Inheritance vs Pleiotropy
- Plasmid vs Episome
- Codominance vs Multiple Alleles
- Cisgenesis vs Transgenesis
- Inheritance vs Composition
- Penetrance vs Expressivity
- Recombination vs Crossing Over
- Genotype vs Phenotype
- Compliment vs Complement
- Compound Heterozygote vs Double Heterozygote