What is the Difference Between Dominant and Recessive Epistasis?

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Dominant and recessive epistasis are two types of gene interactions where the expression of one gene is dependent on the presence or absence of specific alleles at a different gene. The main difference between these two types of epistasis lies in the number of alleles required to mask the expression of the second gene:

  • Dominant Epistasis: In this case, only one allele of the gene that shows epistasis can mask alleles of the other gene. For example, if a dominant allele at one locus masks the phenotype of a second locus, it is called dominant epistasis. This produces a segregation ratio such as 12:3:1, which can be viewed as a modification of the 9:3:3:1 ratio.
  • Recessive Epistasis: In this scenario, two alleles have to be inherited in order for the phenotype of the second gene to be masked. When a recessive allele at one locus masks the phenotype of a second locus, it is called recessive epistasis. This is also sometimes referred to as suppression epistasis or dominant inhibitory when genes conceal other genes by suppression.

In summary, the key difference between dominant and recessive epistasis is the number of alleles required to mask the expression of the second gene: one allele is needed for dominant epistasis, while two alleles are needed for recessive epistasis.

Comparative Table: Dominant vs Recessive Epistasis

Epistasis is a gene interaction where one gene masks the effects of another gene. There are two main types of epistasis: dominant and recessive epistasis. Here is a table comparing the differences between them:

Characteristic Dominant Epistasis Recessive Epistasis
Definition Occurs when the dominant allele of one gene hides the expression of all alleles of another gene. Occurs when a recessive genotype masks the actions of another gene.
Phenotype The phenotype of the epistatic gene is expressed, while the other gene's phenotype is masked. The phenotype of the epistatic gene is masked, and the other gene's phenotype is expressed.
Segregation Ratio 12:3:1 9:7

In dominant epistasis, the dominant allele of one gene hids the expression of all alleles of another gene, resulting in a segregation ratio of 12:3:1. In contrast, recessive epistasis occurs when a recessive genotype masks the actions of another gene, with a segregation ratio of 9:7.