Suppose expression of gene A is limited to the middle part of the early mouse embryo. Expression of gene B is located on the posterior and anterior ends of the early mouse embryo, but not in the middle. When gene B is mutated, expression of gene A is distributed over the whole embryo. What is a likely explanation for this data? Phenotypic Consequences of Gene B Mutation on Gene A Expression in Early Mouse Embryos

The Phenotypic Effects of Gene B Mutation in Gene A Expression In Early Mouse Embryos

Gene A expression is limited to the mid-section of an early mouse embryo. While gene B expression is found in both the anterior and posterior parts of the embryos, One interesting fact is that gene A can be expressed throughout the embryo if gene B is altered. These data are explained by gene cross-regulation. This is where one gene controls the expression of another through interaction with regulatory proteins. The mouse embryo may have gene B acting as a suppressor for gene A. This prevents gene A from being expressed in both the anterior and the posterior. The repression of Gene A can be abolished when gene B is modified, which allows it to express throughout the embryo. The reason for this is that gene B lacks a regulatory protein which can block expression of geneA (Valle Garcia and al. 2016; Lien and al., 2021). Cont…