AN-18PDF-What-Does-Genetics-Have-T.Pdf
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
What Does Genetics Have to Do with It? Alaska Sea Grant College Program 2008, doi:10.4027/wdghdi.2008.01 1 Even Fish Obey Mendel’s Laws A.J. Gharrett University of Alaska Fairbanks, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Fisheries Division, Juneau, Alaska This is the first of a series of articles that consider the role genetics plays in conservation and management of our fisheries resources. Genetics is the discipline that makes a coherent field out of many diverse biological disciplines, which include the molecular level (e.g., biochemistry and cell biology), the organism (e.g., anatomy and physiology), interactions among organisms (e.g., ecology and population biology), and descriptions and phylogenetic relationships of species (e.g., zoology and ichthyology). Inheritance, its underlying mechanisms, and ultimately evolution, which at its simplest level is merely changes in the genetic instructions, are the basis of all biological disciplines. Unfortunately, the key to the door to genetics has a price. A number of underlying ideas are important to understanding the role of genetics. In addition, a special vocabulary (jargon if you are not already a geneticist) is used to describe these ideas. The first two chapters deal with the basic principles and vocabulary, but we will add more terms along with ideas introduced in later chapters. In this first chapter, we review basic inheritance, which is often referred to as Mendelian genetics. 1 2 What Does Genetics Have to Do with It? “What does genetics have to do with it?” That’s rearing habitat (for example) of different salmon one of the most frequent questions that fisheries populations throughout a species range, it is apparent geneticists get asked by fish culturists, managers, that no two streams are identical. For example, there fishermen, and the public. Some of the more specific are obvious latitudinal temperature changes—streams questions are, “Do hatcheries change the fish? If they in the Pacific Northwest are generally warmer do, is that always bad?”; “Do hatchery fish harm wild than streams in Alaska. And, even within larger stocks?”; “Does regulating fisheries by time, place, drainages there may be variation in the available gear, or whatever affect the stock in the long term?” habitat—tributaries or reaches within tributaries It turns out that the universal answer is, “It depends” may differ in gradient, stream flow, water chemistry, because nearly every situation is different, and as temperature regime, spawning substrate (gravel the adage goes, the devil is in the details. Answers to size and quality), and juvenile rearing conditions. these apparently simple questions require a thorough In addition, populations of salmon species usually understanding of the biology involved in the situation, have different marine experiences. A clear example which includes the pertinent genetics issues. Often of local adaptation is the sockeye salmon in Necker the total information that is needed for an informed Creek, which drains Benzeman Lake on southern answer or decision exceeds what is available to Baranof Island, Alaska. Many fallen trees in Necker culturists, managers, and geneticists combined. Creek block the passage of larger fish to the lake. Over Consequently, fisheries geneticists, like fisheries the years, the size of spawners has been reduced by scientists, often have to make the best decision natural selection. The small fish that now spawn in the possible from incomplete or inadequate data. In such system are called “twofers” by the fishermen because instances, it is usually preferable to err on the side of it takes two Necker Creek fish to get the same price caution; that is, make a decision that is least likely to as a single sockeye salmon from other areas. Local harm the resource. This is sometimes referred to as adaptation has been documented in many other the precautionary principle and, as for physicians, instances. One particularly striking result is spawning the first rule is “do no harm.” Just like the decisions timing of sockeye salmon in the Fraser River system in physicians make, those of managers and geneticists British Columbia. In salmon, which are cold-blooded, may be irreversible. development rate and time from spawning to hatching In order to consider these and other questions, proceeds at a rate that depends on the temperature of we need to learn a little about basic genetics. Our their environment (i.e., water temperature). Embryos ultimate goal is to examine the underlying genetic that are produced in warmer water generally develop principles and then to apply the principles to common faster and hatch earlier than those produced in colder questions about the role or influence of genetics on water. There is a strong correlation between spawning fisheries management and conservation. One of the timing and water temperature—Fraser River sockeye barriers to understanding genetics is the jargon that that spawn in coldwater drainages return earlier than geneticists use. Along the way we will attempt to those that spawn in warmer drainages. clarify some of that jargon because those explanations Habitat diversity is also often apparent for will also be useful in revealing many of the basic populations of a marine species in different areas, concepts. We will refer to this chapter (1. Even Fish although the differences may not be as obvious as Obey Mendel’s Laws) in other chapters. the differences we identify in freshwater populations. Also, when environmental conditions are examined Local adaptation over time, it is clear that no two populations have experienced exactly the same sequence of historical One of the central concepts that provides us with a environments. Moreover, because freshwater and perspective in understanding how genetics applies to marine conditions change from year to year, the conservation and management of wild populations, lifetime experiences of different cohorts (year classes) and the interaction of wild and cultured stocks, is produced by a single population often differ. And, local adaptation. If one looks at the spawning and Even Fish Obey Mendel’s Laws 3 this does not even consider the changes in climate (eggs and sperm) receive exactly one copy of each that inexorably occur over time. We will come back gene. The single set or complement of chromosomes to the idea of local adaptation repeatedly, but for now is referred to as a haploid set. Like the genes they let’s examine some basic genetics ideas and the jargon carry, chromosomes occur in pairs. The idea is that is used so that we will be prepared to incorporate analogous to the pairs of animals on Noah’s ark. Each genetics into those discussions. member of a pair of chromosomes carries information (genes) for the same traits and the genes are arranged Mitosis and cell division in the same order on both chromosomes. A pair of chromosomes that carries information for the same An analogy for the information encoded in the DNA traits is referred to as a homologous pair. of an organism is a set of blueprints or a recipe that Cell division is necessary for fertilized eggs details how to construct or cook a particular product. to develop into organisms, for organisms to grow, Blueprints detail how to build a house or a widget; and for maintenance and repair. The process of recipes give instructions for baking casseroles or cell division, which is called mitosis, ensures that cakes. DNA specifies how to build a hemoglobin complete diploid complements of chromosomes molecule or other biological structure, but also (and their genes) are received by each product of the determines when and where in the organism the division. Figure 1 shows how such exact partitioning construction is to take place. In most animals, the is accomplished. The objective of the process is to vast majority of the tens of thousands of genes are distribute the chromosomes (and their genes) equally. carried on chromosomes that are located in the Mitosis yields products that have identical diploid nucleus of a cell. We will also see later that we have complements. many DNA sequences that do not carry information for structures. In fact, many sequences have no known function! Genotype versus phenotype There is built-in redundancy for most genes An organism’s genotype refers to the genetic because animals generally carry two separate copies information that it carries, and the result, which we of the blueprints. The redundancy serves several actually see in an individual, is the phenotype. For purposes. One is that there is a backup if one of example, a recipe carries the information for baking the copies is defective. In some instances, both a cake and is analogous to a genotype. The cake that copies contribute to expression of a trait. Most of results, however, depends on the quality of ingredients the organisms that we consider carry two copies used, the skill of the baker, and occasionally the of most genes. Organisms that usually carry two barometric pressure or altitude. No two cakes are copies of genes are referred to as diploid organisms. identical, even though they were products of the same Another benefit of carrying two copies is that the recipe. Some genes very explicitly define the resulting mechanism of sexual reproduction, which is based phenotype—like type AB blood—but others are not on the possession of two copies of each recipe, can quite as explicit. For example, male pattern baldness generate an enormous number of different genetic in humans affects many people, but the extent of the combinations (design plans) within a species. The effect runs from a healthy fringe to bald as a cue ball. laws of genetics that Gregor Mendel discovered The term genotype can be applied narrowly to the nearly 150 years ago apply to diploid genes that precise set of genetic information (for one gene) are carried in the nucleus.