Gene Duplication and Fixed Heterozygosity for Alcohol Dehydrogenase in the Diploid Plant Clarkia franciscana

1 May 1974

journal article
Published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Vol. 71 (5) , 1816-1818
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.71.5.1816

Abstract

All individuals of the diploid plant Clarkia franciscana, an annual species native to California, have duplicated genes for the dimeric enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. Since each gene specifies a polypeptide with a distinct charge, the species has a fixed heterozygous phenotype consisting of three isozyme variants. The enzyme is coded by a single gene in closely related species. Clarkia franciscana is highly self-pollinated and monomorphic at all but one of its loci that have been examined. Consequently, the duplication provides enzyme variability in the absence of genetic variability.

Keywords

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:

Heterozygous advantage as a likely general basis for enzyme polymorphisms
Heredity, 1972