POPULATION GENETICS PROBLEMS, SPRING, 2002

1. The following MN blood types were obtained from the entire populations of an isolated North American Indian village and an isolated village of Central American Indians. Group
Central American Indians North American Indians

Population size
86 278

M
53 78

MN
29 61

N
4 139

Calculate the allele frequencies for M and N in both populations. List the results in tabular form. Discuss possible reasons for the differences in the allele frequencies in the two populations. (For additional practice determine if each population is in equilibrium.) Central: Frequency of M = 2(53) +29 = 0.78 2(86) North: Frequency of M = 2(78) + 61 = 0.39 2(278) Frequency of N = 2(139) + 61 = 0.61 2(278) Frequency of N = 2(4) + 29 = 0.22 2(86)

2. Among 205 African-Americans, the frequencies of the M and N alleles were 0.78 and 0.22 respectively. Calculate the percentage of individuals with M, MN and N type blood.
2 % with M blood = % MM genotype = (0.78) x 100 = 61%

% MN blood = % MN genotype = 2(.78)(.22) x 100 = 34% % N blood = % NN genotype = (.22) x 100 = 5% 3. A group of 212 college students were invited to taste PTC. There were 149 tasters and 63 nontasters. Calculate the allele frequencies of T and t. frequency t = 63 = 0.55 212 frequency T = 1 frequency t = 0.45
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4. Among 798 students, 70.2 percent were tasters.

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A) What proportion of the students were TT, Tt, and tt? B) What proportion of the tasters who marry nontasters might expect only taster children in their families? C) What proportion might expect some nontaster children? A) 29.8% were non-tasters , therefore, frequency t = Frequency T = 1 0.55 = 0.45 2 Frequency TT = 0.45 = 0.20 or 20% 2 Frequency tt = 0.55 = 0.30 or 30% Frequency Tt = 2(0.55)(0.45) = 50% B) .20/.70 = 29% C) .50/.70 = 71% 5. Among 11, 335 people, the following blood types were obtained: 5,150 O 4,791 A 1,032 B 362 AB. Calculate the frequencies for the three alleles, i, A and B. Frequency O phenotype = frequency ii genotype = 5150/11335 = 0.45 = r Frequency r = 0.45 = 0.67
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0.298 = 0.55

2 Frequency O + A = 4791 + 5150 = 0.88 = (r + p) 11335 p = 0.88 r = 0.94 0.67 = 0.27

q = 1 (0.67 + 0.27) = 0.06 6. The frequency of children homozygous for a recessive lethal allele is about 1 in 25,000. What is the proportion of carriers (heterozyotes)? Frequency l l genotype = 1/25,000 frequency l allele = Frequency L allele = 1 0.006 = 0.994 Frequency Ll genotype = 2(0.006)(0.994) = 0.01 1/25,000 = 0.006

7. Cystic fibrosis is caused by an autosomal, recessive mutation. It affects mostly Americans of Northwest European ancestry. Among the white US population the frequency of the cystic fibrosis allele is 1/2500. What percentage of marriages between Americans of Northwest European ancestry (white), who have NO disease, could possibly produce diseased children? Assume the cystic fibrosis locus is at equilibrium. Frequency c = 1/2500 = 0.0004 Frequency C = 1 0.0004 = 0.9996 Frequency Cc genotype = 2 (0.0004)(0.9996) = 0.0008 The only marriages between normal people which could possibly produce diseased children are those between heterozygotes. The probablility of a marriage between two heterozygotes (assuming random mating) is equal to the square of the probability of an individual being a heterozygote. Therefore, 0.0008 = 6.4 x 10 , NOT very high!!
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