Mendel’s Pea Genes: 2025 Study Solves Last Three Traits
Why in the news
Researchers used next-generation sequencing to pin down the genetics behind the final three of Mendel’s pea traits, over 150 years after his experiments.
Mendel’s work
- Austrian monk Gregor Johann Mendel crossed pea plants during 1856-1865 and tracked seven traits, such as seed shape and colour, flower colour, pod shape and colour, flower position and plant height.
- He found dominant-recessive patterns with 3:1 ratios in the second generation; results came out in 1866, were ignored and rediscovered in 1900.
- Traits are governed by alleles; one allele can mask another.
The 2025 findings (Feng et al., Nature)
- Genus Pisum has four species but splits genetically into eight groups because of cross-breeding and admixture.
| Trait | Genetic cause |
|---|---|
| Pod colour (yellow pods) | DNA deletion near the ChlG gene disrupts chlorophyll synthesis |
| Pod shape (constricted) | Variants near the MYB gene and CLE-peptide genes |
| Flower position (at stem ends) | Deletion near a CIK-like coreceptor kinase gene plus a modifier locus |
Significance
- A thorough genetic map of 72 agriculturally relevant traits covering seed, pod, flower, leaf, root and plant architecture.
- Potential gains in yield, disease resistance and climate adaptation.
Exam angle
- Mendel’s results: published 1866, rediscovered 1900.
- Study sample: 697 pea variants.