Consequences of Epistasis on Growth in an Erhualian × White Duroc Pig Cross

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2017 Jan 7

PMID 28060815

Citations 2

Authors

Lucy Crooks

Yuanmei Guo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Epistasis describes an interaction between the effects of loci. We included epistasis in quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of growth at a series of ages in a cross of a Chinese pig breed, Erhualian, with a commercial line, White Duroc. Erhualian pigs have much lower growth rates than White Duroc. We improved a method for genomewide testing of epistasis and present a clear analysis workflow. We also suggest a new approach for interpreting epistasis results where significant additive and dominance effects of a locus in specific backgrounds are determined. In total, seventeen QTL were found and eleven showed epistasis. Loci on chromosomes 2, 3, 4 and 7 were highlighted as affecting growth at more than one age or forming an interaction network. Epistasis resulted in both the QTL on chromosomes 3 and 7 having effects in opposite directions. We believe it is the first time for the chromosome 7 locus that an allele from a Chinese breed has been found to decrease growth. The consequences of epistasis were diverse. Results were impacted by using growth rather than body weight as the phenotype and by correcting for an effect of mother. Epistasis made a considerable contribution to growth in this population and modelling epistasis was important for accurately determining QTL effects.

Citing Articles

Genome-Wide Epistatic Interaction Networks Affecting Feed Efficiency in Duroc and Landrace Pigs.

Banerjee P, Carmelo V, Kadarmideen H Front Genet. 2020; 11:121.

PMID: 32184802 PMC: 7058701. DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00121.

Epistatic regulation of growth in Atlantic salmon revealed: a QTL study performed on the domesticated-wild interface.

Besnier F, Solberg M, Harvey A, Carvalho G, Bekkevold D, Taylor M BMC Genet. 2020; 21(1):13.

PMID: 32033538 PMC: 7006396. DOI: 10.1186/s12863-020-0816-y.

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