Ek, Weronica
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Research article2012Peer reviewedOpen access
Generation of a multi-locus chicken introgression line to study the effects of genetic interactions on metabolic phenotypes in chickens
Ek, Weronica; Marklund, Stefan; Ragavendran, Ashok; Siegel, Paul; Muir, William; Carlborg, Örjan
Abstract
Most biological traits are regulated by a complex interplay between genetic and environ- mental factors. By intercrossing divergent lines, it is possible to identify individual and interacting QTL involved in the genetic architecture of these traits. When the loci have been mapped, alternative strategies are needed for fine-mapping and studying the individ- ual and interactive effects of the QTL in detail. We have previously identified, replicated, and fine mapped a four-locus QTL network that determines nearly half of the eightfold dif- ference in body weight at 56 days of age between two divergently selected chicken lines. Here, we describe, to our knowledge, the first generation of a three-locus QTL introgres- sion line in chickens. Recurrent marker-assisted backcrossing was used to simultaneously transfer QTL alleles from the low-weight selected line into the high-weight selected line. Three generations of backcrossing and one generation of intercrossing resulted in an intro- gression line where all three introgressed QTL and several unlinked and linked control-loci were segregating at nearly expected allele frequencies. We show how intensive selection can be applied using artificial insemination to rapidly generate a multi-locus introgression line and provide recommendations for future breeding of introgression lines.This confirmed introgression line will facilitate later detailed studies of the effects of genetic interactions on complex traits in this population, including growth, and body-composition traits.
Keywords
chicken, introgression, QTL, epistasis
Published in
Frontiers in Genetics
2012, Volume: 3, article number: 29Publisher: Frontiers Research Foundation / Frontiers Media
Marklund, Stefan
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Carlborg, Örjan
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
SLU Authors
UKÄ Subject classification
Genetics and Breeding
Publication identifier
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2012.00029
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/43530