Epistasis and the release of genetic variation during long-term selection.
It is an enigma how long-term selection in model organisms and agricultural species can lead to marked phenotypic changes without exhausting genetic variation for the selected trait. Here, we show that the genetic architecture of an apparently major locus for growth in chicken dissects into a genetic network of four interacting loci. The interactions in this radial network mediate a considerably larger selection response than predicted by a single-locus model.
Linnaeus Centre for Bioinformatics, Uppsala University, Box 598, SE-75124 Uppsala, Sweden. orjan.carlborg@lcb.uu.se
Orjan
O
Carlborg
Lina
L
Jacobsson
Per
P
Ahgren
Paul
P
Siegel
Leif
L
Andersson
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000235:genetics; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics; D004843:Epistasis, Genetic; D014644:Genetic Variation; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D012641:Selection, Genetic