Genetic architecture of tameness in a rat model of animal domestication.
A common feature of domestic animals is tameness-i.e., they tolerate and are unafraid of human presence and handling. To gain insight into the genetic basis of tameness and aggression, we studied an intercross between two lines of rats (Rattus norvegicus) selected over >60 generations for increased tameness and increased aggression against humans, respectively. We measured 45 traits, including tameness and aggression, anxiety-related traits, organ weights, and levels of serum components in >700 rats from an intercross population. Using 201 genetic markers, we identified two significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) for tameness. These loci overlap with QTL for adrenal gland weight and for anxiety-related traits and are part of a five-locus epistatic network influencing tameness. An additional QTL influences the occurrence of white coat spots, but shows no significant effect on tameness. The loci described here are important starting points for finding the genes that cause tameness in these rats and potentially in domestic animals in general.
Albert
Frank W
FW
Department of Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden. falbert@eva.mpg.de
Carlborg
Orjan
O
Plyusnina
Irina
I
Besnier
Francois
F
Hedwig
Daniela
D
Lautenschläger
Susann
S
Lorenz
Doreen
D
McIntosh
Jenny
J
Neumann
Christof
C
Richter
Henning
H
Zeising
Claudia
C
Kozhemyakina
Rimma
R
Shchepina
Olesya
O
Kratzsch
Jürgen
J
Trut
Lyudmila
L
Teupser
Daniel
D
Thiery
Joachim
J
Schöneberg
Torsten
T
Andersson
Leif
L
Pääbo
Svante
S
D000374:Aggression; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D023281:Genomics; D006197:Hair; D006801:Humans; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D010641:Phenotype; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D051381:Rats; D013045:Species Specificity
D005819:Genetic Markers