title: Quantitative trait loci for body growth and sex determination in the hermaphrodite teleost fish Sparus aurata L.
abstract: Gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) is an important marine fish in Mediterranean aquaculture. Sex determination by age and/or body weight is a critical life-history trait, the genetic basis for which is largely unknown in this sequential hermaphrodite species. Herein, we performed a partial genome scan to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting body weight and sex using 74 informative microsatellite markers from 10 paternal half-sib families to construct nine linkage groups (LG). In total, four growth-related QTL (two chromosome-wide and two genome-wide) and six QTL related to sex determination (three pairs in three different LGs) were detected (two chromosome-wide and one genome-wide). The proportion of phenotypic variation explained by the body-weight QTL ranged from 9.3% to 17.2%, showing their potential for use in marker-assisted selection. The results obtained offer solid ground to investigate the structure and function of the genomic regions involved in the mechanisms of sex reversal.
authors.affiliation: Animal Breeding and Genetics, Department of Animal Production, School of Agricultural Technology, Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki, Sindos, 57400, Greece.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Loukovitis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sarropoulou
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Batargias
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Apostolidis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kotoulas
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Tsigenopoulos
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chatziplis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002874:Chromosome Mapping / Q000662:veterinary*; D002875:Chromosomes; D005260:Female; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D005838:Genotype; D057850:Hermaphroditic Organisms / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D021541:Sea Bream / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D019849:Sex Determination Processes / Q000235:genetics*