title: Quantitative trait loci for a neurocranium deformity, lack of operculum, in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.).
abstract: Lack of operculum, a neurocranial deformity, is the most common external abnormality to be found among industrially produced gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.), and this entails significant financial losses. This study conducts, for the first time in this species, a quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of the lack of operculum. A total of 142 individuals from a paternal half-sibling family (six full-sibling families) were selected for QTL mapping. They had previously shown a highly significant association with the prevalence of lack of operculum in a segregation analysis. All the fish were genotyped for 106 microsatellite markers using a set of multiplex PCRs (ReMsa1-ReMsa13). A linear regression methodology was used for the QTL analysis. Four QTL were detected for this deformity, two of which (QTLOP1 and QTLOP2) were significant. They were located at LG (linkage group) nine and LG10 respectively. Both QTL showed a large effect (about 27%), and furthermore, the association between lack of operculum and sire allelic segregation observed was statistically significant in the QTLOP1 analysis. These results represent a significant step towards including marker-assisted selection for this deformity in genetic breeding programmes to reduce the incidence of the deformity in the species.
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Grupo de Investigación en Acuicultura (GIA), Carretera Trasmontaña s/n, 35413, Arucas, Las Palmas, Spain.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Negrín-Báez
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Grupo de Investigación en Acuicultura (GIA), Carretera Trasmontaña s/n, 35413, Arucas, Las Palmas, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Grupo de Investigación en Acuicultura (GIA), Carretera Trasmontaña s/n, 35413, Arucas, Las Palmas, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Afonso
authors.affiliation: Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, ETS Ingenieros Agrómos, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Toro
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Grupo de Investigación en Acuicultura (GIA), Carretera Trasmontaña s/n, 35413, Arucas, Las Palmas, Spain.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zamorano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities*; D001947:Breeding; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005260:Female; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D010375:Pedigree; D010641:Phenotype; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D021541:Sea Bream / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: linear regression; microsatellite; opercular complex; quantitative trait loci