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Quantitative trait loci for a neurocranium deformity, lack of operculum, in gilthead seabream ( Sparus aurata L.)
Author(s) -
NegrínBáez D.,
Navarro A.,
Afonso J. M.,
Toro M. A.,
Zamorano M. J.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
animal genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.756
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1365-2052
pISSN - 0268-9146
DOI - 10.1111/age.12397
Subject(s) - biology , operculum (bryozoa) , quantitative trait locus , microsatellite , genetics , sire , sciaenidae , deformity , selective breeding , allele , anatomy , zoology , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , gene , genus
Summary 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 PCR s (ReMsa1–ReMsa13). A linear regression methodology was used for the QTL analysis. Four QTL were detected for this deformity, two of which ( QTLOP 1 and QTLOP 2 ) were significant. They were located at LG (linkage group) nine and LG 10 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 QTLOP 1 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.