scholarly journals Dissecting the Genetic Regulation of Yeast Growth Plasticity in Response to Environmental Changes

Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1279
Author(s):  
Yanjun Zan ◽  
Örjan Carlborg

Variable individual responses to environmental changes, such as phenotype plasticity, are heritable, with some genotypes being robust and others plastic. This variation for plasticity contributes to variance in complex traits as genotype-by-environment interactions (G × E). However, the genetic basis of this variability in responses to the same external stimuli is still largely unknown. In an earlier study of a large haploid segregant yeast population, genotype-by-genotype-by-environment interactions were found to make important contributions to the release of genetic variation in growth responses to alterations of the growth medium. Here, we explore the genetic basis for heritable variation of different measures of phenotype plasticity in the same dataset. We found that the central loci in the environmentally dependent epistatic networks were associated with overall measures of plasticity, while the specific measures of plasticity identified a more diverse set of loci. Based on this, a rapid one-dimensional genome-wide association (GWA) approach to overall plasticity is proposed as a strategy to efficiently identify key epistatic loci contributing to the phenotype plasticity. The study thus provided both analytical strategies and a deeper understanding of the complex genetic regulation of phenotype plasticity in yeast growth.

PLoS Genetics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. e1009750
Author(s):  
Carmen Amador ◽  
Yanni Zeng ◽  
Michael Barber ◽  
Rosie M. Walker ◽  
Archie Campbell ◽  
...  

Variation in obesity-related traits has a genetic basis with heritabilities between 40 and 70%. While the global obesity pandemic is usually associated with environmental changes related to lifestyle and socioeconomic changes, most genetic studies do not include all relevant environmental covariates, so the genetic contribution to variation in obesity-related traits cannot be accurately assessed. Some studies have described interactions between a few individual genes linked to obesity and environmental variables but there is no agreement on their total contribution to differences between individuals. Here we compared self-reported smoking data and a methylation-based proxy to explore the effect of smoking and genome-by-smoking interactions on obesity related traits from a genome-wide perspective to estimate the amount of variance they explain. Our results indicate that exploiting omic measures can improve models for complex traits such as obesity and can be used as a substitute for, or jointly with, environmental records to better understand causes of disease.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 461-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy Sella ◽  
Nicholas H. Barton

Many traits of interest are highly heritable and genetically complex, meaning that much of the variation they exhibit arises from differences at numerous loci in the genome. Complex traits and their evolution have been studied for more than a century, but only in the last decade have genome-wide association studies (GWASs) in humans begun to reveal their genetic basis. Here, we bring these threads of research together to ask how findings from GWASs can further our understanding of the processes that give rise to heritable variation in complex traits and of the genetic basis of complex trait evolution in response to changing selection pressures (i.e., of polygenic adaptation). Conversely, we ask how evolutionary thinking helps us to interpret findings from GWASs and informs related efforts of practical importance.


IUBMB Life ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 70 (12) ◽  
pp. 1275-1288 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Rand ◽  
Jim A. Mossman ◽  
Lei Zhu ◽  
Leann M. Biancani ◽  
Jennifer Y. Ge

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Zhou ◽  
Dongmei Yu ◽  
Jeremiah M. Scharf ◽  
Carol A. Mathews ◽  
Lauren McGrath ◽  
...  

AbstractStudies of the genetic basis of complex traits have demonstrated a substantial role for common, small-effect variant polygenic burden (PB) as well as large-effect variants (LEV, primarily rare). We identify sufficient conditions in which GWAS-derived PB may be used for well-powered rare pathogenic variant discovery or as a sample prioritization tool for whole-genome or exome sequencing. Through extensive simulations of genetic architectures and generative models of disease liability with parameters informed by empirical data, we quantify the power to detect, among cases, a lower PB in LEV carriers than in non-carriers. Furthermore, we uncover clinically useful conditions wherein the risk derived from the PB is comparable to the LEV-derived risk. The resulting summary-statistics-based methodology (with publicly available software, PB-LEV-SCAN) makes predictions on PB-based LEV screening for 36 complex traits, which we confirm in several disease datasets with available LEV information in the UK Biobank, with important implications on clinical decision-making.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Miguel Soriano ◽  
Pasqualina Colasuonno ◽  
Ilaria Marcotuli ◽  
Agata Gadaleta

AbstractThe genetic improvement of durum wheat and enhancement of plant performance often depend on the identification of stable quantitative trait loci (QTL) and closely linked molecular markers. This is essential for better understanding the genetic basis of important agronomic traits and identifying an effective method for improving selection efficiency in breeding programmes. Meta-QTL analysis is a useful approach for dissecting the genetic basis of complex traits, providing broader allelic coverage and higher mapping resolution for the identification of putative molecular markers to be used in marker-assisted selection. In the present study, extensive QTL meta-analysis was conducted on 45 traits of durum wheat, including quality and biotic and abiotic stress-related traits. A total of 368 QTL distributed on all 14 chromosomes of genomes A and B were projected: 171 corresponded to quality-related traits, 127 to abiotic stress and 71 to biotic stress, of which 318 were grouped in 85 meta-QTL (MQTL), 24 remained as single QTL and 26 were not assigned to any MQTL. The number of MQTL per chromosome ranged from 4 in chromosomes 1A and 6A to 9 in chromosome 7B; chromosomes 3A and 7A showed the highest number of individual QTL (4), and chromosome 7B the highest number of undefined QTL (4). The recently published genome sequence of durum wheat was used to search for candidate genes within the MQTL peaks. This work will facilitate cloning and pyramiding of QTL to develop new cultivars with specific quantitative traits and speed up breeding programs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory R. Keele ◽  
Jeremy W. Prokop ◽  
Hong He ◽  
Katie Holl ◽  
John Littrell ◽  
...  

AbstractChronic kidney disease (CKD), which can ultimately progress to kidney failure, is influenced by genetics and the environment. Genes identified in human genome wide association studies (GWAS) explain only a small proportion of the heritable variation and lack functional validation, indicating the need for additional model systems. Outbred heterogeneous stock (HS) rats have been used for genetic fine-mapping of complex traits, but have not previously been used for CKD traits. We performed GWAS for urinary protein excretion (UPE) and CKD related serum biochemistries in 245 male HS rats. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified using a linear mixed effect model that tested for association with imputed genotypes. Candidate genes were identified using bioinformatics tools and targeted RNAseq followed by testing in a novel in vitro model of human tubule, hypoxia-induced damage. We identified two QTL for UPE and five for serum biochemistries. Protein modeling identified a missense variant within Septin 8 (Sept8) as a candidate for UPE. Sept8/SEPTIN8 expression increased in HS rats with elevated UPE and tubulointerstitial injury and in the in vitro hypoxia model. SEPTIN8 is detected within proximal tubule cells in human kidney samples and localizes with acetyl-alpha tubulin in the culture system. After hypoxia, SEPTIN8 staining becomes diffuse and appears to relocalize with actin. These data suggest a role of SEPTIN8 in cellular organization and structure in response to environmental stress. This study demonstrates that integration of a rat genetic model with an environmentally induced tubule damage system identifies Sept8/SEPTIN8 and informs novel aspects of the complex gene by environmental interactions contributing to CKD risk.


Genetics ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 145 (2) ◽  
pp. 453-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhikang Li ◽  
Shannon R M Pinson ◽  
William D Park ◽  
Andrew H Paterson ◽  
James W Stansel

The genetic basis for three grain yield components of rice, 1000 kernel weight (KW), grain number per panicle (GN), and grain weight per panicle (GWP), was investigated using restriction fragment length polymorphism markers and F4 progeny testing from a cross between rice subspecies japonica (cultivar Lemont from USA) and indica (cv. Teqing from China). Following identification of 19 QTL affecting these traits, we investigated the role of epistasis in genetic control of these phenotypes. Among 63 markers distributed throughout the genome that appeared to be involved in 79 highly significant (P < 0.001) interactions, most (46 or 73%) did not appear to have “main” effects on the relevant traits, but influenced the trait(s) predominantly through interactions. These results indicate that epistasis is an important genetic basis for complex traits such as yield components, especially traits of low heritability such as GN and GWP. The identification of epistatic loci is an important step toward resolution of discrepancies between quantitative trait loci mapping and classical genetic dogma, contributes to better understanding of the persistence of quantitative genetic variation in populations, and impels reconsideration of optimal mapping methodology and marker-assisted breeding strategies for improvement of complex traits.


1997 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven E. McKeand ◽  
Robert P. Crook ◽  
H. Lee Allen

Abstract The lack of rank change in growth characteristics when open-pollinated families of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) are planted on different sites in the Southeast has greatly simplified breeding for superior genotypes. Although family rank does not usually change, genotype by environment interactions (GxE) may be very important in operational deployment of families in regeneration programs. Using data from GxE trials and two site preparation-fertilization-herbicide trials, we estimated the growth that different families should achieve following application of these silvicultural practices. Better performing families tend to be most responsive to site changes (i.e. genetically unstable). Growth responses to silvicultural treatment will be overestimated if only the most responsive families are used in silvicultural research trials. Similarly, genetic gains will be overestimated if gain trials are planted on only the best sites or receive intensive culture. South. J. Appl. For. 21(2):84-89.


Euphytica ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 213 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan M. Mathey ◽  
Sonali Mookerjee ◽  
Lise L. Mahoney ◽  
Kazim Gündüz ◽  
Umesh Rosyara ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edwin Lauer ◽  
Andrew Sims ◽  
Steven McKeand ◽  
Fikret Isik

Abstract Genetic parameters were estimated using a five-series multienvironment trial of Pinus taeda L. in the southern USA. There were 324 half-sib families planted in five test series across 37 locations. A set of six variance/covariance matrices for the genotype-by-environment (G × E) effect for tree height and diameter were compared on the basis of model fit. In single-series analysis, extended factor analytical models provided generally superior model fit to simpler models for both traits; however, in the combined-series analysis, diameter was optimally modeled using simpler variance/covariance structures. A three-way compound term for modeling G × E interactions among and within series yielded substantial improvements in terms of model fit and standard errors of predictions. Heritability of family means ranged between 0.63 and 0.90 for both height and diameter. Average additive genetic correlations among sites were 0.70 and 0.61 for height and diameter, respectively, suggesting the presence of some G × E interaction. Pairs of sites with the lowest additive genetic correlations were located at opposite ends of the latitude range. Latent factor regression revealed a small number of parents with large factor scores that changed ranks significantly between southern and northern environments. Study Implications Multienvironmental progeny tests of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) were established over 10 years in the southern United States to understand the genetic variation for the traits of economic importance. There was substantial genetic variation between open-pollinated families, suggesting that family selection would be efficient in the breeding program. Genotype-by-environment interactions were negligible among sites in the deployment region but became larger between sites at the extremes of the distribution. The data from these trials are invaluable in informing the breeding program about the genetic merit of selection candidates and their potential interaction with the environment. These results can be used to guide deployment decisions in the southern USA, helping landowners match germplasm with geography to achieve optimal financial returns and conservation outcomes.


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