Offspring survival changes over generations of captive breeding.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Farquharson KA
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8144597 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundThe predictive ability of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV) originates both from associations between high-density markers and QTL (Quantitative Trait Loci) and from pedigree information. Thus, GEBV are expected to provide more persistent accuracy over successive generations than breeding values estimated using pedigree-based methods. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of GEBV in a closed population of layer chickens and to quantify their persistence over five successive generations using marker or pedigree information.MethodsThe training data consisted of 16 traits and 777 genotyped animals from two generations of a brown-egg layer breeding line, 295 of which had individual phenotype records, while others had phenotypes on 2,738 non-genotyped relatives, or similar data accumulated over up to five generations. Validation data included phenotyped and genotyped birds from five subsequent generations (on average 306 birds/generation). Birds were genotyped for 23,356 segregating SNP. Animal models using genomic or pedigree relationship matrices and Bayesian model averaging methods were used for training analyses. Accuracy was evaluated as the correlation between EBV and phenotype in validation divided by the square root of trait heritability.ResultsPedigree relationships in outbred populations are reduced by 50% at each meiosis, therefore accuracy is expected to decrease by the square root of 0.5 every generation, as observed for pedigree-based EBV (Estimated Breeding Values). In contrast the GEBV accuracy was more persistent, although the drop in accuracy was substantial in the first generation. Traits that were considered to be influenced by fewer QTL and to have a higher heritability maintained a higher GEBV accuracy over generations. In conclusion, GEBV capture information beyond pedigree relationships, but retraining every generation is recommended for genomic selection in closed breeding populations.
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Project description:Stable, epigenetic inactivation of gene expression by silencing complexes involves a specialized heterochromatin structure, but the kinetics and pathway by which euchromatin is converted to the stable heterochromatin state are poorly understood. Induction of heterochromatin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by expression of the silencing protein Sir3 results in rapid loss of histone acetylation, whereas removal of euchromatic histone methylation occurs gradually through several cell generations. Unexpectedly, Sir3 binding and the degree of transcriptional repression gradually increase for 3-5 cell generations, even though the intracellular level of Sir3 remains constant. Strains lacking Sas2 histone acetylase or the histone methylases that modify lysines 4 (Set1) or 79 (Dot1) of H3 display accelerated Sir3 accumulation at HMR or its spreading away from the telomere, suggesting that these histone modifications exert distinct inhibitory effects on heterochromatin formation. These findings suggest an ordered pathway of heterochromatin assembly, consisting of an early phase, driven by active enzymatic removal of histone acetylation and resulting in incomplete transcriptional silencing, followed by a slower maturation phase, in which gradual loss of histone methylation enhances Sir association and silencing. Thus, the transition between euchromatin and heterochromatin is gradual and requires multiple cell division cycles.
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Project description:Endangered animals in captivity may display reduced brain sizes due to captive conditions and limited genetic diversity. Captive diets, for example, may differ in nutrition and texture, altering cranial musculature and alleviating constraints on cranial shape development. Changes in brain size are associated with biological fitness, which may limit reintroduction success. Little is known about how changes in brain size progress in highly managed carnivoran populations and whether such traits are retained among reintroduced populations. Here, we measured the endocranial volume of preserved Mexican wolf skulls across captive generations and between captive, wild, and reintroduced populations and assessed endocranial volume dependence on inbreeding and cranial musculature. Endocranial volume increased across captive generations. However, we did not detect a difference among captive, wild, and reintroduced groups, perhaps due to the variability across captive generations. We did not find a relationship between endocranial volume and either inbreeding or cranial musculature, although the captive population displayed an increase in the cross-sectional area of the masseter muscle. We hypothesize that the increase in endocranial volume observed across captive generations may be related to the high-quality nutrition provided in captivity.
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2021-09-29 | GSE184819 | GEO
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