Identification of the strongest candidate genes for heterotic QTL discovered from a gene pool of wild mice

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25292159
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Animal production science
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: ISHIKAWA Akira 名古屋大学, 生命農学研究科, 准教授 (20211724)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 育種学 / ＱＴＬ / マウス / 雑種強勢

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Heterosis, found more than 100 years ago, is a genetic phenomenon essential for animal breeding. However, no causal gene for heterosis has been cloned in animals. Our previous QTL studies using wild mice revealed a small genomic region containing a overdominant QTL for heterosis of body weight. In this study, by an integration approach of phenotypic analysis, exome analysis, and transcriptome analysis using subcongenic mouse strains, I fine-mapped three QTLs for body weight, body length and white fat pad weight to 2.1- to 8.0-Mb genomic regions. Although none of the three QTLs exhibited heterotic effect, several differentially expressed genes were revealed as candidate genes for the body weight and fat weight QTLs.

Free Research Field

動物遺伝育種学