Quantitative Trait Loci Affecting Survival and Fertility-Related Traits in Caenorhabditis elegans Show Genotype-Environment Interactions, Pleiotropy and Epistasis

Corresponding author: Thomas E. Johnson, Campus Box 447, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0447., johnsont{at}colorado.edu (E-mail)

Communicating editor: L. PARTRIDGE

We have identified, using composite interval mapping, quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting a variety of life history traits (LHTs) in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Using recombinant inbred strains assayed on the surface of agar plates, we found QTL for survival, early fertility, age of onset of sexual maturity, and population growth rate. There was no overall correlation between survival on solid media and previous measures of survival in liquid media. Of the four survival QTL found in these two environments, two have genotype-environment interactions (GEIs). Epistatic interactions between markers were detected for four traits. A multiple regression approach was used to determine which single markers and epistatic interactions best explained the phenotypic variance for each trait. The amount of phenotypic variance accounted for by genetic effects ranged from 13% (for internal hatching) to 46% (for population growth). Epistatic effects accounted for 9–11% of the phenotypic variance for three traits. Two regions containing QTL that affected more than one fertility-related trait were found. This study serves as an example of the power of QTL mapping for dissecting the genetic architecture of a suite of LHTs and indicates the potential importance of environment and GEIs in the evolution of this architecture.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Leips, P. Gilligan, and T. F. C. Mackay Quantitative Trait Loci With Age-Specific Effects on Fecundity in Drosophila melanogaster Genetics, March 1, 2006; 172(3): 1595 - 1605. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. R. Swindell and J. L. Bouzat Inbreeding Depression and Male Survivorship in Drosophila: Implications for Senescence Theory Genetics, January 1, 2006; 172(1): 317 - 327. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. L. Malmberg, S. Held, A. Waits, and R. Mauricio Epistasis for Fitness-Related Quantitative Traits in Arabidopsis thaliana Grown in the Field and in the Greenhouse Genetics, December 1, 2005; 171(4): 2013 - 2027. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. E. Johnson Genes, Phenes, and Dreams of Immortality: The 2003 Kleemeier Award Lecture J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., June 1, 2005; 60(6): 680 - 687. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Estes, B. C. Ajie, M. Lynch, and P. C. Phillips Spontaneous Mutational Correlations for Life-History, Morphological and Behavioral Characters in Caenorhabditis elegans Genetics, June 1, 2005; 170(2): 645 - 653. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. L. Caicedo, J. R. Stinchcombe, K. M. Olsen, J. Schmitt, and M. D. Purugganan Epistatic interaction between Arabidopsis FRI and FLC flowering time genes generates a latitudinal cline in a life history trait PNAS, November 2, 2004; 101(44): 15670 - 15675. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Turelli and N. H. Barton Polygenic Variation Maintained by Balancing Selection: Pleiotropy, Sex-Dependent Allelic Effects and G x E Interactions Genetics, February 1, 2004; 166(2): 1053 - 1079. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Zhong, A. Pai, and G. Yan Quantitative Trait Loci for Susceptibility to Tapeworm Infection in the Red Flour Beetle Genetics, November 1, 2003; 165(3): 1307 - 1315. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. L. Montooth, J. H. Marden, and A. G. Clark Mapping Determinants of Variation in Energy Metabolism, Respiration and Flight in Drosophila Genetics, October 1, 2003; 165(2): 623 - 635. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Weinig, L. A. Dorn, N. C. Kane, Z. M. German, S. S. Halldorsdottir, M. C. Ungerer, Y. Toyonaga, T. F. C. Mackay, M. D. Purugganan, and J. Schmitt Heterogeneous Selection at Specific Loci in Natural Environments in Arabidopsis thaliana Genetics, September 1, 2003; 165(1): 321 - 329. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. C. Ungerer, S. S. Halldorsdottir, M. D. Purugganan, and T. F. C. Mackay Genotype-Environment Interactions at Quantitative Trait Loci Affecting Inflorescence Development in Arabidopsis thaliana Genetics, September 1, 2003; 165(1): 353 - 365. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Le Corre and A. Kremer Genetic Variability at Neutral Markers, Quantitative Trait Loci and Trait in a Subdivided Population Under Selection Genetics, July 1, 2003; 164(3): 1205 - 1219. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Ayyadevara, R. Ayyadevara, A. Vertino, A. Galecki, J. J. Thaden, and R. J. S. Reis Genetic Loci Modulating Fitness and Life Span in Caenorhabditis elegans: Categorical Trait Interval Mapping in CL2a x Bergerac-BO Recombinant-Inbred Worms Genetics, February 1, 2003; 163(2): 557 - 570. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. C. Ungerer, C. R. Linder, and L. H. Rieseberg Effects of Genetic Background on Response to Selection in Experimental Populations of Arabidopsis thaliana Genetics, January 1, 2003; 163(1): 277 - 286. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. W. Curtsinger Sex Specificity, Life-Span QTLs, and Statistical Power J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., December 1, 2002; 57(12): B409 - 414. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. O. Borevitz, J. N. Maloof, J. Lutes, T. Dabi, J. L. Redfern, G. T. Trainer, J. D. Werner, T. Asami, C. C. Berry, D. Weigel, et al. Quantitative Trait Loci Controlling Light and Hormone Response in Two Accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana Genetics, February 1, 2002; 160(2): 683 - 696. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. U. Jackson, A. T. Galecki, D. T. Burke, and R. A. Miller Mouse Loci Associated With Life Span Exhibit Sex-Specific and Epistatic Effects J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., January 1, 2002; 57(1): B9 - 15. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. A. Miller A Position Paper on Longevity Genes Sci. Aging Knowl. Environ., November 28, 2001; 2001(9): vp6 - 6. [Full Text]

				T. E. Johnson, D. Wu, P. Tedesco, S. Dames, and J. W. Vaupel Age-Specific Demographic Profiles of Longevity Mutants in Caenorhabditis elegans Show Segmental Effects J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., August 1, 2001; 56(8): B331 - 339. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. B. Korol, Y. I. Ronin, A. M. Itskovich, J. Peng, and E. Nevo Enhanced Efficiency of Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping Analysis Based on Multivariate Complexes of Quantitative Traits Genetics, April 1, 2001; 157(4): 1789 - 1803. [Abstract] [Full Text]