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Genetics, Vol. 177, 2417-2431, December 2007, Copyright © 2007
doi:10.1534/genetics.107.080002
Mapping Quantitative Trait Loci Affecting Susceptibility to Marek's Disease Virus in a Backcross Population of Layer Chickens
E. M. Heifetz*,1,
J. E. Fulton
,
N. P. O'Sullivan,
J. A. Arthur,
J. Wang*,
J. C. M. Dekkers* and
M. Soller
* Department of Animal Science and Center for Integrated Animal Genomics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, Hy-Line International, Dallas Center, Iowa 50063 and Department of Genetics, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
1 Corresponding author: Department of Molecular Biology, Ariel University Center of Samaria, Ariel 44837, Israel.
E-mail: eliyahu100{at}gmail.com
Marek's disease (MD), caused by the oncogenic MD avian herpes virus (MDV), is a major source of economic losses to the poultry industry. A reciprocal backcross (BC) population (total 2052 individuals) was generated by crossing two partially inbred commercial Leghorn layer lines known to differ in MDV resistance, measured as survival time after challenge with a (vv+) MDV. QTL affecting resistance were identified by selective DNA pooling using a panel of 198 microsatellite markers covering two-thirds of the chicken genome. Data for each BC were analyzed separately, and as a combined data set. Markers showing significant association with resistance generally appeared in blocks of two or three, separated by blocks of nonsignificant markers. Defined this way, 15 chromosomal regions (QTLR) affecting MDV resistance, distributed among 10 chromosomes (GGA 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 15, and Z), were identified. The identified QTLR include one gene and three QTL associated with resistance in previous studies of other lines, and three additional QTL associated with resistance in previous studies of the present lines. These QTL could be used in marker-assisted selection (MAS) programs for MDV resistance and as a platform for high-resolution mapping and positional cloning of the resistance genes.