- THIS ARTICLE
- Full Text
- Full Text (PDF)
- Data Supplement
- Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me if a correction is posted
- SERVICES
- Related articles in Genetics
- Similar articles in this journal
- Similar articles in PubMed
- Alert me to new issues of the journal
- Download to citation manager
- Reprints & Permissions
- GOOGLE SCHOLAR
- Articles by Kenney-Hunt, J. P.
- Articles by Cheverud, J. M.
- PUBMED
- PubMed Citation
- Articles by Kenney-Hunt, J. P.
- Articles by Cheverud, J. M.
Genetics, Vol. 178, 2275-2288, April 2008, Copyright © 2008
doi:10.1534/genetics.107.084434
Pleiotropic Patterns of Quantitative Trait Loci for 70 Murine Skeletal Traits
Jane P. Kenney-Hunt*,1,
Bing Wang*,
Elizabeth A. Norgard*,
Gloria Fawcett*,
Doug Falk*,
L. Susan Pletscher*,
Joseph P. Jarvis*,
Charles Roseman
,
Jason Wolf
and
James M. Cheverud*
* Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801 and Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
1 Corresponding author: Department of Biological Sciences, Coker Life Sciences Bldg., University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208.
E-mail: kenneyhunt{at}biol.sc.edu
Quantitative trait locus (QTL) studies of a skeletal trait or a few related skeletal components are becoming commonplace, but as yet there has been no investigation of pleiotropic patterns throughout the skeleton. We present a comprehensive survey of pleiotropic patterns affecting mouse skeletal morphology in an intercross of LG/J and SM/J inbred strains (N = 1040), using QTL analysis on 70 skeletal traits. We identify 798 single-trait QTL, coalescing to 105 loci that affect on average 7–8 traits each. The number of traits affected per locus ranges from only 1 trait to 30 traits. Individual traits average 11 QTL each, ranging from 4 to 20. Skeletal traits are affected by many, small-effect loci. Significant additive genotypic values average 0.23 standard deviation (SD) units. Fifty percent of loci show codominance with heterozygotes having intermediate phenotypic values. When dominance does occur, the LG/J allele tends to be dominant to the SM/J allele (30% vs. 8%). Over- and underdominance are relatively rare (12%). Approximately one-fifth of QTL are sex specific, including many for pelvic traits. Evaluating the pleiotropic relationships of skeletal traits is important in understanding the role of genetic variation in the growth and development of the skeleton.
Related articles in Genetics:
ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS
Genetics 2008 178: NP.