Effects of marker-assisted selection under different initial frequency of QTL favorable allele.

A ten-generation continuous selection experiment on a single trait in a closed population was carried out by stochastic simulation. It assumed that the trait was controlled by polygenes and a single autosomal bi-allelic marked quantitative trait locus (QTL). Individual breeding values were estimated through animal model marker-assisted best linear unbiased prediction (MB-LUP), and breeding animals were selected according to their breeding values. The effects of three levels initial frequencies of QTL favorable allele on marker-assisted selection (MAS) were studied. The results showed that it would gain higher genetic response when implementing MAS on those traits with lower initial frequency of QTL favorable allele. When the initial frequency of QTL favorable allele was low, although the generation number required for fixing QTL favorable allele in the population would be lengthened, its frequency would be increased faster. However, the initial frequency of QTL favorable allele had little effects on the inbreeding rates.

Primary factors affecting the evaluation accuracy of animal model MBLUP.

Marker-assisted best linear unbiased prediction (MBLUP) is one important method of implementing marker-assisted selection (MAS). The computer stochastic simulation method was used to study the effects of heritability of trait, QTL variance and map distance between two adjacent markers on the evaluation accuracy of animal model MBLUP. With the higher heritability, the smaller QTL variance and the shorter map distance between two adjacent markers, the evaluation accuracy of animal model MBLUP would be increased. On the contrary, the evaluation accuracy of animal model MBLUP would be decreased when the heritability was lower, QTL variance was larger and map distance between two adjacent markers was longer.

[Research and application of animal genetic marker-assisted selection].

With the development of molecular and quantitative genetics and its related subjects, it made a great progress on the research about animal genetic marker-assisted selection (MAS). There were also some successful examples on the application of MAS to animal genetic improvement. The statistical method which using phenotypic, pedigree and genetic marker information to predict individual breeding values has already been developed. Many achievements were obtained from the researches, which carried on MAS relative efficiency and its affecting factors and selection schemes. The present paper reviewed some progresses of MAS research and discussed some problems about MAS application to animal breeding.