Effective population size and inbreeding depression on litter size in rabbits. A case study

The purpose of this study is to use demographic and litter size data on four Spanish maternal lines of rabbits (A, V, H and LP), as a case study, in order to: (i) estimate the effective population size of the lines, as a measure of the rate of increase of inbreeding, and (ii) study whether the inbreeding effect on litter size traits depends on the pattern of its accumulation over time. The lines are being selected for litter size at weaning and are kept closed at the same selection nucleus under the same selection and management programme. The study considered 47 794 l and a pedigree of 14 622 animals. Some practices in mating and selection management allow an increase of the inbreeding coefficient lower than 0.01 per generation in these lines of around 25 males and 125 females. Their effective population size (Ne) was around 57.3, showing that the effect of selection, increasing the inbreeding, was counterbalanced by the management practices, intended to reduce the rate of inbreeding increase. The inbreeding of each individual was broken down into three components: old, intermediate and new inbreeding. The coefficients of regression of the old, intermediate and new inbreeding on total born (TB), number born alive (NBA) and number weaned (NW) per litter showed a decreasing trend from positive to negative values. Regression coefficients significantly different from zero were those for the old inbreeding on TB (6.79 ± 2.37) and NBA (5.92 ± 2.37). The contrast between the coefficients of regression between the old and new inbreeding were significant for the three litter size traits: 7.57 ± 1.72 for TB; 6.66 ± 1.73 for NBA and 5.13 ± 1.67 for NW. These results have been interpreted as the combined action of purging unfavourable genes and artificial selection favoured by the inbreeding throughout the generations of selection.     

Effects of inbreeding on nodal root system morphology and architecture of white clover (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trifolium repens</Emphasis> L.)

Plants of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) cultivar Crau, a self-fertile Crau genotype, and nine generations of inbred progeny were raised in sand culture in a glasshouse experiment. Digital images of the root systems were made and root morphological characteristics were determined on all the plants. Root architectural parameters were measured on the Crau parent and the S₁, S₄, S₆, and S₉ inbred lines. The clover roots became shorter and thicker with inbreeding but the number of root tips per plant was unchanged. Root architecture (branching pattern) was largely unaffected by inbreeding. It is concluded that inbreeding white clover will lead to shorter, thicker roots, and reduced nutrient uptake efficiency compared with the parent clover. The degree to which these deleterious traits are overcome during the development of F₁ hybrids needs to be determined.     

关于近交系数计算方法的改进

本文对经典方法予以较大的改进.特别是对于有规世代随机出现的系谱中的近交系数,本文给出分段迭代算法,继而大大地提高了近交系数的计算速度.此外,对于多始祖大系谱,我们给出分解算法,使得查找通径和计算工作极易进行.     

Maintaining Genetic Resources of Peach Palm (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bactris gasipaes</Emphasis> Kunth): The Role of Seed Migration and Swidden-fallow Management in Northeastern Peru

Knowledge of the effects of farmer practices on population genetic parameters of peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) is relevant to the improvement and conservation of the palm’s genetic resources. Microsatellite markers were used to assess genetic diversity and population structure of peach palm in swidden-fallow agroforestry systems in northeastern Peru. The study covered eight communities, comprising two study areas 160 km apart – one occupied by indigenous Amerindians and the other by mixed race campesinos. Simultaneous analysis of an ex situ peach palm germplasm collection provided a means to compare population genetic parameters. Farmers who were surveyed on seed selection practices for peach palm reported that an average of only four palms (4.3 for campesino and 1.5 for indigenous populations) were used to provide seed for the establishment of the forest gardens sampled. As expected, inbreeding coefficients observed within communities were relatively high (f = 0.105 − 0.210), however, observed heterozygosities within communities were also high (0.625–0.741). A metapopulation approach was used to describe migration within and among regions, implying a hierarchical structure of gene flow which maintains relatively high levels of genetic diversity. Seed migration was found to occur over longer distances (≤600 km) and at a higher frequency (46% of palms sampled) in the indigenous study area, and a proportionally greater number of alleles was found (49 vs. 43 over three loci) with twice as many private alleles occurring only in the indigenous populations. The farmers’ practice of preserving remnant palms through successive swidden generations may have contributed to the maintenance of alleles by reducing the severity of founder effects. Although the campesino study area exhibited a significant (20% of the variation; p < 0.01) isolation-by-distance relationship across 35 km distance, in general, both study populations had relatively limited genetic structure (θ = 0.012–0.03), which is believed to have resulted from the exchange of seeds over long distances and periods of time.     

The Quadraplex Tetraploids Hybrids and Duplex Tetraploids Hybrids Are Responsible for Heterosis and Inbreeding Depression in Maize

The maize quadraplex tetraploids and duplex tetraploids were developed using Kato's protocols. The phenotype of heterosis and inbreeding depression over generations in their parents and progenies of F1, F2 and F3 were investigated.The results indicated that different duplex tetraploids have different genetic backgrounds, but they acquire maximum heterosis at same traits, such as the leaf length, leaf width, culm circumference and days to flowering. P.N. rises much faster from the F2 to F3 segment than the A.W. does for the plant height in duplex tetraploids. In comparing duplex and quadraplex over a generation the quadriplex is showing the greatest heterosis in plant height, leaf height, leaf width and days to flowering. Most of the examples achieve the maximum heterosis at Qu F2, with the exception of culm circumference,which achieves greatest heterosis at PNAW F1. Meanwhile, this experiment shows that quadraplex tetraploids has distinct additional favorable alleles that are not contained in duplex tetraploid, this is demonstrated by the heterosis found in crosses between the two duplex tetraploid. This finding helps explain quadraploids superiority and unique breeding behavior, in which, the progressive heterosis and inbreeding depression in maize are due mainly to linkage disequilibrium.The severe inbreeding depression in duplex tetraploids is due mainly to the rapid loss of complementary chromosomes or genes interactions in the first few generation of inbreeding. Correspondingly, the progressive heterosis in quadraplex tetraploids is due mainly to a progressive increase in complementarities of homologous chromosomes or genes interactions.Greater complementarities of homologous chromosomes or genes interactions in tetraploids maize alse helps explain recent molecular biology research indicating that some of traits in quadraplex tetraploids are more responsive to genetic diversity than in duplex tetraploids. In addition, the dosage effect of polyploid in relation to the genetic basis of heterosis and inbreeding depression were discussed also.     

正反反复选择下近交对褐壳蛋鸡饲料利用率和繁殖性状的影响

本文估计了褐壳蛋鸡洛岛红(AA)和浅花苏赛克斯(BB)在正反反复选择(RRS)下的近交系数,分析了近交对选择标准饲料利用率及其相关性状和繁殖性状的影响。试验群体由两纯种及其正反交组合和相应的对照组组成。经过7个世代的RRS和近交试验,试验组AA和BB(括弧里为对照组1AA和1BB)用系谱材料计算出的平均累积近交系数分别为2.58％和3.23％(9.33和8.17%)或每代为0.43%(1.35%),用有效群体含量估计出的AA与BB的相应数值为2.91％与2.83％(5.84%与5.92％)或每代为0.42％(0.86％)。1％近交系数导致的孵化率和饲料利用率的近交衰退较严重(0.5％和0.4％),其次是产蛋性状(约0.3％),而体重和蛋重只有0.1％左右。在本研究中,通过连续7代的RRS与合适的留种率等措施,成功地将闭锁群体的近交系数控制在3%以下的低水平,消除或减轻了近交对饲料利用率等重要经济性状的不利影响。     

秦川牛近交与近交衰退的分析

本文分析了陕西省秦川牛场秦川牛群近交及其对初生重、断奶重及哺乳期成活率的影响,并采用标准群体遗传学模型分析了秦川牛的致死当量。研究发现,30多年来秦川牛群平均近交系数呈明显的上升趋势,而且近交对成活率、初生重及断奶重均有一定危害;秦川牛群体的隐性有害基因含量较少,平均每个个体约携带2.05个致死当量。     

苎麻自交一代分离和变异的研究

1983～1985年以“黄壳早”、“芦竹青”、“古巴苎麻”和“武冈红皮种”为材料进行自交,并观测了自交一代的分离和变异情况,研究结果表明:a.根据自交一代的形态分类,可将“芦竹青”繁殖后代分为40个类型,“芦竹青”自交一代的麻骨颜色分离为四种,其分离比例为9.3:4.2:3:0.7,基本符合孟德尔遗传规律;b.个体间产量性状差异很大,株高变冥为0.23～1.68m,茎粗变异为0.48～1.14 cm,有效株变异为1～23株;c.40个类型的纤维细度的变异呈正态分布,变异为1168～1905公支,最细的类型和最粗的类型相差747支上述结果表明:苎麻自交后代的形态性状、产量性状和纤维细度均产生显著的分离和差异。     

Relationship between inbreeding coefficients and plant height of 1-year-old seedlings in crosses among Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai) cultivars/selections

Plant height, a vigor trait, in 1-year-old seedlings made from Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) cultivars/selections was measured using 994 individuals from 29 families. The family mean of plant height was negatively correlated (r = −0.72**) to the inbreeding coefficients (F). The regression of the family mean (Fm) on the F value (Fm = 130 − 104F) showed that inbreeding depressions were 8%, 20%, and 40% for F = 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5, respectively. According to the regression, the family mean at F = 0 was estimated at 130 cm. These results showed that the vigor was greatly influenced by inbreeding in Japanese pear. Within-family variances, the genetic segregation of offspring in a family, differed according to family. The proportions of offspring with plant height above 130 cm (estimated Fm for F = 0) were extremely low, i.e., 0–17% for 0.5 ≤ F < 0.60 and 0–8% for F = 0.75.     

近交与贴现对优化群体规模的影响

小群体的闭锁选育不可避免产生近交及遗传方差下降，导致近期与远期选择效果的矛盾。本文通过考察猪核心群育种方案中群体规模及公母比例对近交增量（％）及累积育种产出（元）的作用，分析遗传方差下降以及育种产出的贴现等因素对选择方案评估效果的影响。群体有效规模主要受每世代选择公猪头数的影响，为了控制群体近交增量必须维持一定的公猪头数。在所模拟的１６种方案中，１５代的贴现累积选择进展以每代选择８头公猪为最高；而母猪规模越大，累积选择进展越高。不考虑近交引起遗传方差的下降，或不进行选择进展的贴现，都造成过高估计选择方案的效果，且导致选择不适当的方案；对各世代选择进展进行贴现时，需要考虑较大的世代数，否则也会影响各选择方案的比较结果。