Plant & Animal Genome V Conference
Town & Country Hotel, San Diego, CA, January 12-16, 1997.
PAG-V: S12 - GENE HUNTING IN CHICKEN: DISSECTION OF COMPLEX TRAITS USING AUTOMATED
FLUORESCENT GENOTYPING OF MICROSATELLITE LOCI.
S12
GENE HUNTING IN CHICKEN: DISSECTION OF COMPLEX TRAITS USING AUTOMATED FLUORESCENT GENOTYPING OF
MICROSATELLITE LOCI.
GROENEN, MARTIEN(1), Richard Crooijmans(1), Tineke Veenendaal(1), Jan-Thijs Van Kaam(1), Addie Vereijken(2), Johan Van
Arendonk(2), Jos Herbergs(2), Jan Van der Poel(2)
1. Wageningen Agricultural University, Wageningen Institute of Animal Sciences, Department of Animal Breeding, Marijkeweg 40, 6709
PG Wageningen, The , Netherlands
2. Euribrid B.V., P.O. Box 30, 5830 AA Boxmeer, The Netherlands
Microsatellites, particularly in combination with the fluorescent based detection system of ABI, are a powerful tool for performing
complete genome scans. We have developed a large number of microsatellite markers in chicken, which subsequently have been optimized to
be used for large scale automated fluorescent genotyping on ABI automatic sequencers. These markers were used to map genes involved in
single gene traits (Dominant White, Autosomal Dwarfism, ALV) as well as for genes involved in complex multigene traits. Different
approaches have been used for the two different kinds of traits. (1) Single gene traits are analysed by typing the parents and the two pools of
the different F2's with a selected set of microsatellites. (2) A total genome scan approach is used for the complex traits with, on average, a 10
cM marker density. In a cross between two extreme broiler dam populations the F1 and F2 animals were genotyped for 264 microsatellite loci,
while the phenotypes were collected on the F3. The F2 population consisted of 10 full-sib families with a total of 456 F2 individuals, whereas
the F3 population consisted of 18,000 animals. The F3 animals were fenotyped for 6 different traits (growth, feed conversion, meat quality,
Ascites, Malabsorption Syndrome and resistance to Salmonella infection). An additional 120 microsatellites were analysed on only 4 of the 10
families (196 animals), resulting in a linkage map of the chicken genome of 384 microsatellite markers. For the 6 different traits, a first analysis
revealed approximately 20 chromosomal regions that probably contain genes influencing these traits. Additional experiments (new crosses
between F3 animals as well as crosses within different broiler lines) are in progress to verify these results.