Abstract
Artemia is not only one of the most important live feed used in larviculture, but also an ideal experimental organism for scientific research. In the study, SLAF-seq method was used to develop SNP markers and construct the first high-density genetic linkage map for Artemia franciscana. A total of 8709 effective SNP markers were mapped into 21 linkage groups by using one full-sib family with 106 progenies. The map spanned 2636.43 cM and 105 loci per LG, with an average inter-marker distance of 1.19 cM. QTL mapping analysis revealed that one major sex-related QTL containing 466 sex-related SNP markers on LG6, with the most significant locus explained 100% of the phenotype variance. Given of the presence of 15 female-specific SNPs, their segregation patterns and the lower female/male recombination, the WZ-ZZ sex determining system was further confirmed in A. franciscana. Meanwhile, seven QTLs associated with growth-related traits were found within three intervals on LG6, highlighting the possible involvement of LG6 in both growth and phenotypic sex. QTL-association analysis further identified 22 candidate genes that probably related to the biological process of reproduction, growth and immunity. Our results provide a valuable resource for genetic improvement and genome study of Artemia.
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