Trait selection in production insects—An introduction to the issue and a review of responses to artificial selection

The size and shape of the cockerel comb, ran be regarded as secondary sexual characters or sexual ornaments. Sexual characters are assumed to be costly to express and the expression of a secondary sexual character is suggested to be favourably correlated with the bearer's condition or fitness. The aim of this study was to clarify the effects of selection for male sexual characters, the correlated responses in other male traits and whether selection for sexual characters affects viability. Two selection lines (lines S and H) and a control line was used for 10 generations. Line S was selected for male comb size at 29 weeks of age and from generation six onwards, comb shape (the way the cockerel bear his comb) was added. Line H was selected for high concentration of hyaluronic acid (HA) in the comb at 28 weeks of age. The average number of animals of each sex and;election line was 560 and the randomly mated control line comprised an average of 150 animals of each sex per generation. Traits recorded an analysed were comb size (CS) and body weight (BW) at 29 weeks of age, comb shape (SH) at 32 weeks of age, comb weight (CW) after slaughter and mortality (M). In line S, the genetic and phenotypic trends increased for CS, CW and BW. Both CS and SH are traits involved in the impression of comb size as visualized by females during male choice and by males during male-male competition. With artificial upward selection for the male character CS (line S), CS, CW, BW and M also increased but SH was impaired. When adding SH to the selection criteria in line S, the negative generic trend for SH was changed to positive. As CS approaches its environmental limit, the heritability and genetic progress can be expected to decline. It seems that 10 generations of selection for increased CS is not enough to reach the environmental limit at which CS is expected to stabilize at an optimum size determined by natural selection. (Less)

A quantitative character controlled at one locus with two alleles was submitted to artificial (mass) selection and to three modes of opposing natural selection (directional selection, overdominance and underdominance) in a large random-mating population. The selection response and the limits of the selective process were studied by deterministic simulation. The lifetime of the process was generally between 20 and 100 generations and did not appear to depend on the mode of natural selection. However, depending on the values of the parameters (initial gene frequency, selection intensity, ratio of the effect of the gene to the environmental standard deviation, fitness values) the following outcomes of selection were observed: fixation of the allele favored by artificial selection, stable nontrivial equilibrium, unstable equilibrium and loss of the allele favored by artificial selection. Finally, the results of the simulation were compared to the results of selection experiments.

Equalizing familiar contributions is the simplest recommended strategy to maintain genetic diversity in conservation programs. However, this method implies a relaxation of natural selection and the possibility of accumulation of deleterious mutations. Computer simulations have shown that performing selection within families for fitness traits in a conservation program can be useful to alleviate such problems. We thus carried out an experiment with the model species Drosophila melanogaster in order to assess whether or not selection for fitness traits can be useful. We considered a fitness trait (pupa productivity) that was first checked to perform as a typical fitness component. The trait showed an inbreeding depression of 1.2 per 1 % increase in inbreeding and an asymmetrical response to selection with average realized heritabilities of about 0.04 in the upward direction and an order of magnitude larger (0.36) in the downward direction. The management experiment indicated that artificial within-family selection for fitness had only a marginal success for two reasons. First, there was not an appreciable decline in fitness across the experiment despite the low population sizes assumed (N = 10 or 20), even in the population not subjected to selection. This result is compatible with fitness models which imply the segregation of few deleterious mutations of large effect. Second, artificial selection within families had a limited impact on the trait, as one expects for a typical fitness component with very low heritability.

Expected genetic responses were used to compare the simultaneous improvement of several agronomic traits for three selection index methods in recurrent selection programs. Observations for various agronomic traits in maize (Zea mays L.) were obtained from 144 S1 lines of the BSSS2 maize population grown in several locations during the 1970‐72 growing seasons. These traits were European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner)) resistance, cold tolerance (percentage of emergence, emergence index, and seedling dry weight), grain yield, grain moisture, root and stalk lodgings, and corn root worm (Diabrotica spp.) resistance (root damage, root size, and secondary root growth). Seven of them, grain yield, corn borer resistance, percentage emergence, emergence index, seedling dry weight, root size, and secondary root growth, were used to construct three types of index selection for S1 selection.The conventional indices constructed from two sets of arbitrarily assigned relative economic weights did not give satisfactory predicted improvement for all traits included in individual indices. Most of the predicted improvement went to grain yield and percentage of emergence. Base indices, in which relative economic weights were used as index coefficients, were 95 and 97% as efficient as conventional selection indices. Hence, the application of the base index would be preferable with S1 selection when precise relative economic values of the traits included in the indices are known. When modified selection indices (based on desired gains) were used, final goals from recurrent selection of the traits considered (S1 testing and 10% selection intensity) were predicted to be attained after 14 cycles or 28 years of selection. In another scheme of recurrent selection, corn borer resistance and cold tolerance traits would be evaluated in the S1 generation, and yield, root size, and secondary root growth would be tested hi the S2 generation. With 44 and 8% selection intensities in the S1 and S2 generations, respectively, improvement of all traits was expected to reach final goals after 10 cycles or 30 years of selection. Assuming that the two sets of the arbitrarily assigned relative economic weights were realistic, modified selection indices (based on their contributions to aggregate genetic advance) were shown to be only 46 and 61% as efficient as conventional indices for the specified desired gains and relative economic weights considered. Modified selection index with the S1 testing scheme was expected to give 53% of improvement for yield, compared with single trait selection based on yield alone. Use of the modified index selection is recommended for the simultaneous improvement of several agronomic traits in recurrent selection programs when the relative economic values of the traits are difficult to determine.Results from comparisons of predicted gain from recurrent selection with S1 testing and a combination of S1 and S2 testings suggested that S1 testing would be preferable, because fewer resources would be required and the construction of selection indices would be less complicated.

There have been few reports on genetic parameters or artificial selection for growth traits in globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus), the study of the effect of one cycle of mass selection and realized heritability estimates would be valuable for planning breeding strategies in this species. A C0 segregating population was formed from the cross of two contrasting seed-grown cultivars, Imperial Star and Estrella del Sur FCA. Selected plants for productive traits were intercrossed to produce a C1 population. The C1 population along with the C0 population, both parents and the F1 were evaluated obtaining the response to selection and estimating realized heritability. Mass selection for increased yield and precocity was particularly successful, where for the first trait realized heritability reached 0.71 and 0.60 for the second one. For most traits, the observed values for realized heritability in the experiment (0.75, 0.61 and 0.52 for weight of the main head, marketable yield and length of the main head, respectively) indicate that a substantial part of the observed phenotypic variance is of additive nature. Therefore, in general, selection for these traits in seed-grown globe artichoke populations will be effective.

Multiple-trait selection for radiographic health of the limbs, conformation and performance in Warmblood riding horses

There is substantial new variation for quantitative traits generated by mutation that can be utilised by artificial selection. With long-term selection, however, response is often attenuated and a selection limit sometimes reached, even though genetic variation is frequently still present in these lines. In this paper, the theoretical bases of long-term response and variability of populations that come from mutational variance are reviewed, and the relation between them is related to the strength and mode of the natural selection, whether due to pleiotropic effects of mutant genes or stabilising selection. Simple formulae to predict the consequence of relaxed or reversed selection are derived. Results from long-term selection experiments in mice in this laboratory are described and related to the theoretical analyses with the aim of reconciling the evidence for substantial standing variation with the low rate of response.

STUDY OF GENOMIC STRUCTURE AND SIGNATURES OF RECENT POSITIVE SELECTION IN CATTLE

BackgroundThe population genetics of U.S. honey bee stocks remain poorly characterized despite the agricultural importance of Apis mellifera as the major crop pollinator. Commercial and research-based breeding programs have made significant improvements of favorable genetic traits (e.g. production and disease resistance). The variety of bees produced by artificial selection provides an opportunity to characterize the genetic diversity and regions of the genome undergoing selection in commonly managed stocks.ResultsPooled sequencing of eight honey bee stocks found strong genetic similarity among six of the stocks. Two stocks, Pol-line and Hilo, showed significant differentiation likely due to their intense and largely closed breeding for resistance to the parasitic Varroa mite. Few variants were identified as being specific to any one stock, indicating potential admixture among the sequenced stocks. Juxtaposing the underlying genetic variation of stocks selected for disease- and parasite-resistance behavior, we identified genes and candidate regions putatively associated with resistance regulated by hygienic behavior.ConclusionThis study provides important insights into the distinct genetic characteristics and population diversity of honey bee stocks used in the United States, and provides further evidence of high levels of admixture in commercially managed honey bee stocks. Furthermore, breeding efforts to enhance parasite resistance in honey bees may have created unique genetic profiles. Genomic regions of interest have been highlighted for potential future work related to developing genetic markers for selection of disease and parasite resistance traits. Due to the vast genomic similarities found among stocks in general, our findings suggest that additional data regarding gene expression, epigenetic and regulatory information are needed to more fully determine how stock phenotypic diversity is regulated.

A field experiment was performed during season 2018/2019 at the Experimental Farm, Faculty of Technology and Development, Zagazig University. Four diverse bread wheat genotypes i.e (Gemmeiza 11, Sids12, Shandaweel-1and Sahel-1), were involved in the present study and treated with different doses of gamma rays, i.e. (0, 150, 250 and 350 Gy) under water stress treatment it was irrigated immediately after sowing and first irrigation was after 45 days for sowing and second irrigation up to flowering stage. to study mean performance and genetic variability in M2 generation influenced by gamma rays. Results showed that subjected wheat varieties to gamma rays doses resulted a significant variation for No. of spikes/plant, spike grain weight/gm. and No. of grains/pike, but non-significant for grain yield /plant in all cases revealing the great influence of the gamma rays doses on genetic makeup of wheat varieties. Mean performance for grain yield/plant (g.) in M2 generation for wheat cultivars changed from 14.49 (g.); (Sahel-1) to 19.35 (g.); (Gemmieza-11). Regarding mean effects of gamma rays doses it ranged from 15.22 (g), (350 Gy) to 17.56 (g.) (150 Gy). PCV was relatively higher than its respective GCV for spike length, No. of spikes /plant, No. spikelets / spike, No. of infertile spikelets/spike, No. of fertile spikelets/spike, spike grain weight and grain yield/plant, indicating their influenced by the mutagen changes. Whereas, narrow difference between PCV and GCV was for No. of grain /spike and 1000- grain weight which coupled with ECV estimates. Heritability in broad sense, was high ( ≥ 75) for spike length, spike grain weight, no. of grain /spike and 1000-grain weight. With highest of genetic advance for no. of infertile spikelets/spike. Whereas, moderately it was for spike length, no. of tillers /plant, no. of grain /spike, spike grain weight, 1000-grain weight and grain yield/plant, indicating greater scope for selection and improvement of these traits under water stress direction. Conclusively, the use of gamma rays its importance of influence mutation in some wheat genotypes, indicated greater scope for selection and improvement of wheat traits under water stress direction.

Improving the nutrient efficiency in pork production is required to reduce the resource competition between human food and animal feed regarding diet components edible for humans and to minimize emissions relevant to climate or the environment. Thereby, protein utilization efficiency and its equivalent nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE) play a major role. Breeding for more nitrogen (N) efficient pigs bears a promising strategy to improve such traits, however, directly phenotyping NUE based on N balance data is neither cost-efficient nor straightforward and not applicable for routine evaluations. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels in the pig are suitable to predict the NUE and, therefore, might be an indicator trait for NUE because BUN is a relatively easy-to-measure trait. This study investigated the suitability of NUE as a selection trait in future breeding programs. The relationships to classical growth performance and feed efficiency traits were analysed as well as the relationship to BUN to infer the role of BUN as an indicator trait to improve NUE via breeding. The analyzes were based on a Landrace F1 cross population consisting of 502 individuals who descended from 20 Piétrain sires. All animals were genotyped for 48,525 SNPs. They were phenotyped in two different fattening phases, i.e., FP1 and FP2, during the experiment. Uni- and bivariate analyses were run to estimate variance components and to determine the genetic correlation between different traits or between the same trait measured at different time points. Moderate heritabilities were estimated for all traits, whereby the heritability for NUE was h2 = 0.293 in FP1 and h2 = 0.163 in FP2 and BUN had the by far highest heritability (h2 = 0.415 in FP1 and h2 = 0.460 in FP2). The significant genetic correlation between NUE and BUN showed the potential of BUN to be considered an indicator trait for NUE. This was particularly pronounced when NUE was measured in FP1 (genetic correlations and between NUE and BUN measured in FP1 and FP2, respectively). The genetic correlations of NUE and BUN with important production traits suggest selecting pigs with high growth rates and low BUN levels to breed more efficient pigs in future breeding programs.

Assessing the progress of plant breeding programs

Simultaneous improvement of forage traits and seed yield in orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) has been problematic because of geographic separation of forage and seed production locations. Previous work has shown that a complex multilocation selection program in forage production environments can increase forage yield as well as seed yield in Oregon. The objective of this experiment was to compare target-environment (TE) and nontarget-environment (NTE) selection approaches for increasing seed yield of orchardgrass in Oregon. Two cycles of recurrent phenotypic selection for panicle seed mass (PSM) and agronomic traits were conducted on four populations in four eastern USA locations (NTE) and one Oregon location (TE). Seed yield was increased in three of four orchardgrass populations by TE selection, averaging 5.1% cycle -1 , but was improved by NTE selection in only one of four populations. Conversely, TE selection for PSM and agronomic traits resulted in no changes to forage yield in the eastern USA and Canada, while NTE selection for PSM and agronomic traits increased forage yield in two of four populations, confirming results of a previous study. It appears that the most efficient system for simultaneously improving forage and seed traits of orchardgrass would be to practice selection for forage traits in forage production environments and seed traits in seed production environments, with sufficiently large populations to allow multitrait selection.

Simultaneous improvement of forage traits and seed yield in orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) has been problematic because of geographic separation of forage and seed production locations. Previous work has shown that a complex multilocation selection program in forage production environments can increase forage yield as well as seed yield in Oregon. The objective of this experiment was to compare target-environment (TE) and nontarget–environment (NTE) selection approaches for increasing seed yield of orchardgrass in Oregon. Two cycles of recurrent phenotypic selection for panicle seed mass (PSM) and agronomic traits were conducted on four populationsin four eastern USA locations (NTE) and one Oregon location (TE). Seed yield was increased in three of four orchardgrass populations by TE selection, averaging 5.1% cycle−1, but was improved by NTE selection in only one of four populations. Conversely, TE selection for PSM and agronomic traits resulted in no changes to forage yield in the eastern USA and Canada, while NTE selection for PSM and agronomic traits increased forage yield in two of four populations, confirming results of a previous study. It appears that the most efficient system for simultaneously improving forage and seed traits of orchardgrass would be to practice selection for forage traits in forage production environments and seed traits in seed production environments, with sufficiently large populations to allow multitrait selection.

The quantitative trait loci associated with the immune properties of chickens are of interest from the point of view of obtaining animals resistant to infectious agents using marker-assisted selection. In the process of selecting markers for genomic selection in broiler-type chickens, a non-standard genotype frequency of the RACK1 gene allele (SNP Gga_rs15788101) in the B5 line of broiler-type chicken cross Smena 8 was identified and it was suggested that this gene was involved in selection. Therefore, it was decided to investigate the available polymorphisms in the three genes responsible for the IgY titer (DMA, RACK1 and CD1B). Molecular typing of single nucleotide polymorphisms of three loci revealed an approach to fixation of the unfavorable allele of the DMA gene (SNP Gga_rs15788237), an approach to fixation of the unfavorable allele of the RACK1 gene and the prevalence of the favorable CD1B gene allele (SNP Gga_rs16057130). Analysis of the haplotypes revealed a strong linkage disequilibrium of these genes. This suggests that these genes experience selection pressure. Analysis of the protein-coding sequences of the CD1B and DMA genes of various breeds of chickens revealed a negative selection of these genes. In order to understand whether the fixation of the studied alleles is the result of artificial selection of the B5 line of the cross Smena 8, an analysis of similar loci in layer chickens Hisex White was carried out. The frequencies of the alleles at the loci of the CD1B gene (Gga_rs16057130) and the RACK1 gene (Gga_rs15788101) in the Hisex White chicken genome differ from the frequencies of the alleles obtained for chickens of the B5 line of the cross Smena 8. It can be assumed that the fixation of the allele in the DMA gene (SNP Gga_rs15723) is associated with artificial or natural selection, consistent in broilers and layers. Changes in the loci Gga_rs16057130 and Gga_rs15788101 in the B5 line of the Smena 8 chickens are most likely associated with artificial selection of broiler productivity traits, which can subsequently lead to fixation of alleles at these loci. Artificial breeding of chickens leads to degradation of the variability of genes encoding elements of the immune system, which can cause a decrease in resistance to various diseases. The study of the negative impact of selection of economic traits on immunity should provide means to mitigate negative consequences and help find ways to obtain disease-resistant animals.