High Heritability Estimates Research Articles

Heritability of dental arches and occlusal characteristics: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The genetic basis of dentoalveolar characteristics has been investigated by several studies, however, the findings are equivocal. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the heritability of dental arches and occlusal parameters in different stages of human dentition. Electronic databases PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Dentistry and Oral Science Source were searched up to August 2023 without the restriction of language or publication date. Empirical studies investigating the heritability of dentoalveolar parameters among twins and siblings were included in the review. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were performed independently and in duplicate by two authors and a third author resolved conflicts if needed. Joanna Briggs Institute's critical appraisal tool was used to evaluate the risk of bias among studies and the certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. Twenty-eight studies were included in the systematic review, of which 15 studies reporting heritability coefficients in the permanent dentition stages were deemed suitable for the meta-analysis. Random-effects meta-analyses showed high heritability estimates for maxillary intermolar width (0.52), maxillary intercanine width (0.54), mandibular intermolar width (0.55), mandibular intercanine width (0.55), maxillary arch length (0.76), mandibular arch length (0.57), and palatal depth (0.56). The heritability estimates for the occlusal parameters varied considerably, with relatively moderate values for crossbite (0.46) and overbite (0.44) and low values for buccal segment relationship (0.32), overjet (0.22), and rotation and displacement of teeth (0.16). However, the certainty of evidence for most of the outcomes was low according to the GRADE criteria. Based on the available evidence, it can be concluded that the dental arch dimensions have a high heritability while the occlusal parameters demonstrate a moderate to low heritability. PROSPERO (CRD42022358442).

Analysis of Genetic variability and Character association in Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) Germplasm

Two hundred sixteen germplasms with six check varieties of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) were evaluated in augmented randomized complete block design in four blocks during Rabi 2016-17 at Research Farm, SKN college of agriculture, Jobner to determine nature of variability, character association. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the genotypes and checks for all the characters except days to 50 per cent flowering in genotypes. The highest PCV and GCV expressed as percentage was observed for seed yield per plant followed by seeds per umbel, umbels per plant, branches per plant, umbellets per umbel, test weight, plant height, days to maturity and days to 50 per cent flowering. The high estimates of heritability and genetic advance were found for seed yield per plant, seeds per umbel, umbels per plant and branches per plant whereas it was low for days to 50 per cent flowering and days to maturity. Correlation studies revealed that seed yield per plant was significantly and positively correlated with test weight, seeds per umbel, umbellets per umbel and umbels per umbel. Out of 216 genotypes, 14 genotypes were better than the best check variety RF-125 on the basis of seed yield per plant. Some of the promising genotypes identified on the basis of seed yield per plant were UF-4, UF-16, UF-20, UF-23, UF-55, UF-61, UF-79, UF-88, UF-145, UF-149, UF-151, UF-168, UF-172 and UF-189. These superior genotypes can be used as donors in breeding programme.

Effect of age, season and sire on semen quality traits in Frieswal breeding bulls

The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of season of semen collection, age and sire on semen quality of Frieswal breeding bulls. The data on 8113 semen ejaculates of 155 bulls born to 34 Frieswal sires were utilized for the study. The effect of age of bulls on semen volume, sperm concentration (million) per ml and sperm motility (%) in fresh semen (directly after collection) was highly significant. Additionally, it was discovered that the sire effect of bulls on different semen quality parameters and the influence of season on sperm concentration and motility both were statistically significant. Heritability estimates of different semen quality traits studied were moderately high and exceptionally significant. For semen volume, the estimate was found to be 0.336±0.078 while for concentration and pre freezing sperm motility values were 0.296±0.068 and 0.407±0.089, respectively. From the results, it may be concluded that the age and sire of bulls significantly affected the semen volume, sperm concentration and sperm motility in Frieswal bulls. The season of semen collection caused significant variations in sperm concentration and motility but not the semen volume. The semen volume and concentration were superior in ejaculates collected during winter season while the summer season was conducive for increased sperm initial motility. The Frieswal bulls up to 4-5 years are able to produce semen of better quality. The moderately high heritability estimates of semen quality traits provide indication for genetic improvement of the traits through selection.

Genetic variability assessment of indigenous and exotic saffron germplasm through morpho-agronomic characterization at Jammu and Kashmir, India

AbstractThe present study analysed a total of 272 saffron (Crocus sativus L.) genotypes using multivariate analysis. We carefully observed and recorded information about the floral, morphological and corm attributes. Significant variations were observed among the genotypes for all the traits, indicating a high level of variability and suggesting a great potential for saffron improvement. The phenotypic variances were found to be greater than the estimated genotypic variances. Descriptive data on various morphological traits revealed significant differences in the frequency of phenotype classes as well as a wide distribution range. The high heritability estimates were observed in average number of daughter corms per plant (ANDCPP), initial weight of corms (IWC g), no. of buds/corm (NBPC), – no. of leaves in main sprout, (NLMS), number of sprouted buds per corm (NSBpC) and total number of leaves (TNL), whereas average weight of daughter corms per plant (AWBCPP), corm diameter (CDcm), pistal length (PL) cm, style length (STYLcm), fresh weight of pistals per plant (FWOPPPmg) and stigma length (STML cm), revealed medium sense of heritability. The traits dry weight of pistals per plants (DWOPPP mg), inner tepal width (ITW cm), leaf length (LLcm), number of flowers per corm (NFpC), outer tepal length (OTLcm), parianth length with tube (PLWT cm) and weight of stigma (WSTG mg) exhibited low broad-sense heritability. Principal component analysis (PCA) divulged that the first eight component characters had an eigenvalue greater than one with a contributory cumulative variance of 66.15% to the total variance, while as rest of the 16 components contributed 33.85% of total variation in a set of 272 genotypes of saffron. The eigenvalues for yield attributing traits for significant PCs ranged from 5.48 (PC1) to 1.03(PC8). The current study has revealed that there was a sufficient variability in a set of saffron germplasm lines which forms the basis for performance-based clonal selection. Moreover, identified elite genotypes based on saffron yield and corm attributes could be used in the saffron breeding programme for the development of saffron varieties.

Genotypic variability and genetic parameters for root yield, dry matter and related traits of cassava in the Guinea Savannah ecological zone of Ghana

The aim of this study was to assess the agronomic performance and genetic parameters governing storage root yield and related traits in cassava genotypes in order to identify superior genotypes. The study involved 18 elite cassava genotypes which were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications and assessed for storage root yield and yield components (12 months after planting) in the Guinea savannah ecology of Ghana for three seasons. Analysis of variance indicated significant (p < 0.05) genotype and year main effects for fresh and dry root yields, dry matter content, starch yield and harvest index. Genotype × year effect was significant (p < 0.05) for fresh root yield, dry root yield and starch yield. Estimates of the variance components revealed greater genotypic influence for starch yield, fresh and dry root yields implying the potential for genetic gain with selection for these traits among the genotypes. Relatively high (69 %) broad sense heritability estimate was observed for dry storage root yield indicating the depth of genetic influence. Path coefficient analysis revealed a direct positive effect of dry matter content on dry storage root yield whilst dry storage root yield had direct positive effect on starch yield suggesting the possibility of indirect selection for starch yield through dry storage root yield. The study revealed ample genotypic variability among the cassava genotypes to warrant selection. Four genotypes, IBA 070134, IBA 419, IBA 950289 and IBA 980581 were identified for high and stable fresh and dry root yields for multilocational testing.

Genetic analysis for seed yield and its contributing traits in linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.)

An experiment was conducted to study the gene action in linseed through diallel analysis using 11 parents and their 55 crosses. Analysis of variance showed highly significant differences among the genotypes for all the traits. Graphical analysis displayed non-additive gene action playing major role in the expression of all the attributes. Components of variance revealed the presence of both additive as well as dominance component for days to 50 per cent flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of seeds/capsule, 100-seed weight, seed yield/plant, harvest index and oil content. Average degree of dominance ( 1/Ď) 0.5 exhibited over dominance for all the traits except test weight. High estimates of heritability with high genetic advance were reported for 100-seed weight whereas high heritability with low genetic advance was observed for days to maturity and oil content. Low heritability with high genetic advance was recorded for number of capsules/plant and primary branches/plant. Moderate heritability with high genetic advance was noticed for seed yield/plant.

Estimation of Genetic Variability Parameters and Correlation Coefficients for Grain Yield Characters of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Twenty-six rice genotypes were examined, and an experiment was carried out by using a Randomized Block Design with three replications at the Department of Genetics and Plant breeding, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Naini Allahabad, U.P during the kharif season of 2022. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences between genotypes for all 13 characters, showing that there is a wide scope for selecting traditional rice varieties for yield and its components from the current gene pool. WGL-915 (43.05g) had the highest grain production per hill among the 26 genotypes, followed by JGL-21078 (36.99g), WGL-283 (32.60g), WGL-13400 (28.51g), WGL-14377 (28.25g), and WGL-347 (27.76g). When compared to the check genotype NDR-359, all of these genotypes produced significantly higher yields (22.67g). High estimates of heritability and genetic advance as a percentage of mean were observed for test weight, number of spikelets per panicle, biological yield, and grain production per hill. These qualities are governed by additive gene effects and have the best chance of improvement via simple selection. The length of the flag leaf, the length of the panicle, the biological yield, the harvest index, and the test weight all had positive and very significant correlation associations with grain production per hill. The selection of these features will thus be effective in increasing rice grain yield.

Planting Density Does Not Affect Root Shape Traits Associated with Market Class in Carrot

Carrot (Daucus carota var. sativus) cultivars with common root shape, appearance, and end-use are grouped and commercialized in market classes. The shape of the carrot storage root is the result of growth and development, which is highly influenced by genotype; however, the extent to which planting density affects root shape traits and its interaction with genotype remains unexplored. To observe the effects of market class and density on carrot root shape characteristics, five cultivars classified in five different market classes, including Imperator, Nantes, Danvers, Chantenay, and Ball, were each grown at five planting densities ranging from 0.5 million to 4.5 million plants/ha. A generalized complete block design with a two-way factorial treatment arrangement of the two factors, density and genotype, was used in three environments. Roots were phenotyped using a digital imaging pipeline and scored for root size (length, maximum width) and compound root shape traits including traits derived from the principal component analysis of root contour profiles like root fill and tip and shoulder curvature. The results suggest that planting density had minimal impact on the shape of carrot roots, and the expected shape for each market class was maintained regardless of planting density; however, the analysis was constrained by the presence of interactions among genotype, density, and environment, which influence the contribution of main effects to shape. For the Nantes, Danvers, Chantenay, and Imperator market classes, planting density influenced the size of the carrot root, with size decreasing by up to 50% in length and width at high planting densities. We found high estimates of broad-sense heritability for traits that determine the shape of the carrot root, such as root fill and length-to-width ratio, which capture size-independent variation of the storage root. Although environmental signals play a role, our results suggested that the shape of the carrot root is primarily determined by genotype, and that planting density generally does not have a significant effect on its shape.

Estimates of Variability, Heritability, Genetic Advance for Yield and its Quality Traits in Onion (Allium cepa L.) Genotypes

The present investigation to estimate genetic variability was carried out with forty genotypes of onion which were collected from different locations of Karnataka and were evaluated for growth yield and quality traits. Among all the genotypes studied, Gadag Local exhibited highest plant height at 30 DAT (34.20 cm), 50 DAT (43.46) and 90 DAT (51.76 cm), highest number of leaves were produced by Nasik Red at 50 DAT (9.40 cm) and Savalagi Local at 90 DAT (13.53 cm), Sathara Local exhibited highest equatorial diameter (4.54 cm). highest total soluble solids (15.03%) was recorded by Gadag Local. Kalasakoppa Local produced highest dry matter (20.16%) and B-780 took less number of days to maturity (100days), Bilagi Local had highest polar diameter (4.93 cm). The high GCV and PCV was observed for ten bulb weight and leaf diameter respectively. High estimates of heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean was observed for ten bulb weight and Total yield(q/ha) Hence, for future onion improvement, these well performing genotypes can be subjected to selection and also used as parents in hybridization programme to obtain varieties/hybrids with desirable quality and higher yield.

A comparative analysis of agronomic water-use efficiency and its proxy measures as derived from key morpho-physiological and supportive quantitative genetics attributes of perennial ryegrass under imposed drought.

Water-use efficiency (WUE) is an under-researched but very important drought tolerance trait in forage breeding. This research estimated quantitative genetic parameters of morpho-physiological traits linked to agronomic water-use efficiency (WUEA) and its proxy measures based on δ13C (WUEi) or gas exchange (evapotranspiration, WUEAET, or stomatal conductance WUEASC) of genotypes from half-sib families of Lolium perenne L. (PRG) in a simulated summer drought cycle. Principal component analysis (PCA) of trait data distinguished a group of PRG genotypes where high WUEA and dry matter yield was associated with deep rooting, leaf hydration at more negative leaf osmotic and water potential, and reduced soil moisture depletion. Plants with this trait association sustained net assimilation and postdefoliation regrowth in drought. However, WUEi, WUEASC, and WUEAET were poorly correlated with most traits of interest at p < .05. Another PCA revealed a weak association between WUEA and its proxy measures under conditions tested. Quantitative genetic parameters including high estimates of narrow-sense heritability () of WUEA and related traits emphasized the genetic potential of the key trait combination for selecting PRG for improved drought tolerance. Research findings highlight the relative importance of WUEA and its proxy measures in the broad definition of PRG drought tolerance for breeding purposes.

Elucidating genetic diversity and variability in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) using yield attribution traits

Fifty-six desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) advance breeding lines were evaluated in order to explore the possibility of genetic divergence for yield and its contributing traits using Mahalanobis’s D2 Statistics and Principal Component Analysis. High estimates of heritability, genetic advance, GCV and PCV were recorded for seed yield per plant (92.2%, 12.4%, 37.1% and 38.7%), biological yield per plant (88.1%, 21.9%, 29.1% and 31.0%) and harvest index (87.3%, 25.0%, 22.7% and 24.3%). All the test genotypes were sort into five discrete clusters. Biological yield/plant (23.5%), days to maturity (17.3%), harvest index (14.6%), seed yield/plant (11.3%), total number of pods/plant (7.4%) and 100 seed weight (6.49%) were found to have highest percentage contributions to genetic diversity in the present research. The first six principal components (PC1 19.7%, PC 16.2%, PC3 11.2%, PC4 9.69%, PC5 7.2% and PC6 6.69%) could explain 70.68% of the total of the interaction variation and have Eigen value more than one. Genotypes JG 2016-1411, JG 2016-9605, JG 2017-46, ICCV 16105, ICCV 16109, ICCV 16112 and ICCV 16116 were present in more than one PCs hence contributed maximum towards yield and can be used in various breeding programmes for yield improvement.

Assessment of Genetic Variability, Correlation and Path Analysis among Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Landraces Genotypes for Grain Yield Characters under Irrigated

The current study's objective was to analyze the genetic variability components, correlations, and path analysis in 24 rice genotypes for 13 quantitative aspects, including Days to 50% Flowering, Days to Maturity, Flag Leaf Length (cm), Flag Leaf Width (cm), Plant Height (cm), Number of Total Tillers, Panicle Length (cm), Number of Spikelets per Panicle, Number of Panicles per Hill, Test Weight (g), Biological Yield per Hill (g), Harvest Index (percent), &amp; Grain Yield per Hill (g) in Randomized Block Design with three replications in Kharif season of 2022 in experimentation field, Department of Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology and Sciences, Uttar Pradesh. Analysis of Variance revealed that high significant differences among the genotypes of all traits. Genotypes SHUATS DHAN-6, SHUATS DHAN-2, SHUATS DHAN-3 and MTU 1281 depicted highest Grain Yield per Plant. All the characters had expressed high estimates of heritability. Grain Yield per Hill had the highest Heritability followed by Number of Spikelets per Panicle, Number of Total Tillers, Panicle Length, Plant Height and Flag Leaf Width. According to research on GCV and PCV, these qualities are highly variable and that the environment plays a part in how they manifest. The yield and yield-attributing characteristics were shown to be positively and significantly correlated at both the genotypic and phenotypic levels, with grain yield per plant per plant. In Phenotypic and Genotypic Path Analysis, a thorough examination of diagonal values revealed a favorable direct effect on Grain Yield.

Genetic Variability, Heritability and Genetic Advance in Sweet Potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] Genotypes

Sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] is one of the important tuber crops of tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Studies on mean performances of 51 sweet potato genotypes were carried out at Vegetable Research Centre, Regional Horticultural Research and Extension Centre (RHREC), Dharwad during rabi, 2019-20 and 2020-21. The data was collected on 20 characters. High estimates of PCV, GCV, heritability and high genetic advance as per cent of mean were recorded for tuber yield per vine, the number of leaves per vine, the mean weight of tuber per vine, vine length and tuber yield per hectare.

Genetic Variability, Heritability and Genetic Advance of Newly Developed Soybean (Glycine Max) Genotypes Based on Yield and Yield-Related Traits

This study aimed to estimate important genetic parameters such as genotypic coefficient of variance (GCV), phenotypic coefficient of variance (PCV), heritability (h2) and expected genetic advance (EGA) for newly developed soybean (Glycine max) genotypes based on yield and yield-related traits. Fifteen genotypes collected from the University of Agriculture Makurdi were studied. The results showed that there was sufficient variability in the material for all the studied traits, with high heritability estimates coupled with high expected genetic advance observed for number of leaves (4, 6 and 8) weeks, plant height (4, 6 and 8) weeks, leave length (6 and 8) weeks and yield per plant.

Estimation of genetic parameters for semen traits in Egyptian buffalo bulls

This study was conducted to characterize semen traits (ejaculate volume (VOL), mass motility (MM), sperm livability (LS), percentage of abnormal sperms (AS), and sperm concentration (CONC)) of Egyptian buffalo bulls and evaluate the importance of some nongenetic factors (year (YC) and season (SC) of semen collection and age of bull genetically and environmentally at collection (ABC)) affecting the investigated traits. A total of 7761 normal semen ejaculates were collected from 26 bulls from 2009 to 2019. Single-trait and bivariate repeatability animal models using Bayesian methods were used to estimate variance components, heritability, repeatability, and genetic correlations among the investigated semen traits. YC and ABC exerted significant effects on most semen traits, whereas SC exerted no significant effect on all the investigated semen traits. Heritability estimates were 0.08, 0.52, 0.51, 0.04, and 0.49 for VOL, MM, LS, AS, and CONC, respectively. Repeatability estimates were 0.14, 0.82, 0.79, 0.06, and 0.78 for VOL, MM, LS, AS, and CONC, respectively. The genetic correlations between MM and each of LS and CONC were highly significant (0.99 ± 0.01 and 0.95 ± 0.14, respectively), and that between LS and CONC was also highly significant (0.92 ± 0.20). The high heritability estimates for MM, LS, and CONC combined with the favorable high significant genetic correlations between these traits indicated that direct selection for MM may be an effective method to enhance semen quality in Egyptian buffalo bulls and consequently improve fertility.

Potential of genomic selection for growth, meat content and colour traits in mixed-family breeding designs for the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas

Selective breeding programs have been initiated worldwide for the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas to improve economically important traits such as growth and disease resistance. The emergence of genomic tools has allowed novel perspectives for using genomic selection (GS) in mixed-family breeding designs, which are cheaper and easier to develop than classical breeding schemes. In this study, we evaluated the potential of GS for different growth-related and shell colour traits in two independent commercially selected populations (P1 and P2), based on mixed-family designs. From ≈14.5K informative SNPs genotyped with the bi-species Axiom Affymetrix 57K oyster array, ≈12.5K were mapped on the reference genome. A strong heterogeneity of marker density between and within chromosomes was reported, with a low linkage disequilibrium (below 0.1 at 0.1 Mb) between pairs of SNPs. The within-population structure was homogenous for each population, with effective sizes of 107 for P1 and 76 for P2. Heritability was estimated for each trait and population and ranged from 0.08 ± 0.04 (for mean darkness intensity in P1) to 0.56 ± 0.08 (for the mean upper valve b* value in P2) for a pedigree-based model and from 0.04 ± 0.02 (for mean darkness intensity in P1) to 0.69 ± 0.04 (for the mean darkness intensity in P2) for a genomic-based model. Growth-related traits were generally highly genetically and positively correlated with each other, but weakly correlated with colour traits. Accuracy of prediction was generally higher with the genomic model (GBLUP) than with the classical BLUP model, with a maximum gain of accuracy (from 0.38 to 0.66) for flesh weight adjusted by total weight in P2. Accuracy of breeding values was slightly higher for colour traits for P2, with higher heritability estimates. Overall, our results indicate that GS has a good potential to be implemented in mixed-family breeding programs in a shellfish such as C. gigas.

Estimation of Genetic Parameters for Weights at Different Ages in Anatolian Buffalo Calves

Background: The determination of the breeding potential and direction of the population in terms of traits of interest depends on the genetic variation. Therefore, it is essential to know the genetic parameters of economic traits to improve yields in animal breeding. The objective of this study was to investigate the heritability, genetic and phenotypic correlations among growth traits in Anatolian buffaloes of ìstanbul province. Methods: A total records of 7649 birth weights, 4623 sixth-month weights and 3133 yearling weights belonging to buffalo calves born between 2012 and 2021 were used. Genetic and phenotypic parameters were estimated from univariate and bivariate animal model using restricted maximum likelihood (REML) procedure in Wombat software. Village, year, season, sex and age of dam were considered as fixed effects and animal additive genetic effect was taken as random effect. Result: The heritability estimates for birth, sixth-month and yearling weights were 0.14±0.03; 0.22±0.05; 0.39±0.07 respectively. Genetic and phenotypic correlations among growth traits were generally significant and positive and ranged from 0.28±0.02 to 0.97±0.02. As a consequence, the moderate to high estimates of heritability, genetic and phenotypic correlations on growth traits showed that there were some opportunities for genetic improvement in buffaloes of ìstanbul. These genetic parameters should be considered in selection programs.

Study on Genetic Variability, Heritability and Genetic Advance in Spinach Beet under Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand

An investigation was carried out at the Vegetable Research and Demonstration Block, College of Horticulture, Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali, Uttarakhand University of Horticulture and Forestry, Bharsar Pauri (UK) during September, 2021 to evaluate diverse germplasm of spinach beet under temperate conditions of Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The experiment was laid out in RCBD with three replications. In this study, fifteen genotypes including one check cultivar Pusa Harit were evaluated for different horticultural traits. Eight genotypes viz., Genotype-4, Arka Anupama, All Green, Palak Haryali, Genotype-1, Genotype-10, Genotype-2 and Genotype-7 performed better yield attributing traits and recorded higher than check cultivar. These genotypes need further testing to be released as a substitute of already existing spinach beet varieties or they can be involved in further breeding program for development of superior varieties in spinach beet. Genetic analysis indicated that phenotypic coefficient of variance (PCV) was higher than genotypic coefficient of variance (GCV) in all the attributes studied. The phenotypic coefficients of variance (PCV) and the genotypic coefficients of variance (GCV) were found high in total leaves weight per plot, the least was found in dry matter content. High heritability estimates coupled with high genetic gain were found highest for the character average leaves weight per plant and lowest for dry matter content, indicated that these traits are under additive gene effects and are more reliable for effective selection.

Innovative Family-Based Genetically Informed Series of Analyses of Whole-Exome Data Supports Likely Inheritance for Grammar in Children with Specific Language Impairment.

Individuals with specific language impairment (SLI) struggle with language acquisition despite average non-verbal intelligence and otherwise typical development. One SLI account focuses on grammar acquisition delay. The current study aimed to detect novel rare genetic variants associated with performance on a grammar assessment, the Test of Early Grammatical Impairment (TEGI), in English-speaking children. The TEGI was selected due to its sensitivity and specificity, consistently high heritability estimates, and its absence from all but one molecular genetic study. We performed whole exome sequencing (WES) in eight families with SLI (n = 74 total) and follow-up Sanger sequencing in additional unrelated probands (n = 146). We prioritized rare exonic variants shared by individuals with low TEGI performance (n = 34) from at least two families under two filtering workflows: (1) novel and (2) previously reported candidate genes. Candidate variants were observed on six new genes (PDHA2, PCDHB3, FURIN, NOL6, IQGAP3, and BAHCC1), and two genes previously reported for overall language ability (GLI3 and FLNB). We specifically suggest PCDHB3, a protocadherin gene, and NOL6 are critical for ribosome synthesis, as they are important targets of SLI investigation. The proposed SLI candidate genes associated with TEGI performance emphasize the utility of precise phenotyping and family-based genetic study.

Comparative genetic analysis of frequentist and Bayesian approach for reproduction, production and life time traits showing favourable association of age at first calving in Tharparkar cattle.

The present study was aimed primarily for estimating various genetic parameters (heritability, genetic correlations) of reproduction (age at first calving [AFC], first service period [FSP]); production (first lactation milk, solid-not fat, and fat yield) and lifetime traits (lifetime milk yield, productive life [PL], herd life [HL]) in Tharparkar cattle to check the association of reproduction traits with lifetime traits through two different methods (Frequentist and Bayesian) for comparative purpose. Animal breeding data of Tharparkar cattle (n = 964) collected from Livestock farm unit of ICAR-NDRI Karnal for the period 1990 through 2019 were analyzed using a Frequentist least squares maximum likelihood method (LSML; Harvey, 1990) and a multitrait Bayesian-Gibbs sampler approach (MTGSAM) for genetic correlations estimation of all the traits. Estimated breeding values of sires was obtained by BLUP and Bayesian analysis for the production traits. Heritability estimates of most of the traits were medium to high with the LSML (0.20±0.44 to 0.49±0.71) and Bayesian approach (0.24±0.009 to 0.61±0.017), respectively. However, more reliable estimates were obtained using the Bayesian technique. A higher heritability estimate was obtained for AFC (0.61±0.017) followed by first lactation fat yield, first lactation solid-not fat yield, FSP, first lactation milk yield (FLMY), PL (0.60±0.013, 0.60±0.006, 0.57±0.024, 0.57±0.020, 0.42±0.025); while a lower estimate for HL (0.38±0.034) by MTGSAM approach. Genetic and phenotypic correlations were negative for AFC-PL, AFC-HL, FSP-PL, and FSP-HL (-0.59±0.19, -0.59±0.24, -0.38±0.101 and -0.34±0.076) by the multi-trait Bayesian analysis. Breed and traits of economic importance are important for selection decisions to ensure genetic gain in cattle breeding programs. Favourable genetic and phenotypic correlations of AFC with production and lifetime traits compared to that of FSP indicated better scope of AFC for indirect selection of life-time traits at an early age. This also indicated that the present Tharparkar cattle herd had sufficient genetic diversity through the selection of AFC for the improvement of first lactation production and lifetime traits.