Markers In Linkage Disequilibrium Research Articles

Abstract A109: Novel germline genetic variants in pseudogenes associated with overall survival in advanced stage ovarian cancer treated with carboplatin, paclitaxel, and bevacizumab: Results from the ROSiA trial

Abstract A109: Novel germline genetic variants in pseudogenes associated with overall survival in advanced stage ovarian cancer treated with carboplatin, paclitaxel, and bevacizumab: Results from the ROSiA trial

Evaluation of genome-wide association signals for nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in a multiethnic Brazilian population

ObjectiveTo evaluate previous nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL±P) associated signals in 4p16.2, 8p11.23, 12q13.13, 12q13.2 and 17q21.32 in a multiethnic Brazilian cohort. DesignThe single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs34246903 in 4p16.2, rs13317 in 8p11.23 (FGFR1, fibroblast growth factor receptor 1), rs3741442 in 12q13.13, rs705704 in 12q13.2 and rs4968247 in 17q21.32 were genotyped with TaqMan allelic discrimination assays in a case-control sample including 801 NSCL±P patients [233 nonsyndromic cleft lip (NSCLO) and 568 nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (NSCLP)] and 881 healthy controls. Multiple logistic regression analyses, considering sex and genomic ancestry as covariates, were conducted, and the p value was adjusted with Bonferroni multiple correction testing (p ≤ 0.01). ResultsAlthough several associations were identified, those that resisted the multiple correction testing involved the alleles and genotypes of rs34246903 and rs13317. The NSCLO group had a lower frequency of the minor C allele of rs34246903 compared to controls, giving an odds ratio (OR) of 0.74 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.59–0.93, p = 0.01]. The rs34246903 CC genotype (homozygous) and the recessive model revealed significant protective associations with NSCLO, yielding ORs of 0.50 (95% CI: 0.29–0.85, p = 0.005) and 0.55 (95% CI: 0.33–0.93, p = 0.01) respectively. The presence of C variant allele of rs13317 (OR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.69–0.96, p = 0.01) as well the TC genotype (OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.62–0.94, p = 0.01) and the dominant model (OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.63–0.94, p = 0.009) showed significant associations with reduced risk of NSCL±P. ConclusionOur study is the first to support the association of rs34246903 (4p16.2) with NSCLO and rs13317 within FGFR1 with NSCL±P in the highly admixed Brazilian population. Further studies are needed to determine the functionality of those SNPs or to identify the causal markers in linkage disequilibrium with those susceptibility markers.

Association analysis and functional annotation of imputed sequence data within genomic regions influencing resistance to gastro-intestinal parasites detected by an LDLA approach in a nucleus flock of Sarda dairy sheep

BackgroundGastroinestinal nematodes (GIN) are one of the major health problem in grazing sheep. Although genetic variability of the resistance to GIN has been documented, traditional selection is hampered by the difficulty of recording phenotypes, usually fecal egg count (FEC). To identify causative mutations or markers in linkage disequilibrium (LD) to be used for selection, the detection of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for FEC based on linkage disequilibrium-linkage analysis (LDLA) was performed on 4097 ewes (from 181 sires) all genotyped with the OvineSNP50 Beadchip. Identified QTL regions (QTLR) were imputed from whole-genome sequences of 56 target animals of the population. An association analysis and a functional annotation of imputed polymorphisms in the identified QTLR were performed to pinpoint functional variants with potential impact on candidate genes identified from ontological classification or differentially expressed in previous studies.ResultsAfter clustering close significant locations, ten QTLR were defined on nine Ovis aries chromosomes (OAR) by LDLA. The ratio between the ANOVA estimators of the QTL variance and the total phenotypic variance ranged from 0.0087 to 0.0176. QTL on OAR4, 12, 19, and 20 were the most significant. The combination of association analysis and functional annotation of sequence data did not highlight any putative causative mutations. None of the most significant SNPs showed a functional effect on genes’ transcript. However, in the most significant QTLR, we identified genes that contained polymorphisms with a high or moderate impact, were differentially expressed in previous studies, contributed to enrich the most represented GO process (regulation of immune system process, defense response). Among these, the most likely candidate genes were: TNFRSF1B and SELE on OAR12, IL5RA on OAR19, IL17A, IL17F, TRIM26, TRIM38, TNFRSF21, LOC101118999, VEGFA, and TNF on OAR20.ConclusionsThis study performed on a large experimental population provides a list of candidate genes and polymorphisms which could be used in further validation studies. The expected advancements in the quality of the annotation of the ovine genome and the use of experimental designs based on sequence data and phenotypes from multiple breeds that show different LD extents and gametic phases may help to identify causative mutations.

Linkage and linkage disequilibrium among the markers in the forensic MPS panels.

For the past two to three decades, forensic DNA evidence has been analyzed with a limited number of short tandem repeats (STRs), and these STRs are usually assumed to be independent for statistical calculations. With the development and implementation of the MPS technologies, more autosomal markers, both single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and STRs, can be analyzed. A number of these markers are physically very close to each other, and it may not be appropriate to assume all these markers are genetically unlinked or in linkage equilibrium. In this study, publicly accessible genomic data from five representative populations were used to evaluate the genetic linkage and linkage disequilibrium (LD) between autosomal markers represented in six major commercial panels (in total, 362 markers). Among the 3041 syntenic marker pairs, 1524 pairs had sex-average genetic distances <50cM, and thus, these marker pairs can be considered as genetically linked. Among the 143 marker pairs with physical distances <1Mb, 19 LD haplotype blocks (comprising 39 SNPs in total) were detected for at least one of the tested populations. Statistical methods for interpreting linked markers and/or markers in LD were suggested for various case scenarios.

Association mapping and genomic selection for sorghum adaptation to tropical soils of Brazil in a sorghum multiparental random mating population.

A multiparental random mating population used in sorghum breeding is amenable for the detection of QTLs related to tropical soil adaptation, fine mapping of underlying genes and genomic selection approaches. Tropical soils where low phosphorus (P) and aluminum (Al) toxicity limit sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] production are widespread in the developing world. We report on BRP13R, a multiparental random mating population (MP-RMP), which is commonly used in sorghum recurrent selection targeting tropical soil adaptation. Recombination dissipated much of BRP13R's likely original population structure and average linkage disequilibrium (LD) persisted up to 2.5Mb, establishing BRP13R as a middle ground between biparental populations and sorghum association panels. Genome-wide association mapping (GWAS) identified conserved QTL from previous studies, such as for root morphology and grain yield under low-P, and indicated the importance of dominance in the genetic architecture of grain yield. By overlapping consensus QTL regions, we mapped two candidate P efficiency genes to a ~ 5Mb region on chromosomes 6 (ALMT) and 9 (PHO2). Remarkably, we find that only 200 progeny genotyped with ~ 45,000 markers in BRP13R can lead to GWAS-based positional cloning of naturally rare, subpopulation-specific alleles, such as for SbMATE-conditioned Al tolerance. Genomic selection was found to be useful in such MP-RMP, particularly if markers in LD with major genes are fitted as fixed effects into GBLUP models accommodating dominance. Shifts in allele frequencies in progeny contrasting for grain yield indicated that intermediate to minor-effect genes on P efficiency, such as SbPSTOL1 genes, can be employed in pre-breeding via allele mining in the base population. Therefore, MP-RMPs such as BRP13R emerge as multipurpose resources for efficient gene discovery and deployment for breeding sorghum cultivars adapted to tropical soils.

Potential of Genome-Wide Association Studies and Genomic Selection to Improve Productivity and Quality of Commercial Timber Species in Tropical Rainforest, a Case Study of Shorea platyclados

Shorea platyclados (Dark Red Meranti) is a commercially important timber tree species in Southeast Asia. However, its stocks have dramatically declined due, inter alia, to excessive logging, insufficient natural regeneration and a slow recovery rate. Thus, there is a need to promote enrichment planting and develop effective technique to support its rehabilitation and improve timber production through implementation of Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and Genomic Selection (GS). To assist such efforts, plant materials were collected from a half-sib progeny population in Sari Bumi Kusuma forest concession, Kalimantan, Indonesia. Using 5900 markers in sequences obtained from 356 individuals, we detected high linkage disequilibrium (LD) extending up to &gt;145 kb, suggesting that associations between phenotypic traits and markers in LD can be more easily and feasibly detected with GWAS than with analysis of quantitative trait loci (QTLs). However, the detection power of GWAS seems low, since few single nucleotide polymorphisms linked to any focal traits were detected with a stringent false discovery rate, indicating that the species’ phenotypic traits are mostly under polygenic quantitative control. Furthermore, Machine Learning provided higher prediction accuracies than Bayesian methods. We also found that stem diameter, branch diameter ratio and wood density were more predictable than height, clear bole, branch angle and wood stiffness traits. Our study suggests that GS has potential for improving the productivity and quality of S. platyclados, and our genomic heritability estimates may improve the selection of traits to target in future breeding of this species.

Rare variants in non-coding regulatory regions of the genome that affect gene expression in systemic lupus erythematosus

Personalized medicine approaches are increasingly sought for diseases with a heritable component. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the prototypic autoimmune disease resulting from loss of immunologic tolerance, but the genetic basis of SLE remains incompletely understood. Genome wide association studies (GWAS) identify regions associated with disease, based on common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within them, but these SNPs may simply be markers in linkage disequilibrium with other, causative mutations. Here we use an hierarchical screening approach for prediction and testing of true functional variants within regions identified in GWAS; this involved bioinformatic identification of putative regulatory elements within close proximity to SLE SNPs, screening those regions for potentially causative mutations by high resolution melt analysis, and functional validation using reporter assays. Using this approach, we screened 15 SLE associated loci in 143 SLE patients, identifying 7 new variants including 5 SNPs and 2 insertions. Reporter assays revealed that the 5 SNPs were functional, altering enhancer activity. One novel variant was linked to the relatively well characterized rs9888739 SNP at the ITGAM locus, and may explain some of the SLE heritability at this site. Our study demonstrates that non-coding regulatory elements can contain private sequence variants affecting gene expression, which may explain part of the heritability of SLE.

Generating High Density, Low Cost Genotype Data in Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.

Obtaining genome-wide genotype information for millions of SNPs in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] often involves completely resequencing a line at 5X or greater coverage. Currently, hundreds of soybean lines have been resequenced at high depth levels with their data deposited in the NCBI Short Read Archive. This publicly available dataset may be leveraged as an imputation reference panel in combination with skim (low coverage) sequencing of new soybean genotypes to economically obtain high-density SNP information. Ninety-nine soybean lines resequenced at an average of 17.1X were used to generate a reference panel, with over 10 million SNPs called using GATK’s Haplotype Caller tool. Whole genome resequencing at approximately 1X depth was performed on 114 previously ungenotyped experimental soybean lines. Coverages down to 0.1X were analyzed by randomly subsetting raw reads from the original 1X sequence data. SNPs discovered in the reference panel were genotyped in the experimental lines after aligning to the soybean reference genome, and missing markers imputed using Beagle 4.1. Sequencing depth of the experimental lines could be reduced to 0.3X while still retaining an accuracy of 97.8%. Accuracy was inversely related to minor allele frequency, and highly correlated with marker linkage disequilibrium. The high accuracy of skim sequencing combined with imputation provides a low cost method for obtaining dense genotypic information that can be used for various genomics applications in soybean.

PB2402 BETA‐GLOBIN GENE CLUSTER HAPLOTYPES ASSOCIATED WITH HBF VARIATION IN β‐THALASSEMIA CARRIERS OF PORTUGUESE ORIGIN

Background:Genetic association studies showed that HbF levels variation in haemoglobinopathies, such as sickle cell disease and β‐thalassemia (β‐thal), are under the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in several genomic loci. The first described polymorphism influencing gamma globin gene expression was XmnI in HBG2 promoter −158C &gt; T (rs7482144). Several reports showed that β‐thal carriers with HbF raised levels have a significantly higher rs7482144 minor allele frequency than patients with low HbF levels. The functional significance of HBG2‐XmnI mutation has never been clearly defined and it is possible that it reflects a marker in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with other functional polymorphism elsewhere in the β‐globin gene cluster. It has been suggested that the role assigned to XmnI could be played by the rs16912979 A &gt; G polymorphism in the palindromic region of 5′HS4 β‐globin locus control region (Neishabury et al., Blood Cells Mol Dis. 2012;48:1‐5).Aims:The main goal of this work was to define haplotype backgrounds in β‐globin gene cluster that could explain HbF variation in a population sample of β‐thal carriers.Methods:We studied 79 Portuguese β‐thal carriers (39 males, 40 females), aged between 2 to 70 years old, with HbF levels ranging from 0.2% to 5.1%. HbA2 levels were 3.4 to 5.8% (mean 4.71). Six different HBB mutations were identified at heterozygous state, the two most commons were c.92+6T &gt; C [IVSI‐6 (T &gt; C)] (n = 30) and c.118C &gt; T [CD39 CAG &gt; TAG)] (n = 23). The remaining mutations were c.48G &gt; A [CD15 TGG &gt; TGA] (n = 11), c.92 + 1G &gt; A [IVS‐I‐1 (G &gt; A)] (n = 10), c.93‐21G &gt; A [IVSI‐110 G &gt; A] (n = 3) and c.20delA [CD 6 ‐A] (n = 2). HbA2 and HbF levels were determined by HPLC. The two SNPs rs16912979 and rs7482144 were genotyped by PCR‐RFLP and the HBB gene mutations were identified by Sanger sequencing. Associations of SNPs with HbF levels were assessed by linear regression models using PLINK. Informed consent was provided by all the participants.Results:The two SNPs HBG2‐XmnI rs7482144 and 5′HS4 rs16912979 were in moderate LD (r2 = 0.65): from a total of 41 rs16912979 G alleles, 73.2% were linked to an rs7482144 T‐allele. Linear regression, in the additive model, showed significant association between the XmnI rs7482144 minor T‐allele and increased levels of HbF (β = 0.648; P = 0.0004). A marginal association was found between the 5’HS4 rs16912979 minor G‐allele and HbF (β = 0.648; P = 0.039), however, no significant association was found after conditioning on XmnI rs7482144 (P = 0.192). The common mutation HBB: c.118C &gt; T [CD39] was found strongly associated with increased levels of HbF (β = 0.948; P = 6.4e‐5), remaining significant after conditional analysis on XmnI rs7482144 (P = 0.0002). Haplotypes combining the HbF‐associated alleles on SNPs rs16912979 and rs7482144 (haplotype GT) showed a significant association with raised levels of HbF (P = 0.0008), explaining 13.7% of HbF levels variation. Combining rs16912979, rs7482144 and mutation HBB: c.118T, three haplotypes were found significantly associated with HbF: GTT (β = 1.346; P = 0.00089), ACT (β = 0.784; P = 0.017) and GTC (β = 0.492; P = 0.032), explaining 13.4%, 7.2% and 5.9% of HbF levels variance, respectively.Summary/Conclusion:Our data suggest that in Portuguese β‐thal carriers the HBG2‐XmnI polymorphism and HBB: c.118C &gt; T [CD39] mutation are associated with HbF levels, showing independent effects. The marginally significant effect on HbF levels variation of SNP 5’HS4 rs16912979 appear to be mediated by the effect of XmnI polymorphism.

Signatures of selection in Charolais beef cattle identified by genome-wide analysis.

Charolais cattle are one of the most important breeds for meat production worldwide; in México, its selection is mainly made by live weight traits. One strategy for mapping important genomic regions that might influence productive traits is the identification of signatures of selection. This type of genomic features contains loci with extended linkage disequilibrium (LD) and homozygosity patterns that are commonly associated with sites of quantitative trait locus (QTL). Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the signatures of selection in Charolais cattle genotyped with the GeneSeek Genomic Profiler Bovine HD panel consisting of 77K single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). A total 61,311 SNPs and 819 samples were used for the analysis. Identification of signatures of selection was carried out using the integrated haplotype score (iHS) methodology implemented in the rehh R package. The top ten SNPs with the highest piHS values were located on BTA 4, 5, 6 and 14. By identifying markers in LD with top ten SNPs, the candidate regions defined were mapped to 52.8-59.3Mb on BTA 4; 67.5-69.3 on BTA 5; 39.5-41.0Mb on BTA 6; and 26.4-29.6Mb on BTA 14. The comparison of these candidate regions with the bovine QTLdb effectively confirmed the association (p<0.05) with QTL related to growth traits and other important productive traits. The genomic regions identified in this study indicated selection for growth traits on the Charolais population via the conservation of haplotypes on various chromosomes. These genomic regions and their associated genes could serve as the basis for haplotype association studies and for the identification of causal genes related to growth traits.

Genetic architecture of photosynthesis in Sorghum bicolor under non-stress and cold stress conditions.

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a C4 species sensitive to the cold spring conditions that occur at northern latitudes, especially when coupled with excessive light, and that greatly affect the photosynthetic rate. The objective of this study was to discover genes/genomic regions that control the capacity to cope with excessive energy under low temperature conditions during the vegetative growth period. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted for seven photosynthetic gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence traits under three consecutive temperature treatments: control (28 °C/24 °C), cold (15 °C/15 °C), and recovery (28 °C/24 °C). Cold stress significantly reduced the rate of photosynthetic CO2 uptake of sorghum plants, and a total of 143 unique genomic regions were discovered associated with at least one trait in a particular treatment or with derived variables. Ten regions on chromosomes 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 that harbor multiple significant markers in linkage disequilibrium (LD) were consistently identified in gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence traits. Several candidate genes within those intervals have predicted functions related to carotenoids, phytohormones, thioredoxin, components of PSI, and antioxidants. These regions represent the most promising results for future validation and with potential application for the improvement of crop productivity under cold stress.

The TCN2 variant of rs9606756 [Ile23Val] acts as risk loci for obesity-related traits and mediates by interacting with Apo-A1.

Despite alarming obesity levels in the Arabian Peninsula, its population lacks convincingly identified genetic determinants of obesity. A genome-wide association study was performed for obesity-related anthropometric traits in Arabs and to decipher mechanisms by which the variants mediate traits. The Illumina HumanOmniExpress BeadChip was used to genotype 1,353 Arab individuals (largely with Class I obesity) from Kuwait. Genome-wide association tests for obesity-related anthropometric traits were performed. Top associations were tested for replication in an independent cohort (1,176 unrelated Arabs). Resultant variants were investigated for interactions with obesity-related plasma biomarkers. Pathway analysis was performed on genes harboring markers in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with identified variants. The rs9606756[c.67A>G,p.Ile23Val] variant from TCN2 was associated with waist circumference (WC) at nearly genome-wide significance (P = 8.92E-08). WC was inversely related with Apo-A1 or high-density lipoprotein levels; individuals with the AG genotype exhibited stronger relationship than those with the reference AA genotype. Interaction involving the AG genotype (effect allele = G) significantly contributed to an increase in anthropometric traits (particularly WC). Genes harboring single-nucleotide polymorphisms in LD with rs9606756 mapped onto an interaction network (with TP53 as central element) of established obesity/diabetes-related protein components. The TCN2 variant acts as a risk factor for WC in the Arab population. The variant mediates obesity-related anthropometric traits via interactions with Apo-A1/high-density lipoprotein or TP53.

Genetic divergence in two tropical maize composites after four cycles of reciprocal recurrent selection

AbstractTwo tropical maize composites were subjected to four cycles of reciprocal recurrent selection to develop divergent inbred lines with good combining ability. This study was conducted to examine the extent of genetic diversity, changes in allele composition and genetic structure, of 100 randomly selected S1 lines each from the original (C0) and advanced (C4) selection cycles of TZL COMP3 and TZL COMP4, genotyped using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Results revealed that the proportion of alleles at both low and high frequencies decreased from C0 to C4, whereas those at intermediate frequencies increased at C4 in the two composites. More unique and other alleles were lost at C4 in TZL COMP3 relative to those in TZL COMP4. The changes in different measures of genetic diversity were either small or negligible with selection in the two composites. The proportion of markers departing from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) decreased with selection, whereas the total number of pairs of markers in linkage disequilibrium increased with selection in the two composites. Examination of changes in population structures using a model‐based approach as well as cluster and multivariate analyses found a high degree of concordance in stratifying the 400 S1 lines into four non‐overlapping groups corresponding to the two selection cycles each within the reciprocal composites. The observed molecular‐based divergence between cycles within the same composite and the clear differentiation between the complementary composites highlight the importance of reciprocal recurrent selection for preserving genetic diversity for long‐term selection. This increases the potential of the advanced selection cycles to sustain genetic gain in productivity of hybrids adapted to the savannas in West and Central Africa.

Genetic Association Studies Identify Unanticipated Gene Pathways Influencing Sepsis Outcome

Sepsis triggers multiple parallel inflammatory signaling pathways. Of these pathways, which ones contribute most substantially to adverse outcomes and, therefore, are relevant targets for new therapies? > 100 clinical trials of mediator modulators in sepsis patients have failed (Marshall, 2014) suggesting that we need new information to direct our search. In other disease states a genome-wide association study design is an unbiased approach that has identified genes in key pathways (Altshuler et al., 2008). For example, PCSK9 was discovered using genetic association analysis of patients who had LDL levels measured (Abifadel et al., 2003). This has led to the introduction of PCSK9 inhibitors as a treatment for hypercholesterolemia where other treatments have failed. Can a similar genetic association strategy work in the complex milieu of sepsis?

Revealing misassembled segments in the bovine reference genome by high resolution linkage disequilibrium scan.

BackgroundMisassembly signatures, created by shuffling the order of sequences while assembling a genome, can be detected by the unexpected behavior of marker linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay. We developed a heuristic process to identify misassembly signatures, applied it to the bovine reference genome assembly (UMDv3.1) and presented the consequences of misassemblies in two case studies.ResultsWe identified 2,906 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers presenting unexpected LD decay behavior in 626 putative misassembled contigs, which comprised less than 1 % of the whole genome. Although this represents a small fraction of the reference sequence, these poorly assembled segments can lead to severe implications to local genome context. For instance, we showed that one of the misassembled regions mapped to the POLL locus, which affected the annotation of positional candidate genes in a GWAS case study for polledness in Nellore (Bos indicus beef cattle). Additionally, we found that poorly performing markers in imputation mapped to putative misassembled regions, and that correction of marker positions based on LD was capable to recover imputation accuracy.ConclusionsThis heuristic approach can be useful to cross validate reference assemblies and to filter out markers located at low confidence genomic regions before conducting downstream analyses.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3049-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Application of the Molecular Marker in Linkage Disequilibrium with Ms, a Restorer-of-fertility Locus, for Improvement of Onion Breeding Efficiency

To analyze the linkage relationships among molecular markers recently reported to be linked to onion (Allium cepa L.) Ms, a restorer-of-fertility locus, in onion (Allium cepa L.), three single nucleotide polymorphism markers were converted into cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers based on onion transcriptome sequences and the rice genome database. Analysis of the recombinants selected from 4,273 segregating plants using CAPS and other linked markers demonstrated the jnurf13 and jnurf610 markers to perfectly co-segregate with the Ms locus. In contrast to jnurf13, the jnurf610 marker was not in perfect linkage disequilibrium with the Ms locus in diverse breeding lines. Thus, the jnurf13 marker and the marker for identification of cytoplasm types were utilized to enhance the efficiency of onion breeding through four applications. First, 89 maintainer lines containing the normal cytoplasm and homozygous recessive Ms genotypes were successfully identified from 100 breeding lines. Second, these two molecular markers were used to analyze the main sources of male-fertile contaminants frequently found in the male-sterile parental lines during F1 hybrid seed production. The majority of the contaminants contained heterozygous Ms genotypes, indicating that pollen grains harboring the dominant Ms genotype may have been introduced during propagation of the maintainer lines. Therefore, the genetic purity of the two maintainer lines was analyzed in the third application, and the results showed that both maintainer lines contained 13-21% off-types. Finally, the two markers were used to increase the seed yield potentials of two open-pollinated varieties containing sterile cytoplasms by removing the plants harboring homozygous recessive and heterozygous Ms genotypes.

HaploPOP: a software that improves population assignment by combining markers into haplotypes.

BackgroundIn ecology and forensics, some population assignment techniques use molecular markers to assign individuals to known groups. However, assigning individuals to known populations can be difficult if the level of genetic differentiation among populations is small. Most assignment studies handle independent markers, often by pruning markers in Linkage Disequilibrium (LD), ignoring the information contained in the correlation among markers due to LD.ResultsTo improve the accuracy of population assignment, we present an algorithm, implemented in the HaploPOP software, that combines markers into haplotypes, without requiring independence. The algorithm is based on the Gain of Informativeness for Assignment that provides a measure to decide if a pair of markers should be combined into haplotypes, or not, in order to improve assignment. Because complete exploration of all possible solutions for constructing haplotypes is computationally prohibitive, our approach uses a greedy algorithm based on windows of fixed sizes. We evaluate the performance of HaploPOP to assign individuals to populations using a split-validation approach. We investigate both simulated SNPs data and dense genotype data from individuals from Spain and Portugal.ConclusionsOur results show that constructing haplotypes with HaploPOP can substantially reduce assignment error. The HaploPOP software is freely available as a command-line software at www.ieg.uu.se/Jakobsson/software/HaploPOP/.

Ten modifiers of BRCA1 penetrance validated in a Norwegian series.

BackgroundCommon genetic variants have been shown to modify BRCA1 penetrance. The aim of this study was to validate these reports in a special cohort of Norwegian BRCA1 mutation carriers that were selected for their extreme age of onset of disease.MethodsThe ten variants rs13387042, rs3803662, rs8170, rs9397435, rs700518, rs10046, rs3834129, rs1045485, rs2363956 and rs16942 were selected to be tested on samples from our biobank. We selected female BRCA1 mutation carriers having had a diagnosis of breast or ovarian cancer below 40 years of age (young cancer group, N = 40), and mutation carriers having had neither breast nor ovarian cancer above 60 years of age (i.e., old no cancer group, N = 38). Relative risks and odd ratios of belonging to the young cancer versus old no cancer groups were calculated as a function of having or not having the SNPs in question.ResultsFive of the ten variants were found to be significantly associated with early onset cancer. Some of the variation between our results and those previously reported may be ascribed to stochastic effects in our limited number of patient studies, and/or genetic drift in linkage disequilibrium in the genetically isolated Norwegian population. This is in accordance with the understanding that the SNPs are markers in linkage disequilibrium with their respective disease-causing genetic variants, and that this may vary between different populations.ConclusionsThe results confirmed associations previously reported, with the notion that the degree of association may differ between other populations, which must be considered when discussing the clinical use of the associations described.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13053-015-0035-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Genetic mapping of a new race specific resistance allele effective to Puccinia hordei at the Rph9/Rph12 locus on chromosome 5HL in barley.

BackgroundBarley is an important cereal crop cultivated for malt and ruminant feed and in certain regions it is used for human consumption. It is vulnerable to numerous foliar diseases including barley leaf rust caused by the pathogen Puccinia hordei.ResultsA temporarily designated resistance locus RphCantala (RphC) identified in the Australian Hordeum vulgare L. cultivar ‘Cantala’ displayed an intermediate to low infection type (“;12 = N”) against the P. hordei pathotype 253P- (virulent on Rph1, Rph2, Rph4, Rph6, Rph8 and RphQ). Phenotypic assessment of a ‘CI 9214’ (susceptible) x ‘Stirling’ (RphC) (CI 9214/Stirling) doubled haploid (DH) population at the seedling stage using P. hordei pathotype 253P-, confirmed that RphC was monogenically inherited. Marker-trait association analysis of RphC in the CI 9214/Stirling DH population using 4,500 DArT-seq markers identified a highly significant (−log10Pvalue > 17) single peak on the long arm of chromosome 5H (5HL). Further tests of allelism determined that RphC was genetically independent of Rph3, Rph7, Rph11, Rph13 and Rph14, and was an allele of Rph12 (Rph9.z), which also maps to 5HL.ConclusionMultipathotype tests and subsequent pedigree analysis determined that 14 related Australian barley varieties (including ‘Stirling’ and ‘Cantala’) carry RphC and that the likely source of this resistance is via a Czechoslovakian landrace LV-Kvasice-NA-Morave transferred through common ancestral cultivars ‘Hanna’ and ‘Abed Binder’. RphC is an allele of Rph12 (Rph9.z) and is therefore designated Rph9.am. Bioinformatic analysis using sequence arrays from DArT-seq markers in linkage disequilibrium with Rph9.am identified possible candidates for further gene cloning efforts and marker development at the Rph9/Rph12/Rph9.am locus.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12870-014-0382-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The correlation between ancestry and color in two cities of Northeast Brazil with contrasting ethnic compositions

The degree of admixture in Brazil between historically isolated populations is complex and geographically variable. Studies differ as to what the genetic and phenotypic consequences of this mixing have been. In Northeastern Brazil, we enrolled 522 residents of Salvador and 620 of Fortaleza whose distributions of self-declared color were comparable to those in the national census. Using the program Structure and principal components analysis there was a clear correlation between biogeographic ancestry and categories of skin color. This correlation with African ancestry was stronger in Salvador (r=0.585; P<0.001) than in Fortaleza (r=0.236; P<0.001). In Fortaleza, although self-declared blacks had a greater proportion of European ancestry, they had more African ancestry than the other categories. When the populations were analyzed without pseudoancestors, as in some studies, the relationship of 'race' to genetic ancestry tended to diffuse or disappear. The inclusion of different African populations also influenced ancestry estimates. The percentage of unlinked ancestry informative markers in linkage disequilibrium, a measure of population structure, was 3-5 times higher in both Brazilian populations than expected by chance. We propose that certain methods, ascertainment bias and population history of the specific populations surveyed can result in failure to demonstrate a correlation between skin color and genetic ancestry. Population structure in Brazil has important implications for genetic studies, but genetic ancestry is irrelevant for how individuals are treated in society, their health, their income or their inclusion. These track more closely with perceived skin color than genetic ancestry.