Journal article
A Statistical Model for Testing the Pleiotropic Control of Phenotypic Plasticity for a Count Trait
Genetics (Austin), Vol.179(1), pp.627-636
05/01/2008
DOI: 10.1534/genetics.107.081794
PMCID: PMC2390639
PMID: 18493077
Abstract
The differences of a phenotypic trait produced by a genotype in response to changes in the environment are referred to as phenotypic plasticity. Despite its importance in the maintenance of genetic diversity via genotype-by-environment interactions, little is known about the detailed genetic architecture of this phenomenon, thus limiting our ability to predict the pattern and process of microevolutionary responses to changing environments. In this article, we develop a statistical model for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) that control the phenotypic plasticity of a complex trait through differentiated expressions of pleiotropic QTL in different environments. In particular, our model focuses on count traits that represent an important aspect of biological systems, controlled by a network of multiple genes and environmental factors. The model was derived within a multivariate mixture model framework in which QTL genotype-specific mixture components are modeled by a multivariate Poisson distribution for a count trait expressed in multiple clonal replicates. A two-stage hierarchic EM algorithm is implemented to obtain the maximum-likelihood estimates of the Poisson parameters that specify environment-specific genetic effects of a QTL and residual errors. By approximating the number of sylleptic branches on the main stems of poplar hybrids by a Poisson distribution, the new model was applied to map QTL that contribute to the phenotypic plasticity of a count trait. The statistical behavior of the model and its utilization were investigated through simulation studies that mimic the poplar example used. This model will provide insights into how genomes and environments interact to determine the phenotypes of complex count traits.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- A Statistical Model for Testing the Pleiotropic Control of Phenotypic Plasticity for a Count Trait
- Creators
- Chang-Xing Ma - University at Buffalo, State University of New YorkQibin Yu - University of FloridaArthur Berg - Michigan State UniversityDerek Drost - University of FloridaEvandro Novaes - University of FloridaGuifang Fu - University of FloridaJohn Stephen Yap - University of FloridaAixin Tan - University of FloridaMatias Kirst - University of FloridaYuehua Cui - Michigan State UniversityRongling Wu - Michigan State University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Genetics (Austin), Vol.179(1), pp.627-636
- Publisher
- Genetics Society of America
- DOI
- 10.1534/genetics.107.081794
- PMID
- 18493077
- PMCID
- PMC2390639
- ISSN
- 0016-6731
- eISSN
- 1943-2631
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/01/2008
- Academic Unit
- Statistics and Actuarial Science
- Record Identifier
- 9984257615402771
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