Genotype-environment interaction at quantitative trait loci affecting sensory bristle number in Drosophila melanogaster

• Published in: Genetics (Austin) Vol. 149; no. 4; pp. 1883 - 1898
• Main Authors: Gurganus, M.C. (Max Planck Institute of Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.), Fry, J.D, Nuzhdin, S.V, Pasyukova, E.G, Lyman, R.F, Mackay, T.F.C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Genetics Soc America 01.08.1998; Genetics Society of America
• Subjects: ABDOMINAL BRISTLE NUMBER; AIR TEMPERATURE; Animals; BRISTLES; CARTE GENETIQUE; CERDA (PELO); Chromosome Mapping; CORRELACION GENETICA; CORRELATION GENETIQUE; DOMINANT GENES; DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER; Drosophila melanogaster - anatomy & histology; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Environment; ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE; Female; FEMALES; FEMELLE; FENOTIPOS; GENE DOMINANT; GENES DOMINANTES; Genes, Dominant; Genes, Insect; GENETIC CORRELATION; GENETIC MAPPING; GENETIC MAPS; GENETIC MARKERS; GENETIC PARAMETERS; GENETIC VARIANCE; GENETIC VARIATION; Genetics; Genotype; GENOTYPE ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION; HEMBRA; HETEROGENEITY; HOMOCIGOTOS; HOMOZYGOSITY; HOMOZYGOTE; HOMOZYGOTES; INBRED LINES; Insects; INTERACCION GENOTIPO AMBIENTE; INTERACTION GENOTYPE ENVIRONNEMENT; LIGNEE CONSANGUINE; LINEAS CONSANGUINEAS; LOCI; LOCUS; MACHO; MALE; MALES; MAPAS GENETICOS; MARCADORES GENETICOS; MARQUEUR GENETIQUE; Mutation; ORGANE DES SENS; ORGANOS SENSORIALES; OVERDOMINANCE; PARAMETRE GENETIQUE; PARAMETROS GENETICOS; PHENOTYPE; PHENOTYPES; Quantitative Trait, Heritable; RECOMBINANT INBRED LINES; SENSE ORGANS; Sense Organs - anatomy & histology; SOIES; STERNOPLEURAL BRISTLE NUMBER; TEMPERATURA AMBIENTAL; TEMPERATURA DEL AIRE; Temperature; TEMPERATURE AMBIANTE; TEMPERATURE DE L'AIR; VARIACION GENETICA; VARIANCE COMPONENT GENETIC CORRELATION; VARIATION GENETIQUE
• ISSN: 0016-6731; 1943-2631; 1943-2631
• DOI: 10.1093/genetics/149.4.1883

The magnitude of segregating variation for bristle number in Drosophila melanogaster exceeds that predicted from models of mutation-selection balance. To evaluate the hypothesis that genotype-environment interaction (GEI) maintains variation for bristle number in nature, we quantified the extent of GEI for abdominal and sternopleural bristles among 98 recombinant inbred lines, derived from two homozygous laboratory strains, in three temperature environments. There was considerable GEI for both bristle traits, which was mainly attributable to changes in rank order of line means. We conducted a genome-wide screen for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting bristle number in each sex and temperature environment, using a dense (3.2-cM) marker map of polymorphic insertion sites of roo transposable elements. Nine sternopleural and 11 abdominal bristle number QTLs were detected. Significant GEI was exhibited by 14 QTLs, but there was heterogeneity among QTLs in their sensitivity to thermal and sexual environments. To further evaluate the hypothesis that GEI maintains variation for bristle number, we require estimates of allelic effects across environments at genetic loci affecting the traits. This level of resolution may be achievable for Drosophila bristle number because candidate loci affecting bristle development often map to the same location as bristle number QTLs.