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New strategies accelerating progress from QTL to QTN: example of the identification of causal variants underlying three complex traits in pigs
Identification of causal variants for complex traits has been a focused objective in studies of animal genetics for decades. However, identifying such variants is a big challenge. So far, only a handful of causal variants underlying complex traits have been unambiguously characterized in domestic animals. By applying integrated genetic analyses of GWAS and eQTL mapping, network building and whole-genome resequencing, we herein identified three porcine causal variants, including a splice mutation in the PHKG1 gene causing acid meat, a duplication variant in the MSRB3 gene affecting outer ear size, and a regulatory mutation in the EDNRBgene underlying the two-end-black coat color phenotypes. These findings provide novel insights into the genetic architecture of complex traits in domestic animals.
Keywords:
QTN, Pig, Complex traits
