Quantitative & Population Genetics Flashcards
Quantitative Genetics : why it’s important
“Understanding the inheritance of complex traits is one of the most important challenges facing geneticists in the twenty-first century“
quantitative trait
A measurable phenotype governed by complex genetic and environmental conditions that shows a continuous range.
• Quantitative (complex) traits do not show simple Mendelian inheritance ratios
-Quantitative traits are described by a frequency distribution (normal) and require precise measurement
Not all polygenic traits show continuous variation
Meristic traits
Phenotypes described by whole numbers. Pea pod with 3, 4, 5, 6 peas, but not 4.5 peas
Threshold traits
For example, Type II diabetes. Two phenotypes present or absent
Statistics for Quantitative Genetics nomalcuture
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X : average value from samples measured
μ : average value entire population
Vx: variance
o: standard deviation
Calculate the mean
X=ΣX/n
Calculating the variance
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Vx=Σ(X−X)^2
(n−1)
X is individual value
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X is the population mean
n is the number of sample
Calculating the standard deviation
square root of variance
Nature vs. Nurture
- the gene and environment can influence the phenotype
- A genotype may be superior only under certain conditions
How to examine if a trait is genetically influence
- comparing pedigrees
- Twin studies
- Create different inbred strains or lines aka homozygous (many generations of brother-sister matings, or self fertilization)
- Selection, only allow individual of a trait with certain criteria to interbreed with each other
Calculate for Total Phenotypic Variance
Broad Sense Heritability (H^2)
H^2= Vg/(Vg + Ve)
• The part of the phenotypic variance that is due to genetic differences among individuals in a population.
• It is ‘broad sense’ as it encompasses several different ways that genes contribute to variation
Calculate for Total Phenotypic Variance of each inbred homozygous
- First cross the two to create a F1, record their data
- Cross the F1 together for F2, record the data
- The average of the two homozygous and F1 variance is Ve (enviromental variant)
- Vp of F2 is its phenotypic variant (Vp)
Narrow-sense heritability (h2) for additive trait
VPhenotypic = VAdditive + VDominance + VEnvironmental
h2= The proportion of total phenotypic variance due to additive genetic variance.
h2+ Vadditive/Vpopulation
• We can measure h2using
i) Correlations between parents and their offspring
ii) Measuring response to selection
Narrow-sense heritability Measuring response to selection
Selection differential (S) = deviation between the mean of the selected plants and the mean of the population Selection response (R) = deviation of the population mean, and the mean of selected offspring Breeders equation : h^2= R/S
How can we identify the genes causing quantitative phenotype
- available if the genetic marker for the gene is know
- cross breed the two homozygous together
- perform futher backcross
- identify the effect of gene toward the polygenetic trait at different marker
- Distinct distributions for genotypic classes at a marker locus signal the location of a QTL (quantitative trait locus) near the marker
Population Genetics
- All alleles of every gene in a population make up the gene pool. Only individuals that reproduce contribute to the gene pool of the next generation.
- Population geneticists study the genetic variation within the gene pool and how it changes over time.
- “Population genetics analyses the amount and distribution of genetic variation in a population and the forces that control this variation”
Use of population genetic
DNA forensics
Conservation
tracking migration and lineage
What is a population?
• A group of individuals of the same species that can interbreed
Subpopulation
- A large population is usually composed of smaller groups called subpopulations
- Subpopulations are often separated by geographic barriers
- Members of the same subpopulation are more likely to breed with year other
- Subpopulations are sometimes referred to as ‘local populations’ or demes
population dynamic
-different aspect population can can from one generation to the next
-• Size
• Geographic location (monarch butterflies)
• Genetic composition
• Population geneticists use mathematical theories that predict how the gene pool will change in response to fluctuations
method for Detecting variation
- Visible phenotypes
- Chromosomal karyotypes (change in chromosomal number )
- Immunological markers (blood type)
- Protein gel electrophoresis
- Microsatellite markers
- DNA sequencing (indel, snp)
Detecting VariationMicrosatellite DNA kakapo case
The kākāpōis a critically endangered New Zealand parrot found on a few on predator-free islands. In 1995, there were only 51 individuals.
Microsatellite DNA markers were used to compare relatedness between individuals to try and establish suitable breeding pairs.
Today there are more than 150 individuals and this conservation effort was helped with population genetics.
what is genetic diversity and how to calculate it
Gene diversity (GD) is the probability that two alleles drawn at random from the gene pool will be different Gene diversity = 1-Sum Pi^2
Nucleotide diversity
Average gene diversity across all nucleotide sites in a gene (variant & invariant)
• When comparing two copies of a gene, most nucleotide sites are identical. Therefore, nucleotide diversity is typically very low.
• Often, we find little DNA variation within a protein coding gene from a single species.
• Identical DNA sites or bases among individuals are referred to as fixed sites, or invariant sites.
Nucleotide variation at the X-linked G6PD gene in humans
A segment of G6PD was sequenced from 47 men of African or non-African descent
Allele A- : poor activity, hemolytic anemia, some protection from malaria
Allele A+ : moderate activity
Allele B : high activity
Hardy-Weinberg assumtion
- Random mating
- Infinite population size
- No selection
- No migration
- No subpopulations
- No mutation
Hardy-Weinberg law
p= f A/A +1/2 Aa = frequency of A p= f a/a +1/2 Aa = frequency of a 1= P^2 + 2pq + Q^2
Using Hardy-Weinberg law to see if the frequency matches expected
First, calculate the frequency of each alleles
Then, find out the expected frequency of each genotype and number of expected
using chi square test to find out
Chi square test
Sum (O-E)^2/E
the degree of freedom is number of genotype-number of alleles
H-W: The three allele extension
Hexp= 1 – (p2 + q2 + r2) = 2pq + 2pr + 2qr
P2+Q2+R2+PQ+PR+QR=1
Hardy-Weinberg Law in real life
• Under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, allele frequencies remain the same from one generation to the next (assumes infinite populations size)
-• However, real populations are finite and frequencies may change
• The change in allele frequencies between generations due to sampling error is random genetic drift, or drift
• Natural selection can also change allele frequencies