Inbreeding and genetic load in a pair of sibling grouse species:Tetrastes sewersowi and T.bonasia

Genetic load and inbreeding are recognized as important factors to be considered in conservation programs.Elevated levels of both can increase the risk of population extinction by negatively impacting fitness-related characters in many species of plants and animals,including humans(inbreeding depression).Genomic tech-niques are increasingly used in measuring and understanding genetic load and inbreeding and their importance in evolution and conservation.We used whole genome resequencing data from two sibling grouse species in subarctic Eurasia to quantify both.We found a large range of inbreeding measured as FROH(fraction of runs of homozygosity)in individuals from different populations of Chinese Grouse(Tetrastes sewerzowi)and Hazel Grouse(T.bonasia).FROH estimated from genome-wide runs of homozygosity(ROH)ranged from 0.02 to 0.24 among Chinese Grouse populations and from 0.01 to 0.44 in Hazel Grouse.Individuals from a population of Chinese Grouse residing in the Qilian mountains and from the European populations of Hazel Grouse(including samples from Sweden,Germany and Northeast Poland)were the most inbred(FROH ranged from 0.10 to 0.23 and 0.11 to 0.44,respectively).These levels are comparable to other highly inbred populations of birds.Hazel Grouse from northern China and Chinese Grouse residing in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau showed relatively lower inbreeding levels.Comparisons of the ratio between deleterious missense mutations and synonymous mutations revealed higher levels in Chinese Grouse as compared to Hazel Grouse.These results are possibly explained by higher fixation rates,mutational melt down,in the range-restricted Chinese Grouse compared to the wide-ranging Hazel Grouse.However,when we compared the relatively more severe class of loss-of-function muta-tions,Hazel Grouse had slightly higher levels than Chinese Grouse,a result which may indicate that purifying selection(purging)has been more efficient in Chinese Grouse on this class of mutations.

The Influence of Inbreeding Depression and Hybrid Superiority on Wood Property and Tree Growth of Eucalypt

With F1 of self pollinated Eucalyptus urophylla, F1 of inter tree pollinated E.urophylla, F1of open pollinated E.urophylla and F1 of E.urophylla×grandis as materials,inbreeding depression and hybrid superiority in growth and wood traits are analyzed and discussed.The results are as follows.①There was a regularity for E.urophylla that F1 of self pollinated was subjected to more intense depression than F1 of open pollinated,and growth traits showed more signifcant depression than wood traits.②As to F1 of self pollinated E.urophylla, height,DBH and volume showed significant or extremely significant depression,while water content of green wood,wood density and bark thickness showed no significant depression.③As to F1 of open pollinated E.urophylla, height,DBH and volume showed depression to a certain degree,but not significant;Here again,water content of green wood,wood density and bark thickness showed no significant depression.④F1 of E.urophylla×grandis showed significant hybrid superiority in height,DBH and volume,but the hybrid superiority percentage of different cross pairs varied greatly;It showed no hybrid superiority in water content of green wood,wood density and fiber length;Its bark thickness and content of 1% NaOH extractives decreased evidently.

Fine‑tuning genomic and pedigree inbreeding rates in equine population with a deep and reliable stud book:the case of the Pura Raza Española horse

Background:Estimating inbreeding,which is omnipresent and inevitable in livestock populations,is a primary goal for management and animal breeding especially for those interested in mitigating the negative consequences of inbreeding.Inbreeding coefficients have been historically estimated by using pedigree information;however,over the last decade,genome-base inbreeding coefficients have come to the forefront in this field.The Pura Raza Espanola(PRE)horse is an autochthonous Spanish horse breed which has been recognised since 1912.The total PRE population(344,718 horses)was used to estimate Classical(F),Ballou’s ancestral,Kalinowski’s ancestral,Kalinowski’s new and the ancestral history coefficient values.In addition,genotypic data from a selected population of 805 PRE individuals was used to determine the individual inbreeding coefficient using SNP-by-SNP-based techniques(methods of moments-FHOM-,the diagonal elements of the genomic-FG-,and hybrid matrixes-FH-)and ROH measures(FRZ).The analyse of both pedigree and genomic based inbreeding coefficients in a large and robust population such as the PRE horse,with proven parenteral information for the last 40 years and a high degree of completeness(over 90%for the last 70 years)will allow us to understand PRE genetic variability better and the correlations between the estimations will give the data greater reliability.Results:The mean values of the pedigree-based inbreeding coefficients ranged from 0.01(F for the last 3 generations-F3-)to 0.44(ancestral history coefficient)and the mean values of genomic-based inbreeding coefficients varied from 0.05(FRZ for three generations,FH and FHOM)to 0.11(FRZ for nine generations).Significant correlations were also found between pedigree and genomic inbreeding values,which ranged between 0.58(F3 with FHOM)and 0.79(F with FRZ).In addition,the correlations between FRZ estimated for the last 20 generations and the pedigree-based inbreeding highlight the fact that fewer generations of genomic data are required when comparing total inbreeding values,and the opposite when ancient values are calculated.Conclusions:Ultimately,our results show that it is still useful to work with a deep and reliable pedigree in pedigreebased genetic studies with very large effective population sizes.Obtaining a satisfactory parameter will always be desirable,but the approximation obtained with a robust pedigree will allow us to work more efficiently and economically than with massive genotyping.

Inbreeding and Inbreeding Depression in a Deciduous Shrub, Magnolia salicifolia, in the Understory of a Japanese Beech Forest

Authors conducted pollination experiments and genetic analyses using microsatellite loci for a natural population of a shrub species,Magnolia salicifolia,in a secondary Japanese beech forest in Hakkoda mountains,northern Japan,to analyze inbreeding and inbreeding depression that involve sexual reproduction and population genetic structure of the species.The pollination experiments revealed that self-fertilization through geitonogamy is possible and that the magnitude of inbreeding depression(δ)at the embryonic stage is substantial(δ=0.42),suggesting that the inbreeding depression due to self-fertilization decreases seed production of the natural population.The genetic analyses showed discrepancy in the level of inbreeding between life history stages:the inbreeding coefficient for the juvenile and adult stage was 0.17 and 0.01,respectively,implying that most of inbred progenies cannot grow to the adult stage in the population,since the cumulative inbreeding depression is severe.These results are consistent with the hypothesis that explains mechanisms causing stable maintenance of severe inbreeding depression in partially inbred populations by focusing on the selective interference among deleterious mutations.It is suggested that some reproductive traits facilitating outcrossing in the species would be attributed to the severe cumulative inbreeding depression.

Estimation of inbreeding and identification of regions under heavy selection based on runs of homozygosity in a Large White pig population

Background: Runs of homozygosity(ROHs) are homozygous segments of the genome where the two haplotypes inherited from the parents are identical. The current availability of genotypes for a very large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) is leading to more accurate characterization of ROHs in the whole genome. Here,we investigated the occurrence and distribution of ROHs in 3,692 Large White pigs and compared estimates of inbreeding coefficients calculated based on ROHs(FROH), homozygosity(FHOM), genomic relationship matrix(FGRM)and pedigree(FPED). Furthermore, we identified genomic regions with high ROH frequencies and annotated their candidate genes.Results: In total, 176,182 ROHs were identified from 3,569 animals, and all individuals displayed at least one ROH longer than 1 Mb. The ROHs identified were unevenly distributed on the autosomes. The highest and lowest coverages of Sus scrofa chromosomes(SSC) by ROH were on SSC14 and SSC13, respectively. The highest pairwise correlation among the different inbreeding coefficient estimates was 0.95 between FROH_totaland FHOM, while the lowest was-0.083 between FGRMand FPED. The correlations between FPEDand FROHusing four classes of ROH lengths ranged from 0.18 to 0.37 and increased with increasing ROH length, except for ROH > 10 Mb. Twelve ROH islands were located on four chromosomes(SSC1, 4, 6 and 14). These ROH islands harboured genes associated with reproduction, muscular development, fat deposition and adaptation, such as SIRT1, MYPN, SETDB1 and PSMD4.Conclusion: FROHcan be used to accurately assess individual inbreeding levels compared to other inbreeding coefficient estimators. In the absence of pedigree records, FROHcan provide an alternative to inbreeding estimates.Our findings can be used not only to effectively increase the response to selection by appropriately managing the rate of inbreeding and minimizing the negative effects of inbreeding depression but also to help detect genomic regions with an effect on traits under selection.

Genetic gain and inbreeding from simulation of different genomic mating schemes for pig improvement

Background Genomic selection involves choosing as parents those elite individuals with the higher genomic estimated breeding values(GEBV)to accelerate the speed of genetic improvement in domestic animals.But after multi-generation selection,the rate of inbreeding and the occurrence of homozygous harmful alleles might increase,which would reduce performance and genetic diversity.To mitigate the above problems,we can utilize genomic mating(GM)based upon optimal mate allocation to construct the best genotypic combinations in the next generation.In this study,we used stochastic simulation to investigate the impact of various factors on the efficiencies of GM to optimize pairing combinations after genomic selection of candidates in a pig population.These factors included:the algorithm used to derive inbreeding coefficients;the trait heritability(0.1,0.3 or 0.5);the kind of GM scheme(focused average GEBV or inbreeding);the approach for computing the genomic relationship matrix(by SNP or runs of homozygosity(ROH)).The outcomes were compared to three traditional mating schemes(random,positive assortative or negative assortative matings).In addition,the performance of the GM approach was tested on real datasets obtained from a Large White pig breeding population.Results Genomic mating outperforms other approaches in limiting the inbreeding accumulation for the same expected genetic gain.The use of ROH-based genealogical relatedness in GM achieved faster genetic gains than using relatedness based on individual SNPs.The GROH-based GM schemes with the maximum genetic gain resulted in 0.9%-2.6%higher rates of genetic gainΔG,and 13%-83.3%lowerΔF than positive assortative mating regardless of heritability.The rates of inbreeding were always the fastest with positive assortative mating.Results from a purebred Large White pig population,confirmed that GM with ROH-based GRM was more efficient than traditional mating schemes.Conclusion Compared with traditional mating schemes,genomic mating can not only achieve sustainable genetic progress but also effectively control the rates of inbreeding accumulation in the population.Our findings demonstrated that breeders should consider using genomic mating for genetic improvement of pigs.

Inbreeding Depression on Growth and Survival of Full-Sib Family of Manila Clam(Ruditapes philippinarum)

In present study, the inbreeding depression(ID) of growth and survival of Manila clam(Ruditapes philippinarum) was investigated at larval and juvenile stages. Nine inbred families(A_2, B_2, C_2, D_2, E_2, F_2, G_2, H_2 and I_2) were established by mating within nine full-sib families with expected inbreeding coefficient of 0.25. Inbred families showed significant differences in shell length and hatching rate of D-larvae(straight-hinged larvae). The larvae of the nine inbred families grew slower than those of control group(CG), and their ID value ranged from 0.81% ± 6.09% to 16.10% ± 1.49%. The ID value of larval survival rate varied between 27.47% ± 9.36% and 70.50% ± 13.66%. The ID was also detected for juvenile growth in A_2, B_2, C_2, and D_2, which ranged from 4.60 ± 2.21 to 17.71 ± 7.73. The A_2 family maintained the highest juvenile survival rate, whereas the other inbred families exhibited ID values varying between 62.79% ± 4.54% and 96.14% ± 0.87%. The linear relationship of estimated ID between growth and survival was negatively correlated(R =-0.434, P < 0.05). The results of this study suggested that the ID of growth was common at the larval stage but was less prevalent at juvenile stage. In contrast, the ID of survival increased from larval to juvenile stage. A better understanding of the effect of inbreeding may aid to selective breeding of Manila clam.

Elevation-related variation in the population characteristics of distylous Primula nivalis affects female fitness and inbreeding depression

The population characteristics of distylous species are highly sensitive to stochastic natural selection pressure.Therefore,populations growing under different environmental conditions may vary in floral morph ratios,potentially affecting female fitness and leading to inbreeding depression.However,the variation in offspring quality among populations as a result of inbreeding depression is poorly understood in distylous species.This study investigates variations in plant density,seed mass,seed viabilityfemale fitness,and post-dispersal inbreeding depression in both sexual morphs(long-styled and shortstyled plants)of the distylous Primula nivalis that were subjected to different pollination treatments along an elevational gradient from 1657 to 2704 m a.s.l.Population characteristics(morph plant density and ratio)and fruit set were significantly affected by sexual morph and elevation.Plant density and fruitset frequencies were lower for short-styled than for long-styled plants at 2704 m a.s.l.The seeds from the cross-pollinated flowers of both morphs were higher in quality than those of self-pollinated flowers.The female fitness of seeds from cross-pollinated flowers of both morphs was higher than that of seeds from open-pollinated and self-pollinated flowers.The female fitness of seeds from long-styled flowers was higher than that of seeds from short-styled flowers at all elevations.Inbreeding depression increased with elevation among plants with short-styled flowers but not among those with long-styled flowers.Variation in the elevation-dependent mating system might influence female fitness and affect inbreeding depression in both floral morphs.In conclusion,the low quality of seeds from short-styled flowers at high elevations might decrease short-styled flower frequency,affecting population characteristics.

Genetic basis of heterosis and inbreeding depression in rice （Oryza sativa L.）

The genetic basis of heterosis was studied through mid-parent, standard variety and better parent for 11 quantitative traits in 17 parental lines and their 10 selected hybrids in rice (Oryza sativa L.).The characters were plant height,days to flag leaf initiation, days to first panicle initiation, days to 100% flowering, panicle length,flag leaf length, days to maturity, number of fertile spikelet/panicle, number of effective tillers/hill, grain yield/10-hill, and 1000-grain weight.In general the hybrids performed significantly better than the respective parents.Significant heterosis was observed for most of the studied characters. Among the 10 hybrids, four hybrids viz., 17A×45R,25A×37R,27A×39R,31A×47R,and 35A×47R showed highest heterosis in 10-hill grain yield/10-hill. Inbreeding depression of F2 progeny was also studied for 11 characters of 10 hybrids.Both positive and negative inbreeding depression were found in many crosses for the studied characters,but none was found significant. Selection of good parents was found to be the most important for developing high yielding hybrid rice varieties.

Estimates of genomic inbreeding and identification of candidate regions that differ between Chinese indigenous sheep breeds

Background:A run of homozygosity(ROH)is a consecutive tract of homozygous genotypes in an individual that indicates it has inherited the same ancestral haplotype from both parents.Genomic inbreeding can be quantified based on ROH.Genomic regions enriched with ROH may be indicative of selection sweeps and are known as ROH islands.We carried out ROH analyses in five Chinese indigenous sheep breeds;Altay sheep(n=50 individuals),Large-tailed Han sheep(n=50),Hulun Buir sheep(n=150),Short-tailed grassland sheep(n=150),and Tibetan sheep(n=50),using genotypes from an Ovine Infinium HD SNP BeadChip.Results:A total of 18,288 ROH were identified.The average number of ROH per individual across the five sheep breeds ranged from 39(Hulun Buir sheep)to 78(Large-tailed Han sheep)and the average length of ROH ranged from 0.929 Mb(Hulun Buir sheep)to 2.544 Mb(Large-tailed Han sheep).The effective population size(Ne)of Altay sheep,Large-tailed Han sheep,Hulun Buir sheep,Short-tailed grassland sheep and Tibetan sheep were estimated to be 81,78,253,238 and 70 five generations ago.The highest ROH-based inbreeding estimate(FROH)was 0.0808 in Large-tailed Han sheep,whereas the lowest F_(ROH)was 0.0148 in Hulun Buir sheep.Furthermore,the highest proportion of long ROH fragments(>5 Mb)was observed in the Large-tailed Han sheep breed which indicated recent inbreeding.In total,49 ROH islands(the top 0.1% of the SNPs most commonly observed in ROH)were identified in the five sheep breeds.Three ROH islands were common to all the five sheep breeds,and were located on OAR2:12.2-12.3 Mb,OAR12:78.4-79.1 Mb and OAR13:53.0-53.6 Mb.Three breed-specific ROH islands were observed in Altay sheep(OAR15:3.4-3.8 Mb),Large-tailed Han sheep(ORA17:53.5-53.8 Mb)and Tibetan sheep(ORA5:19.8-20.2 Mb).Collectively,the ROH islands harbored 78 unique genes,including 19 genes that have been documented as having associations with tail types,adaptation,growth,body size,reproduction or immune response.Conclusion:Different ROH patterns were observed in five Chinese indigenous sheep breeds,which reflected their different population histories.Large-tailed Han sheep had the highest genomic inbreeding coefficients and the highest proportion of long ROH fragments indicating recent inbreeding.Candidate genes in ROH islands could be used to illustrate the genetic characteristics of these five sheep breeds.Our findings contribute to the understanding of genetic diversity and population demography,and help design and implement breeding and conservation strategies for Chinese sheep.

Improved genetic distance-based spatial deployment can effectively minimize inbreeding in seed orchard

Background:Inbreeding in seed orchards is expected to increase with the advancement of breeding cycles,which results in the delivery of crops with suboptimal genetic gain,reduced genetic diversity,and lower seed set.Here,a genetic distance-dependent method for clonal spatial deployment in seed orchards was developed and demonstrated,which reduced the inbreeding levels.The method’s main evaluation parameter of inbreeding is the genetic distance among individuals and the deployment method used an improved adaptive parallel genetic algorithm(IAPGA)based on Python language.Using inbreeding-prone Chinese Mongolian pine breeding population material originating from a single natural population,the proposed method was compared to a traditional orchard design and a distance-based design;namely,complete randomized block(RCB)and optimum neighborhood(ONA)designs,respectively.Results:With the advancement of selective breeding cycles,group separation among orchard related individuals is expected to increase.Based on the genetic distance among individuals,the IAPGA design was superior in significantly reducing the inbreeding level as compared to the two existing designs,confirming its suitability to advanced-generation orchards where relatedness among parents is common.In the 1st,2nd,and mixed generations clonal deployment schemes,the IAPGA design produced lower inbreeding with 87.22%,81.49%,and 87.23%of RCB,and 92.78%,91.30%,and 91.67%of ONA designs,respectively.Conclusions:The IAPGA clonal deployment proposed in this study has the obvious advantage of controlling inbreeding,and it is expected to be used in clonal deployment in seed orchards on a large-scale.Further studies are needed to focus on the actual states of pollen dispersal and mating in seed orchards,and more assumptions should be taken into account for the optimized deployment method.

Genomic patterns of homozygosity and inbreeding depression in MurcianoGranadina goats

Background:Inbreeding depression can adversely affect traits related to fitness,reproduction and productive performance.Although current research suggests that inbreeding levels are generally low in most goat breeds,the impact of inbreeding depression on phenotypes of economic interest has only been investigated in a few studies based on genealogical data.Results:We genotyped 1040 goats with the Goat SNP50 BeadChip.This information was used to estimate different molecular inbreeding coefficients and characterise runs of homozygosity and homozygosity patterns.We detected38 genomic regions with increased homozygosity as well as 8 ROH hotspots mapping to chromosomes 1,2,4,6,14,16 and 17.Eight hundred seventeen goats with available records for dairy traits were analysed to evaluate the potential consequences of inbreeding depression on milk phenotypes.Four regions on chromosomes 8 and 25were significantly associated with inbreeding depression for the natural logarithm of the somatic cell count.Notably,these regions contain several genes related with immunity,such as SYK,IL27,CCL19 and CCL21.Moreover,one region on chromosome 2 was significantly associated with inbreeding depression for milk yield.Conclusions:Although genomic inbreeding levels are low in Murciano-Granadina goats,significant evidence of inbreeding depression for the logarithm of the somatic cell count,a phenotype closely associated with udder health and milk yield,have been detected in this population.Minimising inbreeding would be expected to augment economic gain by increasing milk yield and reducing the incidence of mastitis,which is one of the main causes of dairy goat culling.

Study of Swine Leukocyte Antigen Class I-3 (SLA-3) Gene for Inbreeding Wuzhishan Pig

To elucidate the structure of SLA-3 alleles on inbred line of Wuzhishan pig （WZSP） population, we examined the partial exon 1, completed exon 2, and partial exon 3 of SLA-3 loci using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction （RT- PCR） and the sequencing-based method in 32 WZSPs. According to pedigree and amplification results, PCR products of 8 WZSPs were selected to clone and sequence. Nine different nucleotide sequences were obtained. After comparing the DNA and protein sequences of the WZSPs SLA-3 alleles with the published GenBank SLA sequences, it was found that the SLA-3 alleles in WZSPs were all novel, but there were very few variations among them. Comparision of SLA-3 and HLA-A protein sequences indicated that there was more sequence homology. Meanwhile, the construction of a phylogenetic tree using the nucleotide sequences of 23 SLA-3 alleles and 1 HLA-A allele represented that the WZSP population owns its unique genetics resource. In this study, the alleles of SLA-3 on WZSP group were successfully detected and analyzed, which provided the firm basis on the genotype of SLA-3 for breeding specific haplotypes WZSPs.

The Relation between Canine Hip Dysplasia, Genetic Diversity and Inbreeding by Breed

Objectives: To assess the relation between the prevalence of canine hip dysplasia, inbreeding and genetic diversity by breed. Methods: Retrospective pedigree analysis of 9 breeds based on a reference population of 41,728 individuals, and hip dysplasia assessment in 1745 dogs. Results: Hip dysplasia was less common among breeds with higher coefficient of inbreeding, lower genetic diversity, and highest contribution of one single ancestor to the population. Inbreeding not exceeding 3.25% should be considered safe since it will maintain a sufficiently high genetic diversity within the breed. Clinical Significance: Together with published data on single breeds, the present findings question the general assumption that line-breeding or in-breeding has an adverse effect on the prevalence of hip dysplasia. Hip assessment is indicated in all breeds, but better methods are needed for selecting dogs suitable for reproduction.

Process of Analyzing Pig Inbreeding Coefficient Using SAS Program

The paternity index is one of the important parameters which paternity determination depends on.Inbreeding is an indispensable and effective means to improve herds and breeds and breed new strains and breeds.It can fix good traits and improve herd genetic uniformity.The INBREED module of SAS statistical analysis software can be used to calculate the inbreeding coefficients of the offspring and their parents in the pig herd pedigree.In this study,we used actual data as an example to compile and operate an SAS program for calculating the inbreeding coefficients of a pig herd.Compared with the dedicated software for calculating inbreeding coefficients developed in recent years,such as BASIC+database dBASE,Visual Basic+database SQ L Serve method,DFREMLI,MTDF EMLI,VCE,ASREML,DMU,GBS and Herdsman,calculating inbreeding coefficients with SAS programs has the advantages of low cost,simple programming language,and easy operation.For livestock breeders who are not provided with special computing software,the use of SAS to calculate the inbreeding coefficients of pigs is of great significance to planned breed selection and assortative mating.

Molecular mechanism of inbreeding effects based on RNA-Seq analysis of the adductor muscle of bay scallop(Argopecten irradians)

Understanding the effects of inbreeding is critical for the long-term viability of shellfish breeding and for understanding inbreeding depression(ID) of the offspring of selfed individuals and full-sib crosses. The bay scallop(Argopecten irradians) is a simultaneous hermaphroditic marine bivalve with distinct male and female gonads and is a species with external fertilization. It is a canonical model invertebrate for analysis of the genetics of ID and evolution of outcrossing mating system. ID in bivalves is well documented with regard to the phenotype and molecular markers aspects, but little is known on how inbreeding affects genome-wide gene expression.Here, we compare the gene expression profiles of adductor muscle of A. irradians lines inbred to F=0.5 with those of its counterpart outbred lines which are originated from the same paternal individual. Inbred and outbred individuals have some differences in growth traits. The shell length and the total weight of inbred scallops are lower than the counterpart of outbred lines. We found that 1 175 genes were up-regulated while 1 390 were downregulated in inbred lines. Regarding components, differentially expressed genes(DEGs) were concentrated on sarcomeres, contractile filaments, and cell membranes. Among others, whereas regarding their function, the Gene Ontology(GO) was concentrated on transferase, phosphotransferase, peptidase, and others. The DEGsenriched metabolic pathways mainly belonged to the oxidative phosphorylation pathway and apoptosis pathway.We used another two families to verify our bioinformatic results. The selfed and the outbred family originated from different ancestors, but the selfed family showed obvious ID. By using real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR), we verified that DEGs with inbreeding are involved in the oxidative phosphorylation and cell apoptosis pathways, suggesting that inbreeding may affect energy metabolism and homeostasis.

Inbreeding and genetic diversity analysis in a hatchery release population and clones of Rhopilema esculentum based on microsatellite markers

Ten microsatellite markers were used to analyze the levels of genetic diversity and inbreeding in a hatchery release population of Rhopilema esculentum Kishinouye （Scypbozoa： Rhizostomatidae）. A total of 85 alleles were detected in 600 individuals. Within-population levels of observed （Ho） and expected （He） heterozygosity ranged from 0.152 to 0.839 （mean=0.464） and from 0.235 to 0.821 （mean=0.618）, respectively. The polymorphism information content （PIC） of each marker ranged from 0.207 to 0.795 with an average of 0.580, indicating that the hatchery population maintained a high level of genetic diversity. Inbreeding levels were estimated in the hatchery population and the inbreeding coefficient was 0.203. This result revealed that a certain level of inbreeding occurred within the population. Meanwhile, we also determined genetic diversity at the clone level. Several polyps from the same scyphistomae were genotyped at the ten microsatellite loci and there was virtually no difference in their genotypes. Furthermore, we calculated the probabilities of exclusion. When both parents were known, the average exclusion probability often loci was 99.99%. Our data suggest that the ten microsatellite markers can not only be used to analyze the identity of individuals but they can also be applied to parentage identification. Our research provides a theoretical basis and technical support for genetic diversity detection and reasonable selection of R. esculentum hatchery populations. These findings support the use of releasing studies and conservation of R. esculentum germplasm resources.

The Quadraplex Tetraploids Hybrids and Duplex Tetraploids Hybrids Are Responsible for Heterosis and Inbreeding Depression in Maize

The maize quadraplex tetraploids and duplex tetraploids were developed using Kato’s protocols. The phenotype ofheterosis and inbreeding depression over generations in their parents and progenies of F1, F2 and F3 were investigated.The results indicated that different duplex tetraploids have different genetic backgrounds, but they acquire maximumheterosis at same traits, such as the leaf length, leaf width, culm circumference and days to flowering. P.N. rises muchfaster from the F2 to F3 segment than the A.W. does for the plant height in duplex tetraploids. In comparing duplex andquadraplex over a generation the quadriplex is showing the greatest heterosis in plant height, leaf height, leaf width anddays to flowering. Most of the examples achieve the maximum heterosis at Qu F2, with the exception of culm circumference,which achieves greatest heterosis at PNAW F1. Meanwhile, this experiment shows that quadraplex tetraploids has distinctadditional favorable alleles that are not contained in duplex tetraploid, this is demonstrated by the heterosis found incrosses between the two duplex tetraploid. This finding helps explain quadraploids superiority and unique breedingbehavior, in which, the progressive heterosis and inbreeding depression in maize are due mainly to linkage disequilibrium.The severe inbreeding depression in duplex tetraploids is due mainly to the rapid loss of complementary chromosomes orgenes interactions in the first few generation of inbreeding. Correspondingly, the progressive heterosis in quadraplextetraploids is due mainly to a progressive increase in complementarities of homologous chromosomes or genes interactions.Greater complementarities of homologous chromosomes or genes interactions in tetraploids maize alse helps explainrecent molecular biology research indicating that some of traits in quadraplex tetraploids are more responsive to geneticdiversity than in duplex tetraploids. In addition, the dosage effect of polyploid in relation to the genetic basis of heterosisand inbreeding depression were discussed also.

Group Living on Trees Does Not Elevate Inbreeding Risk in Shedao Pit Vipers Gloydius shedaoensis

Group living has increasingly been emphasized due to its potential consequence on inbreeding, nevertheless, the relationship between group living and inbreeding risk is largely unknown. The endangered snake species, Shedao pit viper(Gloydius shedaoensis) inhabiting mostly on Shedao Island(meaning "snake island" in Chinese), provides an excellent model system for research on group living and inbreeding risk. Small island area, high population density and extreme seasonal foraging opportunity prompt many individuals to live on the same tree, which likely increase the potential mating among relatives. To confirm this probability, we used genotypes from 13 microsatellites DNA markers and examined the genetic relationships between pair of individuals lived on the same tree. The results showed that snakes on the same tree did not show closer relationships compared with individuals from different trees. The group constructions based on scenarios of parental-offspring, full-sibling, half-sibling as well as cousin were not consistent with tree-based group living. In addition, we did not find significant correlation between pair of individual genetic distance and geographic distance going beyond trees, suggesting group living on trees might not elevate inbreeding risk.

An Iterative Calculating Method for Inbreeding and Relationship Coefficient

The iterative formulas of inbreeding and relationship coefficients were put forward by using numerator elationship. It is suitable for any none - generation - overlap pedigree. The inbreeding and relationship coeffi- ient of offsprings can be calculated by those of parents. The deducing process of numerator relationship is simple and clear comparing with path analysis. An example shows the usage of these formulas.