PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Genetic correlation”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 613 records · Page 34Linked to original sources

Estimation of genetic parameters for production and reproduction in Finnish Ayrshire cattle.

Records of AI-sired cows born between 1978 and 1982 were used to form two composite production and reproduction data sets. First (second) consisted of 35,568 (26,443) first lactations of daughters of 270 (237) sires. Traits were FCM, heifer, and first parity nonreturn rates, days between calving and first insemination, and days open, with means 5075 (5280) kg, .62 (.62), .44 (.49), 81 (81) d and 110 (111) d. (Co)variance components were estimated by REML with an expectation maximization algorithm. Sire model included age, month, herd-year effects, and relationships among sires. Records on animals with observations missing on some traits were included. Estimates of heritabilities, averaged over data sets, were nonreturn rates for heifers and for cows, .02; FCM, .32; days to first insemination, .19; and days open, .10. Genetic correlations between first parity fertility and yield were unfavorable; the highest, .43, was between FCM and days open. Heifer nonreturn rate had a .09 correlation with production and a .26 correlation with cow nonreturn rate. Phenotypic correlations were in the same direction as genetic correlations but were smaller in magnitude. Results suggest that selection only for production would cause deterioration in level of fertility. When economical, AI sires should be evaluated for daughter fertility. A multi-trait model including milk production, days open and relationships among bulls is recommended for genetic evaluation.

Age Factors↗

Relationships of calving ease with type traits.

Type information collected by the Holstein Association of Canada was combined with calving ease data from the Quebec Dairy Herd Analysis Service. Type traits considered were overall score, general appearance, dairy character, capacity, rump, rump thurl width, rump pin setting, and set of rear legs. Calving ease was considered as a direct effect and as a maternal effect in both heifers and adult cows. After editing there were 24,618 type records, 47,023 direct effect calving ease records, and 37,068 maternal effect calving ease records from 107 sires in the analyses of heifer data. there were 26,996 type records, 16,4726 direct effect calvin ease records, and 45,261 maternal effect calving ease records in the analyses of calving involving adult cows. Multiple-trait REML was used to estimate genetic correlations between calving ease and type. The heritability of calving ease in heifers was approximately 4%, for both the direct and maternal effect, and in adult cows was approximately 1.5%. Heritability of the type traits ranged from 4 to 45%. There was a tendency for the genetic correlations between type and the direct effect of calving ease to be opposite in sign to the genetic correlations between type and the maternal effect of calving ease and for the absolute value of the correlations to be lower in adult cows than in heifers.

Analysis of Variance↗

Age-age and trait-trait correlations for Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden and their implications for optimal selection age and design of clonal trials.

Previous results from seven locations of Eucalyptus grandis clonal trials in Colombia supported the a priori contention of sub-dividing them into three different environmental zones for testing and deployment. Within these zones, the determination of age-age genetic correlations for both height and mean annual increment (MAI) showed that strong age-age correlations are present for a rotation age of 6 years starting at 3 years age and, thereafter, suggesting this age as appropriate for selection. This biological selection age coincides with an "economical" age for selection based on discounted selection efficiency in perpetuity, considering a range of interest rates between 10% and 20%. High genetic correlations between wood density at 3 years and 6 years as well as the lack of genetic correlation between this trait and growth traits, also favors selection at age 3 and facilitates breeding strategies that consider the utilization of both traits for improvement. A simulation of optimal clonal test designs indicated that by using six locations and six blocks per location in a single-tree plot design, between 80% and 90% of the maximum selection efficiency could be obtained. This type of design allows testing of a large number of genotypes across a reasonable number of locations in a cost-effective manner.

Chromosome Mapping↗

Genetic parameter estimates for postweaning traits of beef cattle in a stressful environment.

Postweaning growth data, collected from a Hereford herd located in the Southwest, were used to estimate genetic parameters for weights and gains. The herd was maintained on unsupplemented range forage, and average weight losses from weaning to yearling age were 9% for bulls and 12% for heifers. Data were grouped into years with poor and good environments based on contemporary group means for gain from 8 to 12 mo. Postweaning growth data (12- and 20-mo weights, 8- to 12-mo gain and 12- to 20-mo gain) were analyzed by least squares methods with a model that included year of birth, sire within year of birth, age of dam and a covariate of age for 12- and 20-mo weights. Heritability estimates of 12- and 20-mo weights for bulls were .58 +/- .15 and .55 +/- .22 in good environments vs .32 +/- .11 and 1.09 +/- .15 in poor environments; for heifers these estimates were .19 +/- .08 and .35 +/- .12 in good environments vs .38 +/- .07 and .47 +/- .09 in poor environments. Heritability estimates of 8- to 12-mo and 12- to 20-mo gain for bulls were .32 +/- .14 and .51 +/- .24 in good environments vs .16 +/- .11 and .09 +/- .14 in poor environments; for heifers these estimates were .21 +/- .08 and .14 +/- .10 in good environments vs .10 +/- .06 and .44 +/- .10 in poor environments. Genetic correlations among the preweaning traits of birth and weaning weight and postweaning weight traits were positive and of a moderate to large magnitude, with the exception of birth and 12-mo weight in a poor environment (-.06 +/- .49). Genetic correlations between 8- to 12-mo gain and birth weight in poor environment and weaning weight in all environments were negative (range from -.06 +/- .33 to -.53 +/- .41). Genetic correlations among 12- and 20-mo weights were large and positive in all environments. Relationships among gains were more variable.

Age Factors↗

Effects of sire misidentification on estimates of genetic parameters for birth and weaning weights in Hereford cattle.

Birth weights (4,155) and weaning weights (3,884) of Line 1 Herefords collected at the Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory in Miles City, MT, between the years of 1935 to 1989 were available. To study the effect of misidentification on estimates of genetic parameters, the sire identification of calf was randomly replaced by the identification of another sire based on the fraction of progeny each sire contributed to a yearly calf crop. Misidentification rates ranged from 5 to 50% with increments of 5%. For each rate of misidentification, 100 replicates were obtained and analyzed with single-trait and two-trait analyses with a restricted maximum likelihood (REML) algorithm. Two different models were used. Both models contained year x sex combinations and ages of dam as fixed effects, calendar birth date as a fixed covariate, and random animal and maternal genetic effects and maternal permanent environment effects. Model 2 also included sire x year combinations as random effects. As the rate of misidentification increased, estimates of the direct-maternal genetic correlation increased for both traits, with both models, for all analyses. With singletrait analyses, estimates of the fraction of variance that were due to sire x year interaction effects increased slightly for birth weight (near zero) and decreased slightly (0.015 to 0.004) for weaning weight as misidentification increased. With two-trait analyses, estimates of fraction of variance that were due to sire x year effects gradually decreased for weaning weight as misidentification increased. With the two-trait analyses, and with both models, as the level of sire misidentification increased, estimates of the genetic correlation between direct effects gradually increased, and estimates of the correlation between maternal effects gradually decreased. Estimates of the direct-maternal genetic correlation were more positive with Model 2 than with Model 1 for all levels of misidentification. Results of this study indicate that misidentification of sires would severely bias estimates of genetic parameters and would reduce genetic gain from selection.

Animal Identification Systems↗

[Clinico-genetic aspects of cutaneous melanoma. II. Interconnection and pathogenetic commonality with dysplastic nevus syndrome].

Evidence for the role of dysplastic nevi (DN) in the development of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is presented. Primary multiple foci of CMM were found considerably more frequently in individuals with DN. The frequency of primary multiple CMM was found to be 3.1% in males with DN and 0.9% in males without DN; in females, 6.8 and 0.6%, respectively. Genetic correlation analysis was performed to determine the genetic interrelation between DN and CMM. In general, the genetic correlation coefficient was 0.9; i.e., predisposition to DN and CMM is determined by common genes for 90%. The frequency and distribution of constitutive fragile sites in chromosomes of peripheral lymphocytes was studied by the method of principal components for discrete variables. The site 1p22 is responsible for variability of the traits CMM and DN for 98.5%. On the one hand, this suggests that one of the supposed genes for CMM can be located at 1p22; on the other hand, CMM and DN are likely to have a common genetic determination or to be very tightly linked. Estimates of risk for the development of CMM in patients' relatives are given with reference to the variants of CMM manifestation and presence of DN.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1↗

Genetic parameters of several measures of milk flow rate and milking time.

Heritabilities and genetic correlations of milking rate, time, and yield were estimated by intrasire regression of daughter on dam for 252 Holstein pairs. Heritabilities were: lactation yield, .51 +/- .11; peak rate, .47 +/- .11; bucket milk yield, .38 +/- .10; average rate, .37 +/- .12; milk yield to .45 kg/min, .19 +/- .12; total time, .17 +/- .12; duration of peak rate, .10 +/- .10; strip time, .08 +/- .15; yield during peak rate, .07 +/- .11; and strip yield, .01 +/- .17. The genetic correlation of peak rate with lactation milk yield was .69 +/- .08, indicating substantial genetic improvement in milking rate by selecting for milk production. The genetic correlation between total milking time and lactation milk yield was .50 +/- .20, indicating an increase in total milking time due to selection for milk. Direct selection for peak rate would provide an opportunity to reduce total milking time.

Animals↗

Age of onset in familial early onset Alzheimer's disease correlates with genetic aetiology.

Age of onset is the most robust clinical feature demarcating aetiologic subtypes of familial Alzheimer's disease. It has previously been noted that early onset disease (arbitrarily below the age of 65 years) conforms to an autosomal dominant pattern of transmission. Late onset disease is generally thought to have a more complex aetiology. We present data here suggesting that early onset disease can be subdivided by genetic aetiology with which age of onset correlates. In general, those pedigrees showing linkage to the chromosome 14 locus have a mean age of onset in the forties whereas those pedigrees with an APP mutation have an age of onset in the fifties.

Adult↗

Postweaning growth of unselected Hereford and Angus cattle fed two different diets.

Two unselected herds of purebred Hereford and Angus cattle were created and their progeny evaluated during a 4-yr period (1964 to 1967) for 168-d postweaning gain when they were fed either a high- or medium-energy diet. Birth weight and 200-d adjusted weaning weight also were measured and the importance of sire x diet interactions for postweaning gain examined. Year effects were significant (P less than .001) for all traits in Herefords and for postweaning gain in Angus. Postweaning gain of both breeds increased in successive years, but no trend was observed for birth and 200-d weights. Bulls were heavier than heifers (P less than .05) for all three traits in both breeds. Hereford and Angus calves receiving the high-energy diet gained more (P less than .001) than their contemporaries fed the medium-energy diet. Sire differences were significant for birth weight in Herefords and for all three traits in Angus. Sire x diet interactions were not significant for postweaning gain in either breed. Genetic correlations were calculated by two methods: the two-way ANOVA approach using sire and sire x diet interaction variance components and the one-way ANOVA approach in which gains by progeny of each sire on each diet were considered to be two distinct traits. The genetic correlations for gain in Herefords could not be estimated by either method because of negative sire variance component estimates. The genetic correlations for gain in Angus were 1.08 for the two-way ANOVA method and 1.43 +/- .64 for the one-way ANOVA method. These results indicate that sires ranked the same based on progeny performance when fed either diet.

Analysis of Variance↗

Parameter estimates for number of lambs born at different ages and for 18-month body weight of Rambouillet sheep.

Genetic parameters were estimated using REML with animal models for number of lambs born and 18-mo body weight in Rambouillet sheep. Number of lambs born was modeled either as repeated measurements on the same trait or as different traits at different ages. The original data for number of lambs born were separated according to age of the ewe into two classes: 2 and 3 yr, and older than 3 yr. Numbers of ewes with lambing records for the age classes were 653 and 466 with 1,106 and 1,118 records, respectively. For the data set that included all ages, the number of ewes was 684 with 2,224 records, and for 18-mo body weight the number of ewes measured was 557. For number of lambs born, the animal model included random genetic, permanent environmental, and residual environmental effects and fixed effects for age of ewe, year of lambing, and month of year of lambing. Lambing day within season was used as a covariate. For 18-mo body weight, year of birth of ewe was used as a fixed effect. Actual age in days when the ewe was weighed was used as a covariate. Estimates of heritability for number of lambs born by age group were .04, for 2- and 3-yr old ewes, and .06, for ewes greater than 3 yr old, from the two-trait (two age of ewe classes) analyses and .06 when all ages were included. Estimates of heritability for number of lambs born from the single-trait analyses were somewhat less than estimates from two-trait analyses. Estimate of genetic correlation between number of lambs born for the 2 and 3 yr and the >3 yr classes was near unity (1.00), which suggests that a repeated measures model for number of lambs born is adequate for making selection decisions. Estimate of genetic correlation between number of lambs born and 18-mo body weight was .35 with a heritability estimate of .48 for 18-mo body weight. The estimate of genetic correlation suggests that selection for increased number of lambs born would result in increased 18-mo body weight.

Age Factors↗

Comparison of performance records and national breeding values as input into international genetic evaluation.

The purpose of this investigation was to compare accuracy and precision of variance components and breeding values for international genetic evaluations based on national breeding values or animal performance records. A conventional progeny test scheme was simulated for 3 countries. True breeding values and observations were generated specific to production environments. Two production environments were considered, and both balanced and unbalanced distribution of production environments over countries were considered. True breeding values for both production environments were generated as bivariate normal deviates, and low (0.70) and high (0.90) genetic correlations between performance in production environments were considered. Each cow had an observation in one country only. Performance records were generated as the sum of the true breeding value, a contemporary group effect, and a random residual. Eight generations of data were simulated, and the entire simulated data set was used to compare 3 methods for international genetic evaluation: 1) multiple-trait across-country evaluation based on national predicted breeding values of bulls (Mace), 2) international genetic evaluation across country using performance records, and 3) international genetic evaluation across production environment using performance records. Estimated genetic parameters were biased for all models in this study. Genetic correlations between countries were generally more biased for Mace than for the across-country analyses using performance records. Bias in within-country genetic variances was smaller for Mace. Even genetic parameters obtained with the international evaluation across production environment using performance records were biased, despite the fact that this model was closest to the true, simulated model. The root mean square error of predicted breeding values was similar between models for most of the situations considered. The difference between models was largest when the distribution of production environments over countries was unbalanced and the genetic correlation between performance in production environments was low (0.70). Using breeding values obtained with the across-production environment international genetic evaluation based on performance records will increase the response to selection.

Animals↗

The common quantitative genetic basis of wing morphology and diapause occurrence in the cricket Gryllus veletis.

A covariation between wing morphology and diapause occurrence has been observed in many insect species, but the genetic basis of this covariation has never been established. This study measures the heritability of, and genetic correlation between, these two ecologically important threshold traits in the cricket Gryllus veletis. A total of 81 full-sib families were reared in the laboratory to estimate these parameters. A comparison of laboratory and field samples showed that these two traits are highly plastic. The heritability of wing morphology was 0.25 (0.09), the heritability of diapause occurrence was 0.77 (0.11) and the genetic correlation between them was 0.61 (0.19). These estimates did not differ between males and females. The significance of these quantitative genetic parameters is discussed with reference to the monomorphism of natural populations of G. veletis for diapause occurrence and with reference to the trade-off between the ability to disperse by flight and the ability to diapause found in at least one closely related species. A survey of the literature reveals that genetic correlations between diapause occurrence or wing morphology and various other traits are common in insects, suggesting that these two traits are often genetically integrated in insect life-histories.

Animals↗

Recombinant-inbred strains: general methodological considerations relevant to the study of complex characters.

If appropriately determined, recombinant-inbred (RI) strain means provide an excellent method for determining genetic correlations among complex characters. However, little systematic attention has been paid to important environmental influences on strain means such as random effects due to litter membership or systematic maternal influences, which are inevitably confounded with genetic effects. It is suggested that users of RI strains would do well to control for litter effects by sampling appropriately from many litters and assessing the potential role of maternal influences by appropriate fostering procedures. Concern for these and other environmental sources of variation has caused reliability of strain means to emerge as an important issue in studies with RIs which focus on complex characters. Examples of estimating the reliability of RI strain means are provided to draw attention to the value of this kind of information in both gene-mapping studies and genetic correlational analyses. In addition, particularly in the case of behavioral tests which are susceptible to considerable day-to-day variation, repeated testing of the same animals can serve to diminish the influence of extreme deviations which are due to random variations in the manner in which the test is conducted on any given day. The advantages of RIs for gene mapping are well established. However, via the power of genetic correlational analysis, the RI methodology is emerging as a major alternative method, e.g., as distinct from lesion studies, pharmacological interventions, etc., in the bio-behavioral sciences to explore relationships between different domains of inquiry. Via its cumulative and integrative power, it is likely to make a major contribution to investigations of relationships between complex characters at various levels of and this application which should be considered separately from its application to gene mapping.

Animals↗

Quantitative genetic models of female choice based on "arbitrary" male characters.

Multivariate, quantitative genetic models are developed for the evolution of female mating preferences in situations where males contribute only their gametes to their progeny. Although female mating preferences may not be directly subject to selection, they can evolve via genetic correlations with other characters that are undergoing evolutionary change. The first set of models examines the evolutionary origin of mating preferences directed at one or more traits that may or may not be expressed only in males. When several selected characters possess additive genetic variance, an indirect selective force exists for the evolution of multivariate mating preferences. The magnitude of this force is proportional to the covariance between a female's relative preference for a given male's phenotype and the expected viability of his progeny. The contribution of any single character to this covariance determines its potential value as a mate choice criterion. The pattern of genetic and phenotypic covariation may cause selectively unimportant traits to be useful in mate choice. In the extreme, selectively neutral characters may become the objects of mating preferences, if they are relatively immune to random environmental variation and genetically correlated with selectively important characters. The second set of models examines the dynamic evolution of such a selectively neutral ("arbitrary") character that is both the object of a mating preference and genetically correlated with a third trait that affects viability. The outcome of evolution in this three character system is highly indeterminate. As in other sexual selection models, there exists a line of neutral equilibria wherein the mean of the criterion character matches the mean level of mating preference within the population, while the viability trait equilibrates at the phenotypic value conferring maximum viability. This line of equilibria, however, is not likely to be stable unless females choose mates according to absolute mating preferences. Thus, mating preferences that initially may arise as a mean of increasing offspring viability may nevertheless lead to indeterminate and potentially maladaptive evolutionary outcomes.

Animals↗

Assessing the genetic potential of a milk mid-infrared prediction of heat stress response in dairy cows using a temperature-humidity index-independent approach.

Selection for heat tolerance remains challenging due to the difficulty of accessing reliable phenotypes at large scale. An alternative could be established using mid-infrared spectra, which are collected routinely through milk recording, and have already shown their value as proxies for a variety of phenotypes that are costly or difficult to measure. Recently, a first prediction of heat stress response in dairy cows based solely on milk mid-infrared spectra was developed. This prediction was obtained using models calibrated on surface body temperature and milk composition variations. Its potential as a detection tool was explored, but no genetic analyses has been performed. On this basis, the objectives of this study were to estimate the heritability of the predicted heat stress response, assess its genetic correlations with traits from the Walloon official genetic evaluation, and identify genomic regions associated with heat tolerance through a GWAS, all without using temperature-humidity index (THI) information. The estimated heritability (0.10) was low but sufficient to enable genetic selection and consistent with expectations for a heat stress-related trait. Also as expected, an antagonistic relationship between heat tolerance and milk production was observed, but its extent was notably reduced compared with traditional approaches. In addition, genetic correlations with other traits were neutral (fat yield) or favorable (protein yield, SCS, fertility, longevity). Concerning the GWAS, genomic regions and candidate genes previously associated with the response to heat stress were highlighted, as well as others related to energy balance maintenance. Overall, these results support the relevance of the prediction for the heat stress response as a new phenotype for heat tolerance selection that does not require any THI information. They also reinforce the importance of energy balance for dairy cows to cope with heat stress.

Journal Article↗

Genomic response to sex-separated gene pools.

Males and females experience differences in the strength and direction of selection but discerning the type of genes that are targets of sex differences in selection is complicated by their shared genome. We used experimental evolution in Drosophila melanogaster to partially separate the gene pools of males and females for 130 generations. In six replicate populations, we forced one pool of genetically variable Chromosome 2s to experience patrilinear inheritance (segregating like a Y-chromosome) and male-limited selection. The alternative pool segregated like an X-chromosome and experienced female-biased selection. This allowed alleles which are differentially selected for between the sexes to diverge between these pools, enabling us to gain insight into the type of genes subject to such selection. We find that genes which diverge between these pools have an elevated intersexual genetic correlation(rMF) for expression on average, consistent with the idea that high genetic correlations may hinder sex-specific adaptation under normal inheritance. Diverged genes were also enriched for moderately male-biased genes whereas female-biased genes were underrepresented. At the SNP level, we find an overrepresentation of diverged SNPs involved in splicing or occurring in the 5'UTR and an underrepresentation of missense or synonymous SNPs, suggesting sex differences in selection for isoform usage.

intersexual genetic correlation↗

Genetic evidence links hypertension to accelerated brain aging.

Hypertension affects one-third of adults and is a major comorbidity of neurocognitive disorders. The causal relationship, shared genetic architecture, and upstream mechanisms linking hypertension to brain aging remain unclear. Hypertension GWAS datasets from MVP and FinnGen R12 were meta-analyzed as the exposure, and a European-ancestry brain age gap (BAG) GWAS derived from the UK Biobank and LIFE-Adult cohorts was used as the outcome. MR and GSMR assessed causality. LDSC, HDL, and S-LDSC estimated genetic correlation. Four TWAS methods (MAGMA, FUSION, JTI-PrediXcan, FOCUS) mapped associations to genes, followed by SMR for causal validation and PoPS for prioritization. GSMAP with spatial transcriptomics characterized regional and cell-type enrichment. Hypertension and brain aging were genetically correlated, and MR and GSMR analyses suggested a causal effect of hypertension on increased brain age gap. TWAS identified 15 shared Hypertension-BAG genes, 10 supported by SMR. PoPS prioritized TRIM47 as the core gene. Shared signals were enriched in meninges, fiber tracts, cortical layer 1, and CA1 stratum lacunosum/radiatum, with cell-type enrichment in meninges, smooth muscle cells, oligodendrocytes, and astrocyte subtypes. Hypertension is genetically correlated with, and shows evidence of a causal effect on, accelerated brain aging. TRIM47 is a core gene bridging hypertension and BAG. GSMAP-based spatial enrichment provides a hypothesis-generating framework for understanding vascular, meningeal, and myelin-related pathways linking hypertension to increased brain age gap.

Humans↗

The threshold model as a general purpose normalizing transformation.

The estimation of heritabilities and genetic correlations is based on the assumption that the trait distributions are normal. When the distributions are not normal it is advisable to transform the data to produce normality. However, it is possible that no suitable transformation can be found. The purpose of the present paper is to point out that the threshold model of quantitative genetics can be used as a generalized transformation. To utilize this method it is only necessary to divide the data at the median (approximately) and code the two halves as 0 and 1. Estimates can then be made using algorithms outlined herein. A simulation study shows that the threshold transformation gave unbiased estimates of the heritability and genetic correlation in all cases. The 95% confidence limits correctly included the true heritability value in the required 95% of cases, while the estimated confidence region for the genetic correlation was also correct provided that the geometric mean heritability was greater than approximately 0.15, a restriction that applied also to the normally distributed data. Confidence intervals estimated from the non-normal data were consistently too small. The method is illustrated using data on the proportion of diapausing eggs produced by the cricket, Allonemobius socius.

Animals↗