B.V. Sc & A.

H
IV-SEMESTER
LIVESTOCK BREEDING SYSTEM

Lecture VII: Heterosis, definition, causes, measurement, and its application in animal breeding

Definition: The superiority of outbreds/crossbreds over the average of the parents is called hybrid vigor
or heterosis. The hybrid vigor is the opposite to the phenomenon of inbreeding depression.

The heterosis may positive or negative. The positive heterosis is often called as hybrid vigour. This is the
phenomenon by which crossbred progenies are better than the average value of the two pure bred
parent to produce crossbred progeny. In some cases the crossbred progenies exceed even the better
parents.

The heterosis is caused by heterozygosity created due to crossing of two pure bred population with
different gene frequencies. The causes of heterosis, like inbreeding depression is due to non-additive
gene action (dominance, over dominance and epistasis). No hetrerosis is observed in traits governed by
additive gene action. The traits showing heterosis are called often as heterotic traits.

The basis of heterosis

(i) Genetic basis of heterosis:

Genetic basis of heterosis: When additive gene action affects the character the mean of F1 progeny is
exactly the same as the parent mean of the parents if environment variations are not taken into
account. Thus this type of gene action is not responsible for heterosis.

The mean of the progeny differ from the mean of the parent, if there is non-additive gene action.

Genetic basis of heterosis is due to dominance effects or epistatics effects.

a. Dominance Hypothesis: The degree of heterosis depends upon the types of traits and types
of matings. The early expressed traits like survival and growth rate to weaning are more
influenced. The traits which are more adversely affected by inbreeding also show greatest
degree of heterosis.The mating of unrelated individuals (Mating of inbred lines, two pure
breds) show heterosis in their offspring. There are two reasons for this.

The mated unrelated individuals are homozygous for different alleles.The animals of one
purebred will be homozygous for some loci and animals of other group (Lines, pure breds) will
be homozygous for other loci. When lines or breeds homozygous for different genes (lines of
breeds with different frequencies) will be crossed they will produced heterozygous offspring.
The favorable dominant genes will mast the unfavorable recessive genes. Thus the performance
 of the hybrid offspring will exceeds to the average of the parent and some times exceeds even
to that of the better parents.

Example

Parents AA, bb, CC, DD X aa, BB, cc, dd

Offsprings Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd (Carry dominant alleles in all loci and will be
superior to both parents for that traits)

b. Overdominance theory: The overdominance is the interaction between genes that are
alleles and it results in the heterozygous individuals being superior to the best of the
parents. The crossbreeding results in superior animals if overdominance is important for the
reason that the animal produced by crossbreeding has maximum number of heterozygous
loci. Let us see the case of three individuals with genotypes; A1A1, A1A2, A2A2. If
overdominance is present, The Allele A1 and A2 coming together (A1A2) produce a reaction
which is not produced by them separately. The overdominance may be an important facror
in heterosis for some character and in some species.

c. Epistatic effects:- The epistasis is the phenomenon of interaction of genes which are not
alleles. The epistasis is the effects of genes resulting from the new genes combination of
genes from different loci. The different genes coming together in the bybrid interact with
each other and produce greater effects than when they are alone in different parent.

(ii) Physiological basis of heterosis: It has been concluded on the basis of some studies that
crossbreds have a more efficient metabolic system.

Measurement of Heterosis:

(i) Single locus case:

Let the difference of gene frequency between the two populations is (y)

Let the frequencies of alleles be p and q for one population and the p’ and q’ for the other
population

Then y = p – p’ = q’ – q or p’ = p-y and q’ = q + y

Let the genotypic value be same for both the population be a, d and –a

Then the parent one will have the following: MP1 Mean of the parent 1
Genotypes A1A1 A1A2 A2A2

Frequencies P2 2pq q2

Genotypic value a d -a

Mean of the population a(p-q) + 2pqd

MP1

Let the other parent have the following: MP2 Mean of the parent 2

Genotypes A1A1 A1A2 A2A2

Frequencies (p – y)2 2(p – y) (q + y) (q + y)2

Genotypic value a d -a

Mean of the other a(p-q-2y) + 2d{ pq + y(p-q) – y2}

population MP2

Mid parent value ½[a(p-q) +2pqd+ a(p-q-2y) +2d{pq +y(p-q) –y2}]

(MP1+MP2)/2
= ½[a(p-q+p-q-2y) +2d{pq+pq+y(p-q)-y2}]

= 1/2[a(2p-2q-2y) + 2d{2pq+y(p-q) –y2}]

= a(p-q-y) +d{2pq+y(p-q)-y2}

When two populations are crossed to produce the F1 , individuals taken at random from one population
are mated to individuals taken at random from the other population. This is equivalent to taking genes
at random from the two populations as shown below:

Frequencies of zygotes in the F1

Gametes from Parent P1

A1 A2

P q

Gametes from Parents P2

A1 p–y p(p-y) q(p-y)

 A2 q +y p(q+y) q(q+y)

The F1 constitute the followings:

Genotypes A1A1 A1A2 A2A2

Frequencies p(p – y) 2pq + y(p – q) q(q + y)

Genotypic value a d -a

Mean genotypic value of MF1 = a(p-q-y) + d{2pq + y(p-q)}

the F1

The amount of heterosis expressed as the difference between the F1 and the mid parent values or
average of the two parent means is obtained by

HF1 = MF1 – MP︠ (a(p-q-y) + d{2pq + y(p-q)} – [a(p-q-y) +d{2pq+y(p-q)-y2}]

=dy2

For several Loci

HF1 = ∑dy2

For F2 , let us consider the cross of two parent populations of random mating among individuals of F1.

In consequence of the random mating among the individuals of F1 the genotypes of F2 will be the HARDY
Weinberg frequencies corresponding to the frequencies in F1. The mean genotypic value of the F2 can be
derived as:

MF2 = a (p-q-y) + d{2pq + y(p-q) -1/2y2}

The amount of heterosis in the shown by the F2 is the difference between the MF2 and mid parent
values. So

HF2 = MF2 – MP︠ [a (p-q-y) + d{2pq + y(p-q) -1/2y2} - [a(p-q-y) +d{2pq+y(p-q)-y2}]

= ½ dy2

=1/2 HF1

Application of heterosis in animal breeding:

 i. Crossbreeding cattle with exotic breeds

ii. Crossbreeding buffalo with exotic buffalo breeds

iii. Crossbreeding sheep with exotic breeds

iv. Crossbreeding goat with exotic breeds of goat

v. Crossbreeding poultry with exotic breed of poultry

vi. Crossbreeding pig with exotic breed of pigs

Q-1. What do you mean by Heterosis? Prove that Heterosis in F1 is double the heterosis in F2.

Q-2. Define heterosis? Discuss the basis of heterosis.

Q-3. Why cross breeding is important? Describe the different form of crossbreeding.

Q-4. The three tools for animal breeding are Seletion, Inbreeding and Crossing. Describe the different
situations where these tools would be most appropriate.