QUANTITATIVE

GENETICS
Qualitative genetics
Class traits
Discontinous variation different
phenotipic classes
Clear effects of a single gene.
These are called mayor genes
It is studied the cross between
individuals and their progenis
The analysis is done thorugh
rates and links in the progenie.
Quantitative genetics
Traits of degree
Continous Variation. Phenotypic
determinations show a spectrum or
range
Polygenic control, the efefcts of
individual genes are hardly detected.
They are called minor genes
It is studied populations and all
possible crosses.
The analysis should be statistical with
parameters of whole polulations

Multiple factors or polygenes

Polygenes or multiple factors are genes that contribute with

a small effect in the variation of a quantitaive trait.
THE CONTINOUS VARIATION

QUANTITATIVE TRAITS VS QUALITATIVE

The mendel's traits are qualitative

"eye pigmentation " in Drosophila melanogaster,

Red eyes vs white eyes
Different genotypes are under genetic control of one or few genes
with a low or any environmental expossiton that may affect to the
final phenotype

Discontinuous variability
Upon Mendel's laws the study of quantitaive traits is not possible

The use of QTLs may solve this problem

Regions with quantitative activity or QTLs, are DNA regions concentrated in a short

genome region that are associated to quantitative traits, thus the flanking regions of these

markers may be used for a mendelian selection of traits.

AFLP has become widely used for the identification of genetic variation in
strains or closely related species of plants, fungi, animals, and bacteria. The
AFLP technology has been used in criminal and paternity tests, also to
determine slight differences within populations, and in linkage studies to
generate maps for quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis.
From pure lines
P white x clear red
F1 medium clear red x
To explain these results:three genic pairs
F2 ¼ white ½ medium clear red ¼ clear red are involved in the colour of the seed
The alleles A,B,C contribute to the red
colour
P white x red
The alleles a,c,b contribute to the white
F1 clear red x
color
F2 1/16 white
4/16 medium clear red
4/16 clear red
4/16 medium red
1/16 red
P white x dark red
F1 medium dark ref x
F2 1/64 white
6/64 medium clear red
15/64 clear red
20/64 medium red
15/64 red
6/64 medium dark red
1/64 dark red
With the increase of the alleles it increases the red colour
intensity:

case 3 P AABBCC x aabbcc

F1 AaBbCc x
F2 1/64 white (0 alelles that giev colour)
6/64 meduim clear red (1 alelle)
15/64 clear red (2 alelles give colour)
20/64 medium red (3 alelles of colour)
15/64 red (4 alelles give clour)
6/64 medium dark colour (5 alelles give colour)
1/64 dark red (6 alelles give colour)

The explanation of this genotype is a gene in between quantitative and qualitative.

This means that in a quantitaive variation it may be involved N genes, the lower
number of genes the closer it is to a qualitative control.
CONTINOUS VARIATION AND NORMAL DISTRIBUTION.

Figura 1a Figura 1b Figura 1c

 PHENOTYPIC AND GENOTYPIC VARIANCE. COMPONENTS.
The Phenotipic variance is coposed from Genotipic and Environmental variance.
VP = VG + VE
Genotipic Variance is composed from Additive (due to polygenes) VA,
Dominance VD and epistatic (or Interaction) VI variance.
VP = VA + VD + VI + VE
Additive variance VA is usually the most important component.
The interaction variance is usually small.

HERITABILITY
Concept
Heritability in a wide meaning → H2 is defined as the rate between VG and VP. It means the
rate of phenotypic variance due to the poly-genes
H2 =VG /VP H2 = σ2G /σ 2P
The heritability in a strict meaning h2 is the quotient between VA and VP.
h2 = VA / VP h2 = σ2A /σ 2P
Hertitability values
A change in any of its components affects to the heritability

VP = VA + VD + VI + VE
h2 = VA / (VA +VD +VI + VE )
When all the variability of a trait comes from genetic changes (as in mendel's calssic
traits) then the ambiesnt does not matter:
H2 = 1,  G2 =  P 2
When all the phenotypic variability is due to the ambient ( as it happens between
homozygous lines) then the geteic variability is 0 and the heritability too.

 2E =  2P  2G = 0 H2 = 0/ 2P = 0
Thus the heritability can acquite values from 0 to 1. In general is assumed that:

A tratit with a high heriability → the additive component is more relevant than any
other . The traits with high heritability are easier to improve by genetic breeders than
others.
Traits with low heritability → other components such as the environment, will have
more relevance, thus the genetic improving will be more difficult.
Heritability Estimation
Mainly through:
1.- Studying the variance
components
2- Genetic similarities between
relatives
3- Response to selection
Variance components
To estimate the environmental variance: we start from a group of homozygotic
parental lines, then we cross pairs of individuals to get hybrids and then the
phenotypic variance is determined in the heterozigous.
Since the genetic variance is 0, because all have the same genetics in each
genetic class, the average of any observed variability will provide an estimation
of the environmental variability.
If we substract this value to the original phenotypic variability then we get the
genetic variability.
Eg:
Population phenotypic variation
Aleatoy crossess → VG + VE = 0,366
Pure line derived from the first line → VE = 0,186

It is estimated the VG = 0,180 y H2 = 0,180/0,366