Marker-assisted breeding for viral disease resistance in Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

Abstract

DNA marker technologies can be used for genetic improvement through selection of favorable traits such as disease resistance. These traits are generally modeled as being controlled by many genes of small additive effects, known as quantitative trait loci (QTL). Construction of a genetic linkage map based on DNA markers at a large number of sites in the fish genome is necessary to identify QTL controlling traits of disease resistance. By identifying markers associated with high per- formance QTL in different strains or species, it may be possible to improve the performance of such traits in other strains through intro- gression of the desired QTL. One of the goals of selective breeding programs is to integrate genetic marker information from pedigreed brood stock into successful management and culture. Such an approach, termed marker- assisted selection (MAS) and/or marker- assisted gene introgression (MAI), is expect- ed to increase genetic response by affecting efficiency and accuracy of selection.