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Interspecific resources: a major tool for quantitative trait locus cloning and speciation research

Author:
L'Hôte, David, Laissue, Paul, Serres, Catherine, Montagutelli, Xavier, Veitia, Reiner A., Vaiman, Daniel
Source:
BioEssays 2010 v.32 no.2 pp. 132-142
ISSN:
0265-9247
Subject:
animal models, animals, isogenic lines, molecular cloning, phenotype, quantitative trait loci
Abstract:
Positional cloning of the quantitative trait locus (QTL) still encounters numerous difficulties, which explains why thousands of QTL have been mapped, while only a few have been identified at the molecular level. Here, we focus on a specific mapping tool that exists in plant and animal model species: interspecific recombinant congenic strains (IRCSs) or interspecific nearly isogenic lines (NILs). Such panels exhibit a much higher sequence diversity than intraspecific sets, thus enhancing the contrasts between phenotypes. In animals, it allows statistical significance to be reached even when using a limited number of individuals. Therefore, we argue that interspecific resources may constitute a major genetic tool for positional cloning and for understanding some bases of speciation mechanisms.
Agid:
2229574