%0 Journal Article
%T Mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) in sheep. I. A new male framework linkage map and QTL for growth rate and body weight
%A Herman W Raadsma
%A Peter C Thomson
%A Kyall R Zenger
%A Colin Cavanagh
%A Mary K Lam
%A Elisabeth Jonas
%A Marilyn Jones
%A Gina Attard
%A David Palmer
%A Frank W Nicholas
%J Genetics Selection Evolution
%D 2009
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1297-9686-41-34
%X Over the past few decades, a number of quantitative trait loci (QTL) analyses have been conducted on many livestock breeds. These studies have provided very useful genetic information and enriched our knowledge on the underlying biology and genetic architecture of complex traits. A general review of QTL mapping can be found in Weller [1].An important input to be considered in QTL studies is the availability of a robust framework map of the genome. The initial work by Crawford et al. [2] has resulted in the first extensive ovine genetic linkage map covering 2,070 cM of the sheep genome and comprising 246 polymorphic markers [3]. It has been followed by second [4] and third generation updates [5]. The latest update of the ovine linkage map has been recently published and is available on the Australian Sheep Gene Mapping website http://rubens.its.unimelb.edu.au/~jillm/jill.htm webcite[6]. Several QTL studies have established independent linkage maps to position QTL, e.g. Beh et al. [7], Crawford et al. [8], Beraldi et al. [9], Murphey et al. [10] and Gutierrez-Gil et al. [11], using independent populations of Merino, Coopworth, Soay, Suffolk, and Churra sheep, respectively.In sheep, growth rate and body mass represent economically important traits, which are under moderate genetic control and respond to directional selection [12]. Despite extensive background information, relatively few QTL studies have been reported for growth in sheep and furthermore they have been mostly restricted to partial genome scans, limiting the discovery of and reports on new QTL. QTL studies contribute to the understanding of the genetic basis of a biologically complex trait such as growth because they can identify positional candidate genes. Walling et al. [13] have reported QTL affecting muscle depth and live weight at eight weeks of age in Texel sheep from partial genome scans in candidate gene regions on Ovis aries chromosome 2 (OAR2) and OAR18. Using candidate regions on OAR1, 2, 3, 5,
%U http://www.gsejournal.org/content/41/1/34