Genetic interactions contribute less than additive effects to quantitative trait variation in yeast

Joshua S. Bloom, Iulia Kotenko, Meru J. Sadhu, Sebastian Treusch, Frank W. Albert and Leonid Kruglyak ()
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Joshua S. Bloom: University of California, Los Angeles
Iulia Kotenko: Princeton University
Meru J. Sadhu: University of California, Los Angeles
Sebastian Treusch: Twist Bioscience
Frank W. Albert: University of California, Los Angeles
Leonid Kruglyak: University of California, Los Angeles

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract Genetic mapping studies of quantitative traits typically focus on detecting loci that contribute additively to trait variation. Genetic interactions are often proposed as a contributing factor to trait variation, but the relative contribution of interactions to trait variation is a subject of debate. Here we use a very large cross between two yeast strains to accurately estimate the fraction of phenotypic variance due to pairwise QTL–QTL interactions for 20 quantitative traits. We find that this fraction is 9% on average, substantially less than the contribution of additive QTL (43%). Statistically significant QTL–QTL pairs typically have small individual effect sizes, but collectively explain 40% of the pairwise interaction variance. We show that pairwise interaction variance is largely explained by pairs of loci at least one of which has a significant additive effect. These results refine our understanding of the genetic architecture of quantitative traits and help guide future mapping studies.

Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9712

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