Marker generation for Fine Mapping a QTL in the chicken

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to design and test five SNP markers in an inbred chicken cross between Red Junglefowl and domestic White Leghorn of the 8th generation. The markers lie in a region affecting the tonic immobility behaviour which differs significantly between the two species. The markers could be identified by usage of PCR and pyrosequencing. The data obtained were further used in a small scale quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. QTL analysis is a statistical method to link phenotypic traits to genotypic data. Four out of five markers could be genotypes and thereby, made it possible to proceed with the QTL analysis. The results showed that there is no QTL associated with the markers identified. The two flanking markers were closest to a significant difference between genotypes and it is therefore a possibility that a QTL lies close further down or up the searched region. From the line map it is indicated that there is little recombination in the marker region.