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Mapping Quantitative Trait Loci for Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Asian Seabass

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Abstract

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids for human health. Therefore, increasing both percentage of omega-3 and a better fatty acid profile in fish fillets is one of the breeding goals in aquaculture. However, it is difficult to increase the omega-3 content in fish fillets, as the phenotypic selection of these traits is not easily feasible. To facilitate the genetic improvement of the Asian seabass for optimal fatty acid profiles, a genome-wide scan for quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting fatty acid level in the flesh of the Asian seabass was performed on an F2 family containing 314 offspring. All family members were genotyped using 123 informative microsatellites and 22 SNPs. High percentages of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially C22:6 (DHA 16.48 ± 3.09 %) and C20:5 (EPA 7.19 ± 0.86 %) were detected in the flesh. One significant and 54 suggestive QTL for different fatty acids and a water content trait were detected on the whole genome. QTL for C18:0b was located on linkage groups (LG) 5. QTL for total n-3 PUFA content in flesh were mapped onto LG6 and LG23 with the phenotypic variance explained ranging from 3.8 to 6.3 %. Four QTL for C22:6 were detected on LG6, LG23, and LG24, explaining 3.9 to 4.9 % of the phenotypic variance, respectively. Mapping of QTL for contents of different fatty acids is the first step towards improving the omega-3 content in the fillets of fish by using marker-assisted selection and is important for understanding the biology of fatty acid deposition.

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Acknowledgments

We thank MAC and AVA for long-time cooperation on Asian seabass breeding, and our lab members for assisting in tissue sample collection. This research is supported by the National Research Foundation Singapore under its Competitive Research Program (award no. NRF-CRP002-001). We are very grateful to our colleague Ms. May Lee for English editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Molecular Population Genetics Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604, Singapore

    Jun Hong Xia, Grace Lin, Xiaoping He, Peng Liu, Feng Liu, Fei Sun, Rongjian Tu & Gen Hua Yue

  2. JOil (S) Pte. Ltd, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117604, Singapore

    Bu Yunping

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore

    Gen Hua Yue

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  1. Jun Hong Xia
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  2. Grace Lin
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  3. Xiaoping He
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  5. Peng Liu
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  6. Feng Liu
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  7. Fei Sun
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Correspondence to Gen Hua Yue.

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Xia, J.H., Lin, G., He, X. et al. Mapping Quantitative Trait Loci for Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Asian Seabass. Mar Biotechnol 16, 1–9 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10126-013-9524-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10126-013-9524-1

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