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Home / Equine Research Bank / Heredity (Edinb) / Correlation between the individual heterozygosity of parents...
Heredity1993; 71 ( Pt 1); 59-63; doi: 10.1038/hdy.1993.107

Correlation between the individual heterozygosity of parents and their offspring.

Abstract: Specific formulations are derived for the correlation between the heterozygosity of a randomly mating parent and its offspring for a diallelic locus, and for the correlation when multiple loci are considered. The expected correlation is maximal, approaching r = 0.50, when allelic frequencies are highly asymmetric, and it is zero when the allelic frequencies are equal to 0.50. Parent-offspring correlations, up to a maximum of 0.50 for diallelic loci, indicate that levels of heterozygosity can respond to selection. Multilocus allozyme data from limber pine, Pinus flexilis, and from horses of standardbred and thoroughbred breeds are used to demonstrate correlations between a parent and its offspring. The Spearman rank correlation between the heterozygosity of a limber pine and the mean heterozygosity of her offspring is r = 0.45. Correlations in the horses range from r = 0.16 to 0.32.
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Publication Date: 1993-07-01 PubMed ID: 8360078DOI: 10.1038/hdy.1993.107Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study explores the relationship between the genetic diversity (heterozygosity) of parent organisms and their offspring, indicating that high levels of heterozygosity in parents can be linked to similar levels in offspring. The analysis includes both a theoretical approach as well as results from practical testing on limber pine trees and horse breeds.

Explanation of the Research

  • The research focuses on understanding the correlation between the heterozygosity of a parent and its offspring. Heterozygosity relates to the condition whereby an individual has different alleles at a gene locus, therefore exhibiting genetic diversity.
  • Formulations were generated for two specific scenarios; one where a single, diallelic locus is involved, and another where multiple loci are taken into account. A diallelic locus is a specific location on a chromosome that contains exactly two possible variants or alleles.
  • The study reveals that the correlation is strongest when allelic frequencies are unequal. In particular, when the frequencies are significantly asymmetrical, the expected correlation is at its peak, approximating 0.50.
  • When the allelic frequencies were equal (0.50 for each), there was no correlation. The balance between the two suggests that the system is not affected by a uniform distribution of allele frequencies.
  • The researchers posit that this correlation – a maximum of 0.50 for diallelic loci – shows that the levels of heterozygosity can respond to selection pressures.

Practical Application

  • The study applies multi-locus allozyme data from two sources for practical insights: limber pine (Pinus flexilis) and horses, specifically standardbred and thoroughbred breeds.
  • The data yielded significant correlation between the heterozygosity of a pine parent and the average heterozygosity of its offspring, with the Spearman rank correlation calculated to be 0.45. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient is a statistical measure of the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables.
  • In the horses, the correlations were lower, ranging between 0.16 and 0.32. This suggests less predictability of offspring heterozygosity based on parent heterozygosity in these breeds.
  • These real-world applications provide support for the theoretical models constructed in the research, underscoring the importance of the parental genetic diversity in influencing the offspring phenotype.

Cite This Article

APA
Mitton JB, Schuster WS, Cothran EG, De Fries JC. (1993). Correlation between the individual heterozygosity of parents and their offspring. Heredity (Edinb), 71 ( Pt 1), 59-63. https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1993.107

Publication

Heredity
ISSN: 0018-067X
NlmUniqueID: 0373007
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 71 ( Pt 1)
Pages: 59-63

Researcher Affiliations

Mitton, J B
  • Department of Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309.
Schuster, W S
    Cothran, E G
      De Fries, J C

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Enzymes / genetics
        • Female
        • Gene Frequency
        • Heterozygote
        • Horses / genetics
        • Male
        • Seeds
        • Trees / enzymology
        • Trees / genetics

        Citations

        This article has been cited 29 times.
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