Effects of Genotype by Environment Interaction on Genetic Gain and Genetic Parameter Estimates in Red Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.)

Assessing genotype-environment interactions in Atlantic salmon reared in freshwater loch and recirculating systems

The interest in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) is growing due to their benefits such as increased productivity, better control over animal care, reduced environmental effects, and less water consumption. However, in some regions of the world, traditional aquaculture methods remain prevalent, and selective breeding has often been designed for performance within these systems. Therefore, it is important to evaluate how current fish populations fare in RAS to guide future breeding choices. In a commercial setting, we explore the genetic structure of growth characteristics, measure genotype-environment interactions (GxE) in salmon smolts, and examine genetic markers related to growth in freshwater lochs and RAS. Young salmon were raised together until they reached the parr stage, after which they were divided equally between freshwater net-pens and RAS. After an 8-week period, we sampled fish from each environment and genotyped them. Our findings revealed that fish reared in RAS were generally smaller in weight and length but exhibited a higher condition factor and uniformity. We found a notably smaller component of unexplained variance in the RAS, leading to higher heritability estimates. We observed a low GxE effect for length and condition factor, but significant re-ranking for whole-body weight, as well as noticeable differences in trait associations across environments. Specifically, a segment of chromosome 22 was found to be linked with the condition factor in the RAS population only. Results suggests that if the use of RAS continues to expand, the efficiency of existing commercial populations may not reach its full potential unless breeding programs specific to RAS are implemented.

Non-additive effects between genotypes: Implications for competitive fitness assays

Competitive fitness assays are widely used in evolutionary biology and typically rely on a reference strain to compare different focal genotypes. This approach implicitly relies on the absence of interaction between the competing genotypes. In other words, the performance of the reference strain must not depend on the competitor. This report scrutinized this assumption by competing diverged Drosophila simulans populations against a common reference strain. We detected strong evidence for interaction between the competing genotypes: (1) Frequency-dependent selection was common with opposite effects in genetically diverged populations. (2) Temporal heterogeneity of fitness estimates, which can be partially attributed to a competitor-specific delay in the eclosion of the reference strain. We propose that this inconsistent behavior of the reference strain can be considered a specific case of a genotype × environment interaction. Focal populations could modify the environment of the reference strain, either indirectly by altering the microbiome composition and food availability or directly by genotype-specific cannibalism. Our results provide new insights into the interaction of diverged genotypes and have important implications for the interpretation of competitive fitness assays.

Effects of common full-sib families on accuracy of genomic prediction for tagging weight in striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus

Common full-sib families (c ² ) make up a substantial proportion of total phenotypic variation in traits of commercial importance in aquaculture species and omission or inclusion of the c ² resulted in possible changes in genetic parameter estimates and re-ranking of estimated breeding values. However, the impacts of common full-sib families on accuracy of genomic prediction for commercial traits of economic importance are not well known in many species, including aquatic animals. This research explored the impacts of common full-sib families on accuracy of genomic prediction for tagging weight in a population of striped catfish comprising 11,918 fish traced back to the base population (four generations), in which 560 individuals had genotype records of 14,154 SNPs. Our single step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGLBUP) showed that the accuracy of genomic prediction for tagging weight was reduced by 96.5%-130.3% when the common full-sib families were included in statistical models. The reduction in the prediction accuracy was to a smaller extent in multivariate analysis than in univariate models. Imputation of missing genotypes somewhat reduced the upward biases in the prediction accuracy for tagging weight. It is therefore suggested that genomic evaluation models for traits recorded during the early phase of growth development should account for the common full-sib families to minimise possible biases in the accuracy of genomic prediction and hence, selection response.

Impact of genotypic errors with equal and unequal family contribution on accuracy of genomic prediction in aquaculture using simulation

Genotypic errors, conflict between recorded genotype and the true genotype, can lead to false or biased population genetic parameters. Here, the effect of genotypic errors on accuracy of genomic predictions and genomic relationship matrix are investigated using a simulation study based on population and genomic structure comparable to black tiger prawn, Penaeus monodon. Fifty full-sib families across five generations with phenotypic and genotypic information on 53 K SNPs were simulated. Ten replicates of different scenarios with three heritability estimates, equal and unequal family contributions were generated. Within each scenario, four SNP densities and three genotypic error rates in each SNP density were implemented. Results showed that family contribution did not have a substantial impact on accuracy of predictions across different datasets. In the absence of genotypic errors, 3 K SNP density was found to be efficient in estimating the accuracy, whilst increasing the SNP density from 3 to 20 K resulted in a marginal increase in accuracy of genomic predictions using the current population and genomic parameters. In addition, results showed that the presence of even 10% errors in a 10 and 20 K SNP panel might not have a severe impact on accuracy of predictions. However, below 10 K marker density, even a 5% error can result in lower accuracy of predictions.

Genome-Wide Marker Analysis for Traits of Economic Importance in Asian Seabass Lates calcarifer

To date, it is not known whether animal breeding values in Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) can be estimated using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) generated from new high-throughput genotyping by sequencing platforms. The principal aim of the present study was to assess the genomic prediction accuracy for growth traits, survival, cannibalism, and disease resistance against Streptococcus iniae in this species L. calcarifer. Additionally, this study attempted to identify markers associated with the five traits studied as well as to understand if the genotype data can be used to estimate genetic parameters for these complex traits. The genomic best linear unbiased prediction (gBLUP) method was used to analyze 11,084 SNPs and showed that the prediction accuracies for growth traits (weight and length) were high (0.67–0.75). By contrast, these estimates for survival were low (0.25). Multi-locus mixed model analyses identified four SNPs significantly associated with body weight (p < 5 × 10−8 or −log10 p ≥ 5). There were, however, no significant associations detected for other traits. Similarly, the SNP heritability was moderate, while the estimates for other traits were approximated to zero and not significant. Genetic correlations between body weight and standard length were close to unity. Collectively, the results obtained from this study suggest that genotyping by sequencing platforms can provide informative DNA markers to conduct genome-wide association analysis, estimation of genetic parameters, and evaluation of genomic prediction accuracy for complex traits in Asian seabass.

Effects of genotype × environment interaction on the estimation of genetic parameters and gains in Nile tilapia

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is the major fish species produced in Brazil, a country with a vast territory and great climate diversity. This study assessed the effects of the genotype × environment interaction on heritability estimates and selection responses in Nile tilapia (Tilamax strain) cultivated in earthen ponds and net cages. The weight at harvest, trunk length, and head percentage of 4400 individuals were determined. Trait heritabilities were higher in pond fish (0.27-0.52) than in caged fish (0.09-0.33). Genetic correlations between farming systems were lower than 0.5 for the three traits. The rank position of the top 10 families differed according to the environment, as did the response to direct and indirect selection. The results revealed significant genotype × environment effects on the heritability of Nile tilapia farmed under different systems.

Genomics to accelerate genetic improvement in tilapia

Selective breeding of tilapia populations started in the early 1990s and over the past three decades tilapia has become one of the most important farmed freshwater species, being produced in more than 125 countries around the globe. Although genome assemblies have been available since 2011, most of the tilapia industry still depends on classical selection techniques using mass spawning or pedigree information to select for growth traits with reported genetic gains of up to 20% per generation. The involvement of international breeding companies and research institutions has resulted in the rapid development and application of genomic resources in the last few years. GWAS and genomic selection are expected to contribute to uncovering the genetic variants involved in economically relevant traits and increasing the genetic gain in selective breeding programs, respectively. Developments over the next few years will probably focus on achieving a deep understanding of genetic architecture of complex traits, as well as accelerating genetic progress in the selection for growth-, quality- and robustness-related traits. Novel phenotyping technologies (i.e. phenomics), lower-cost whole-genome sequencing approaches, functional genomics and gene editing tools will be crucial in future developments for the improvement of tilapia aquaculture.

Optimizing design to estimate genetic correlations between environments with common environmental effects

Breeding programs for different species aim to improve performance by testing members of full-sib (FS) and half-sib (HS) families in different environments. When genotypes respond differently to changes in the environment, this is defined as genotype by environment (G × E) interaction. The presence of common environmental effects within families generates covariance between siblings, and these effects should be taken into account when estimating a genetic correlation. Therefore, an optimal design should be established to accurately estimate the genetic correlation between environments in the presence of common environmental effects. We used stochastic simulation to find the optimal population structure using a combination of FS and HS groups with different levels of common environmental effects. Results show that in a population with a constant population size of 2,000 individuals per environment, ignoring common environmental effects when they are present in the population will lead to an upward bias in the estimated genetic correlation of on average 0.3 when the true genetic correlation is 0.5. When no common environmental effects are present in the population, the lowest standard error (SE) of the estimated genetic correlation was observed with a mating ratio of one dam per sire, and 10 offspring per sire per environment. When common environmental effects are present in the population and are included in the model, the lowest SE is obtained with mating ratios of at least 5 dams per sire and with a minimum number of 10 offspring per sire per environment. We recommend that studies that aim to estimate the magnitude of G × E in pigs, chicken, and fish should acknowledge the potential presence of common environmental effects and adjust the mating ratio accordingly.

Prospects for Genetic Improvement in Objective Measurements of Body Colour in Pacific Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Body colour, together with growth and survival, are traits of commercial importance in Pacific whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). However, heritability estimates for objective measurements of body colour are not available in Whiteleg shrimp species, including L. vannamei. Further, the effect of genotype by environment interactions (G × E) on this trait (i.e., the objective measures of body colour) and its genetic associations with growth are not known in this species. The present study presented the first attempt at understanding the genetic architecture of this complex character (body colour) that is of economic significance to the shrimp aquaculture sector world-wide. Specifically, we investigated the quantitative genetic basis of shrimp colour, while using the measurement tool (colorimeter) for a Whiteleg shrimp population reared in two contrasting environments. A total of 5464 shrimp had the objective measurements of body colour (lightness, yellowness, and redness) and growth trait records (weight, length and width). They were the offspring of 204 dams and 197 sires. The restricted maximum likelihood mixed model analysis showed that there were heritable additive genetic components for all of the measurements of shrimp colour, with the heritability (h2) ranging from 0.11–0.55. The h2 estimates for redness and yellowness traits differed between the two environments (h2 = 0.66–0.82 in Khanhhoa vs. 0.00–0.03 in Haiphong). However, the heritability for colour traits was moderate (0.11–0.55) when the two environments were combined. There is existence of (co)-genetic variances between the studied traits. The genetic correlations of body traits with redness or yellowness colour of the shrimp were moderate and positive (a*: 0.13–0.32 for redness and b*: 0.19–0.40 for yellowness). The effect of G × E interactions on shrimp colours could be important, as the genetic correlations for these traits between the two environments were low (−0.41 to 0.16). Our results showed that the genetic improvement for body colour can be achieved through direct selection and the increased redness colour is also expected to have favorable impacts on growth traits. Breeding programs to improve shrimp colour should account for the effects of environmental factors.

Resistance to Streptococcus iniae and its genetic associations with traits of economic importance in Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer)

Streptococcus iniae is one of the most serious aquatic pathogens, causing significant economic losses in marine and freshwater species, including Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer). Controlling this gram-positive bacterial pathogen has been an issue in aquaculture systems, due to the combined effects of aquaculture intensification and climatic impacts. To date, there have not been any genetic parameter estimates for S. iniae resistance in Asian seabass. The main aim of this study was to examine genetic variation in S. iniae resistance and its genetic correlations with growth and cannibalism in Asian seabass families produced from a breeding programme for high growth in 2016 and 2017. The study included a total of 5,835 individual fish that were offspring of 41 sires and 60 dams (31 half-sib and 34 full-sib families). The experimental fish were challenged by intraperitoneal injection with a volume containing 10⁵  CFU (colony-forming unit)/fish. Resistance to S. iniae was measured as survival rate at 6 hr, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15 days post-challenge test. There were significant variations in S. iniae resistance among families at different observation periods (ranging from 24.4% to 80%). Restricted maximum-likelihood method and mixed model analysis were applied to estimate heritability for S. iniae resistance. The heritability for S. iniae resistance ranged from 7% to 18% across different statistical models used. The common full-sib effects accounted for 0.1%-2% of the total variation in resistance to S. iniae. Genetic correlations of the S. iniae resistance at 6 hr and 3 days with later post-challenge test periods were low to moderate. However, these estimates for S. iniae resistance between successive measurement times (5, 7, 10 and 15 days) were high and close to 1. The genetic correlations of resistance with body weights at 180, 270 and 360 days post-hatch were not significant as well with cannibalism. It is concluded that there is substantial additive genetic variation in resistance to S. iniae, suggesting there is potential for genetic improvement of Asian seabass for resistance to S. iniae through selective breeding.

Selection for improved white spot syndrome virus resistance increased larval survival and growth rate of Pacific Whiteleg shrimp, Liptopenaeus vannamei

Outbreaks of contagious diseases, including White spot syndrome virus (WSSV), occur more frequently due to environment changes and as commercial shrimp production becomes intensified. The over-arching aim of this study was to examine new traits to improve disease resistance of Whiteleg shrimp, Liptopenaeus vannamei, to WSSV. Specifically, we made a compressive evaluation of the breeding population to determine a suitable selection criterion for improved WSSV resistance. To achieve this objective, we analysed five traits (viral titre, WSSV resistance, larval survival, body weight and standard length) recorded for 120,000 individual shrimps that were offspring of 228 sires and 300 dams produced over two generations of selection in 2017 and 2018. Our restricted maximum likelihood mixed model analysis showed that there is additive genetic variation in viral copy number (or viral titre, viral load) with the heritability that equals 0.18 ± 0.02. Viral titre displayed a moderate and negative genetic correlation with WSSV resistance (r_g = -0.55). These results suggest that viral titre can be used as a selection criterion to improve WSSV resistance, but selection for decreased viral titre (i.e., increased resistance) may not capture all genetic expression in WSSV resistance. In addition to the estimation of population genetic parameters, we evaluated direct response to selection for increased WSSV resistance, which was measured as differences in estimated breeding values between the high and low resistant lines. The direct genetic gain achieved for WSSV resistance averaged 12.9% after one generation of selection in this Whiteleg shrimp population. The selection program also resulted in positive impacts on growth and larval survival by 7% and 17%, respectively. There is abundant genetic variation in WSSV resistance (h² = 0.19-0.27), suggesting that the tested Whiteleg shrimp population will continue to respond to future selection. Collectively, the results obtained in our study provide important information to assist the design and implementation of genetic improvement programs for disease traits in aquaculture species, including L. vannamei.

Domestication and Temperature Modulate Gene Expression Signatures and Growth in the Australasian Snapper Chrysophrys auratus

Identifying genes and pathways involved in domestication is critical to understand how species change in response to human-induced selection pressures, such as increased temperatures. Given the profound influence of temperature on fish metabolism and organismal performance, a comparison of how temperature affects wild and domestic strains of snapper is an important question to address. We experimentally manipulated temperature conditions for F₁-hatchery and wild Australasian snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) for 18 days to mimic seasonal extremes and measured differences in growth, white muscle RNA transcription and hematological parameters. Over 2.2 Gb paired-end reads were assembled de novo for a total set of 33,017 transcripts (N50 = 2,804). We found pronounced growth and gene expression differences between wild and domesticated individuals related to global developmental and immune pathways. Temperature-modulated growth responses were linked to major pathways affecting metabolism, cell regulation and signaling. This study is the first step toward gaining an understanding of the changes occurring in the early stages of domestication, and the mechanisms underlying thermal adaptation and associated growth in poikilothermic vertebrates. Our study further provides the first transcriptome resources for studying biological questions in this non-model fish species.

An 8-Year Breeding Program for Asian Seabass Lates calcarifer: Genetic Evaluation, Experiences, and Challenges

Selective breeding for marine finfish is challenging due to difficulties in reproduction, larval rearing, and on-growth in captive environments. The farming of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) has all these problems and our knowledge of the quantitative genetic information (heritability and correlations) of traits necessary for commercial exploitation is poor. The present study was conducted to address this knowledge gap and to provide information that can be applied to sea bass and other aquaculture species. We carried out a comprehensive genetic evaluation for three traits (body weight, total length, and survival) collected from a breeding population for Asian seabass over an eight-year period from 2010 to 2017. Statistical analysis was carried out on 4,567 adult fish at 105, 180, 270, 360, 450, and 570 days post-hatch (dph). The heritabilities (h²) estimated for body weight and length using linear mixed model were moderate to high (0.12 to 0.78 and 0.41 to 0.85, respectively) and they differed between the measurement periods. Survival during grow-out phase was analyzed using threshold logistic and probit models. The heritability estimates for survival rate on the underlying liability scale ( hL2 ) varied from 0.05 to 0.21. When the observed heritability obtained from the linear mixed model was back-transformed to the liability scale, they were similar but not significant. In addition, we examined effects of genotype by environment (G × E) interaction on body traits. The genetic correlation for body weight between tank and sea cage cultures were high (0.91-0.94) in the first and second rearing periods (180 and 270 dph) but the correlation was decreased to 0.59 ± 0.33 at 360 dph. This suggests that the genotype by environment interaction is important for body traits in this population. Furthermore, the genetic correlations of body weights between different measurement periods were moderate but different from one. This suggests that body weights measured at different time points may be different traits and selection for improved early weight may not capture all genetic expressions in subsequent rearing periods in Asian seabass. Selection of the nucleus in sea cages may produce genotypes that do not perform equally well in tanks, although this deserves further studies to determine a suitable selection environment and optimize the breeding program. This paper discusses challenges encountered during implementation of the selection program for L. calcarifer.

Can metamorphosis survival during larval development in spiny lobster Sagmariasus verreauxi be improved through quantitative genetic inheritance?

Background

One of the major impediments to spiny lobster aquaculture is the high cost of hatchery production due to the long and complex larval cycle and poor survival during the many moult stages, especially at metamorphosis. We examined if the key trait of larval survival can be improved through selection by determining if genetic variance exists for this trait. Specifically, we report, for the first time, genetic parameters (heritability and correlations) for early survival rates recorded at five larval phases; early-phyllosoma stages (instars 1–6; S1), mid-phyllosoma stages (instars; 7–12; S2), late-phyllosoma stages (instars 13–17; S3), metamorphosis (S4) and puerulus stage (S5) in hatchery-reared spiny lobster Sagmariasus verreauxi.

Results

The data were collected from a total of 235,060 larvae produced from 18 sires and 30 dams over nine years (2006 to 2014). Parentage of the offspring and full-sib families was verified using ten microsatellite markers. Analysis of variance components showed that the estimates of heritability for all the five phases of larval survival obtained from linear mixed model were generally similar to those obtained from threshold logistic generalised models (0.03–0.47 vs. 0.01–0.50). The heritability estimates for survival traits recorded in the early larval phases (S1 and S2) were higher than those estimated in later phases (S3, S4 and S5). The existence of the additive genetic component in larval survival traits indicate that they could be improved through selection. Both phenotypic and genetic correlations among the five survival measures studied were moderate to high and positive. The genetic associations between successive rearing periods were stronger than those that are further apart.

Conclusions

Our estimates of heritability and genetic correlations reported here in a spiny lobster species indicate that improvement in the early survival especially during metamorphosis can be achieved through genetic selection in this highly economic value species.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12863-018-0621-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Genetic analysis of a red tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) population undergoing three generations of selection for increased body weight at harvest

Quantitative genetic analysis was performed on 10,919 data records collected over three generations from the selection programme for increased body weight at harvest in red tilapia (Oreochromis spp.). They were offspring of 224 sires and 226 dams (50 sires and 60 dams per generation, on average). Linear mixed models were used to analyse body traits (weight, length, width and depth), whereas threshold generalised models assuming probit distribution were employed to examine genetic inheritance of survival rate, sexual maturity and body colour. The estimates of heritability for traits studied (body weight, standard length, body width, body depth, body colour, early sexual maturation and survival) across statistical models were moderate to high (0.13-0.45). Genetic correlations among body traits and survival were high and positive (0.68-0.96). Body length and width exhibited negative genetic correlations with body colour (- 0.47 to - 0.25). Sexual maturity was genetically correlated positively with measurements of body traits (weight and length). Direct and correlated genetic responses to selection were measured as estimated breeding values in each generation and expressed in genetic standard deviation units (σ_G). The cumulative improvement achieved for harvest body weight was 1.72 σ_G after three generations or 12.5% per generation when the gain was expressed as a percentage of the base population. Selection for improved body weight also resulted in correlated increase in other body traits (length, width and depth) and survival rate (ranging from 0.25 to 0.81 genetic standard deviation units). Avoidance of black spot parent matings also improved the overall red colour of the selected population. It is concluded that the selective breeding programme for red tilapia has succeeded in achieving significant genetic improvement for a range of commercially important traits in this species, and the large genetic variation in body colour and survival also shows that there are prospects for future improvement of these traits in this population of red tilapia.

Genetic variation and correlated changes in reproductive performance of a red tilapia line selected for improved growth over three generations

The present study examines genetic variation and correlated changes in reproductive performance traits in a red tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) population selected over three generations for improved growth. A total of 328 breeding females (offspring of 111 sires and 118 dams) had measurements of body weight prior to spawning (WBS), number of fry at hatching (NFH), total fry weight (TFW) and number of dead fry (NDF) or mortality of fry including unhatched eggs at hatching (MFH). Restricted maximum likelihood (REML) analysis in a multi-trait model showed that there are heritable genetic components for all traits studied. The heritability for WBS was very high (0.80). The estimates for traits related to fecundity (NFH, TFW) and survival (NDF) were low and they were associated with high standard errors. Genetic correlations of WBS with other reproductive performance traits (NFH, TFW and NDF) were generally positive. However, NFH was negatively correlated genetically with TFW. As expected, body measurements during growth stage exhibited strong positive genetic correlations with WBS. The genetic correlations between body traits and reproductive performance (NFH, TFW, NDF) were not significant. Correlated responses in reproductive traits were measured as changes in least squares means between generations or spawning years. Except for WBS that increased with the selection programs, the phenotypic changes in other reproductive traits observed were not statistically significant (P>0.05). It is concluded that the selection program for red tilapia has resulted in very little changes in reproductive performance of the animals after three generations. However, periodic monitoring of genetic changes in fecundity and fitness related traits such as NDF or MFH should be made in selective breeding programs for red tilapia.