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Inferring recent outcrossing rates using multilocus individual heterozygosity: application to evolving wheat
1INRA, Station de Génétique Végétale, Ferme du Moulon, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France. enjalbert@grignon.inra.fr
Genetics
|December 5, 2000
Summary
A new method estimates past outcrossing rates using multilocus heterozygosity. This maximum-likelihood estimator tracks mating system changes over generations, proving effective for low to intermediate outcrossing levels.
Area of Science:
- Population genetics
- Quantitative genetics
Background:
- Estimating outcrossing rates is crucial for understanding plant mating systems.
- Previous methods have limitations in tracking temporal variations in mating behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel method for estimating past outcrossing rates over several generations.
- To assess the mating system's temporal variation using multilocus heterozygosity.
Main Methods:
- Developed a maximum-likelihood (ML) estimator based on multilocus individual heterozygosity.
- Assigned individuals to categories based on n, the number of successive selfing generations.
- Utilized heterozygosities at several unlinked codominant loci.
Main Results:
- The ML estimator accurately estimated final generation (t(0)) and mean preceding (t(p)) outcrossing rates.
- The method detected temporal variation in mating systems and tested for inbreeding equilibrium.
- Applied to wheat, it confirmed absence of outcrossing in selfed populations and revealed lower final rates in free-mating populations.
Conclusions:
- The ML estimator provides an efficient, complementary approach to existing methods like Fis and progeny analysis.
- This method enhances the description of multilocus heterozygosity and population mating dynamics.
- It is particularly effective for populations with low to intermediate outcrossing rates.