Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2025
10:17
An Allele-specific Gene Expression Assay to Test the Functional Basis of Genetic Associations
Published on: November 3, 2010
22.9K
Non-additive genetic components contribute significantly to population-wide gene expression variation
Andreas Tsouris1, Gauthier Brach1, Joseph Schacherer1,2
1Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, GMGM UMR 7156, Strasbourg, France.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|August 7, 2023
Summary
Distant gene regulation (trans-regulation) significantly impacts gene expression heritability, explaining non-additive genetic variance and potentially missing heritability in complex traits.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
- Systems Biology
Background:
- Gene expression variation links genomic differences to observable traits.
- Both local (cis) and distant (trans) regulatory elements control gene expression.
- The differential impact of cis- and trans-regulation on trait heritability is not fully understood.
Approach:
- Analyzed transcriptomes from 323 yeast hybrids in a diallel panel.
- Estimated broad- and narrow-sense heritability for 5,087 transcript abundance traits.
- Compared allelic expression ratios in hybrids versus parental pairs to identify regulatory changes.
Key Points:
- Non-additive genetic components account for 36% of phenotypic variance in gene expression on average.
- Regulatory changes were identified in 25% of cases, with a majority acting in trans.
- Trans-regulation was linked to coordinated expression changes in highly connected genes.
Conclusions:
- Trans-regulation significantly contributes to non-additive gene expression variance.
- Trans-acting factors may explain a portion of the "missing heritability" in gene expression traits.
- Understanding trans-regulation is crucial for a comprehensive view of gene expression heritability.
More Related Videos
11:35Screening for Functional Non-coding Genetic Variants Using Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay EMSA and DNA-affinity Precipitation Assay DAPA
Published on: August 21, 2016
13.0K
12:52High-Throughput Live Imaging of Microcolonies to Measure Heterogeneity in Growth and Gene Expression
Published on: April 18, 2021
4.9K
Related Concept Videos
01:09Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
58.5K
In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).
58.5K
03:33Genetic Drift
39.9K
Natural selection—probably the most well-known evolutionary mechanism—increases the prevalence of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. However, evolution does not merely propagate favorable traits, nor does it always benefit populations.
39.9K
01:25What is Population Genetics?
58.1K
A population is composed of members of the same species that simultaneously live and interact in the same area. When individuals in a population breed, they pass down their genes to their offspring. Many of these genes are polymorphic, meaning that they occur in multiple variants. Such variations of a gene are referred to as alleles. The collective set of all the alleles within a population is known as the gene pool.
58.1K
01:20Gene-Environment Interactions
361
Gene expression is a dynamic process that is significantly influenced by environmental factors. This interaction underlies the complex nature of biological development and the phenotypic differences observed among individuals, even among those with identical genetic makeups. Factors such as radiation, temperature, behavior, nutrition, and stress play pivotal roles in determining how genes are expressed. The concept of the reaction range is central to understanding this interaction. It posits...
361
01:25Genetic Variation
323
Genetic variation is the diversity in DNA sequences found among individuals of the same species. This diversity is crucial for a species' survival because it helps organisms adapt to environmental changes. Genetic variation begins with fertilization, where an egg and sperm cell merge. Each of these cells carries 23 chromosomes, up to 46 in the fertilized egg. Chromosomes are long DNA strands that contain genes, the basic units of heredity.
Genes exist in different versions called alleles,...
Genes exist in different versions called alleles,...
323
01:18Polygenic Traits
66.0K
When more than one gene is responsible for a given phenotype, the trait is considered polygenic. Human height is a polygenic trait. Studies have uncovered hundreds of loci that influence height, and there are believed to be many more. Due to the high number of genes involved, as well as environmental and nutritional factors, height varies significantly within a given population. The distribution of height forms a bell-shaped curve, with relatively few individuals in the population at the...
66.0K