Sex-Linked and Maternal Effects in the Diallel Cross

Abstract

SummaryThe diallel cross has been used frequently in plant experiments to partition the genetic variation into general and specific combining abilities of inbred lines. The statistical models developed for analysis of diallel crosses in plants have been used in a number of studies of diallel crosses in mammals and poultry, without due consideration to the presence and effect of the sex chromosomes.Two statistical models for the analysis of the modified diallel cross, one assuming maternal effects and one assuming no maternal effects, were compared for male and female progeny of both male homogametic species and female homo· gametic species. It was found that neither statistical model is adequate to separate the effects of sex·linked genes from both maternal and autosomal additive genetic effects when data on only one sex of progeny are analysed.Utilization of estimates from both statistical models provides a crude estimate of sex.linked, maternal, and additive autosomal effects only in the case of female progeny of male homogametic species such as poultry.

Diallel cross of six long‐term selected leghorn strains with emphasis on heterosis and reciprocal effects

“…Depending on the diallel model used, this means that estimates of GCA can be inflated by maternal effects, sex-linkage effects or both if present, and estimates of reciprocal effects using females will contain maternal and sex linkage effects (Eisen et al, 1966). Since a number of experimenters have reported significant maternal and sex linkage effects in poultry (Cock and Morton, 1963;Eisen et al, 1967;Wearden et al, 1965Wearden et al, , 1967, caution should be used in the interpretation of GCA and reciprocal effects.…”

“…Several papers have dealt with the general design and analysis of such diallels (Sprague and Tatum, 1942;Kempthorne, 1956;Griffing, 1958;Eisen et al, 1966).…”

Sex-Linked and Maternal Effects on Growth in Chickens

“…The linear model can be effectively used to estimate genetic relationships between the sexes. Although crossbreeding experiments among animals have been performed for many years, they traditionally use one sex or the other, either estimating maternal effects from the homogametic progeny or assuming the absence of sex linkage (Eisen et al, 1966). The present experiment was designed to test the presence or absence of sex-linked genetic variation, specifically heterosis due to the autosomes, heterosis due to the sex chromosomes, maternal effects, and additive sex linkage.…”

Heterosis and Combining and Maternal Abilities in Mouse Litter Weight

“…The mateinal "ffr.t, are defined as the general reciprocal efiects that are measured by the differences in marginal means of sites and dams of a strain, and contain the sex-linked gene effects only in male progeny-of the homogametic female ,p""i", such as mice (Eisen et al, 1966). Maternal effects measure the effects of pr.-una post-natal maternal environments of a strain, and each is a function of the i"rrotyp"'ot a strain rather than of the genes transmitted to the female progeny of it" stiuln.…”