Genetical Research

Table of Contents - 2006 - Volume 87, Issue 03  


Genetic mapping of allometric scaling laws

FEI LONG a1, YING QING CHEN a2, JAMES M. CHEVERUD a3 and RONGLING WU a1c1
a1 Department of Statistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
a2 Program in Biostatistics, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
a3 Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 631110, USA

Article author query
long f   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
qing chen y   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
cheverud jm   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
wu r   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 

Abstract

Many biological processes, from cellular metabolism to population dynamics, are characterized by particular allometric scaling relationships between rate and size (power laws). A statistical model for mapping specific quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that are responsible for allometric scaling laws has been developed. We present an improved model for allometric mapping of QTLs based on a more general allometry equation. This improved model includes two steps: (1) use model II regression analysis to estimate the parameters underlying universal allometric scaling laws, and (2) substitute the estimated allometric parameters in the mixture-based mapping model to obtain the estimation of QTL position and effects. This model has been validated by a real example for a mouse F2 progeny, in which two QTLs were detected on different chromosomes that determine the allometric relationship between growth rate and body weight.

(Received July 26 2005)
(Revised December 4 2005)


Correspondence:
c1 Tel: +1 (352) 3923806. Fax: +1 (352) 3928555. e-mail: rwu@stat.ufl.edu

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