Integration of quantitative genetics and genomics: a promise for genetic improvement in
marine aquaculture
Gen Hua Yue1, Chun Ming Wang1, Loong Chueng Lo1, Ze Yuan Zhu1, Grace Lin1,
Felicia Feng1, Jian Li1, Ping Gong1, Jason Tan2, Huan Sein Lim2, Renee Chou2, & Laszlo
Orban3
1
Molecular Population Genetics Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 117604
Singapore,
2
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore, Singapore,
3
Reproductive Genomics Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 117604 Singapore
Traditional selection/breeding of agricultural species using quantitative genetic methods
has led to substantial genetic improvement of these species. Currently, the integration of
methods in quantitative genetics and genomics revealed explicit links between genes and
complex traits, and has large impact on plant and animal breeding. Studies on genetic
improvement of food fish species, especially marine food fish, lag far behind economical
important agriculture species. We are trying to use quantitative genetic and genomic tools
for selective breeding of food fish species including marine food fish species. In this
paper, we present current research results on Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer L) about (1)
the estimation of heritability of growth traits using microsatellite-inferred-pedigrees, (2)
development of large number of microsatellites from genomic DNA libraries and ESTs,
(3) construction of a linkage map with microsatellites and SNPs, (4) whole genome scan
for QTL for complex traits, (5) association study using positional candidate genes, (6).
sequencing of 10,000 ESTs from seven normalized cDNA libraries, (7) generation of a
BAC genomic DNA library to link physical and genetic maps, and (8) selection of
superior fish with the help of molecular markers.