How does epistasis influence the response to selection?

ABSTRACT: Much of quantitative genetics is based on the 'infinitesimal model', under which selection has a negligible effect on the genetic variance. This is typically justified by assuming a very large number of loci with additive effects. However, it applies even when genes interact, provided that the number of loci is large enough that selection on each of them is weak relative to random drift. In the long term, directional selection will change allele frequencies, but even then, the effects of epistasis on the ultimate change in trait mean due to selection may be modest. Stabilising selection can maintain many traits close to their optima, even when the underlying alleles are weakly selected. However, the number of traits that can be optimised is apparently limited to ~4N_e by the 'dri

SUBMITTER: Barton NH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5176114 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature