Offspring genes indirectly influence sibling and maternal behavioural strategies over resource share.

ABSTRACT: Family members show behavioural strategies predicted to maximize individual fitness. These behaviours depend directly on genes expressed in focal individuals but also indirectly on genes expressed in other family members. However, how sibling and parental behavioural strategies are modified by genes expressed in family members, and to what degree, remains unclear. To answer this question, we have used a split litter design in an experimental population of genetically variable mouse families, and identified loci that indirectly affected sibling and maternal behaviour simultaneously. These loci map to genomic regions that also show a direct effect on offspring behaviour. Directly and indirectly affected traits were significantly correlated at the phenotypic level, illustrating how indirect e

SUBMITTER: Ashbrook DG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5627198 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature