Construction of a high-density genetic linkage map and mapping of quantitative trait loci for growth-related traits in silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)

High-density genetic map and quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping are powerful tools for identifying genomic regions that may be responsible for such polygenic trait as growth. A high-density genetic linkage map was constructed by sequencing 198 individuals in a F-1 family of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) in this study. This genetic map spans a length of 2,721.07 cM with 3,134 SNPs distributed on 24 linkage groups (LGs). Comparative genomic mapping presented a high level of syntenic relationship between silver carp and zebrafish. We detected one major and nineteen suggestive QTL for 4 growth-related traits (body length, body height, head length and body weight) at 6, 12 and 18 months post hatch (mph), explaining 10.2 similar to 19.5% of phenotypic variation. All six QTL for growth traits of 12 mph generally overlapped with QTL for 6 mph, while the majority of QTL for 18 mph were identified on two additional LGs, which may reveal a different genetic modulation during early and late muscle growth stages. Four potential candidate genes were identified from the QTL regions by homology searching of marker sequences against zebrafish genome. Hepcidin, a potential candidate gene identified from a QTL interval on LG16, was significantly associated with growth traits in the analyses of both phenotype-SNP association and mRNA expression between small-size and large-size groups of silver carp. These results provide a basis for elucidating the genetic mechanisms for growth and body formation in silver carp, a world aquaculture fish.