ABSTRACT: The development of efficient methods for genome–wide association studies (GWAS) between quantitative trait loci (QTL) and genetic values is extremely important to animal and plant breeding programs. Bayesian approaches that aim to select regions of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) proved to be efficient, indicating genes with important effects. Among the selection criteria for SNPs or regions, selection criterion by percentage of variance can be explained by genomic regions (%var), selection of tag SNPs, and selection based on the window posterior probability of association (WPPA). To also detect potentially associated regions, we proposed measuring posterior probability of the interval PPint), which aims to select regions based on the markers of greatest effects. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate these approaches, in terms of efficiency in selecting and identifying markers or regions located within or close to genes associated with traits. This study also aimed to compare these methodologies with single–marker analyses. To accomplish this, simulated data were used in six scenarios, with SNPs allocated in non–overlapping genomic regions. Considering traits with oligogenic inheritance, WPPA criterion followed by %var and PPint criteria were shown to be superior, presenting higher values of detection power, capturing higher percentages of genetic variance and larger areas. For traits with polygenic inheritance, PPint and WPPA criteria were considered superior. Single–marker analyses identified SNPs associated only in oligogenic inheritance scenarios and was lower than the other criteria.

Abstract Bayesian approaches applied in association studies select regions of single-nucleotide polymorphisms, indicating genes with important effects. The Bayesian methods differ in terms of the distribution assumed for the marker effects. Here, we used the window posterior probability of association to detect potential regions. The present study evaluated the efficiency of these methods in identifying regions located close to genes. Data were simulated in six scenarios. Considering the lack of dominance, BayesA was more efficient in the scenario with three QTLs. For scenarios with 10 or 100 QTLs, BayesCπ and BayesDπ were more efficient according to the false positive rate and detection power. Considering the presence of dominance, all methods were similar in the scenario with three QTLs, except in terms of accuracy. BayesDπ was superior in the scenario with 10 QTLs, while BRR was more efficient in the scenario with 100 QTLs.

ABSTRACT: Genome-wide selection (GWS) is currently a technique of great importance in plant breeding, since it improves efficiency of genetic evaluations by increasing genetic gains. The process is based on genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) obtained through phenotypic and dense marker genomic information. In this context, GEBVs of N individuals are calculated through appropriate models, which estimate the effect of each marker on phenotypes, allowing the early identification of genetically superior individuals. However, GWS leads to statistical challenges, due to high dimensionality and multicollinearity problems. These challenges require the use of statistical methods to approach the regularization of the estimation process. Therefore, we aimed to propose a method denominated as triple categorical regression (TCR) and compare it with the genomic best linear unbiased predictor (G-BLUP) and Bayesian least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (BLASSO) methods that have been widely applied to GWS. The methods were evaluated in simulated populations considering four different scenarios. Additionally, a modification of the G-BLUP method was proposed based on the TCR-estimated (TCR/G-BLUP) results. All methods were applied to real data of cassava (Manihot esculenta) with to increase efficiency of a current breeding program. The methods were compared through independent validation and efficiency measures, such as prediction accuracy, bias, and recovered genomic heritability. The TCR method was suitable to estimate variance components and heritability, and the TCR/G-BLUP method provided efficient GEBV predictions. Thus, the proposed methods provide new insights for GWS.

RESUMO: A cultura do arroz tem grande importância nacional e mundial por ser um dos cereais mais produzidos e consumidos no mundo, caracterizando-se como o principal alimento de mais da metade da população mundial. Em função de sua importância alimentar, desenvolver métodos eficientes que visam a predição e a seleção de indivíduos geneticamente superiores, quanto a características da planta, é de extrema importância para os programas de melhoramento. Diante disso, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar e comparar a eficiência do método Delta-p, G-BLUP, BayesCpi, BLASSO e o índice Delta-p/G-BLUP, índice Delta-p/BayesCpi e índice Delta-p/BLASSO, na estimação de valores genômicos e dos efeitos de marcadores SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) em dados fenotípicos associados a características de arroz. A utilização de marcadores moleculares permite alta eficiência seletiva e o aumento do ganho genético por unidade de tempo. O método Delta-p utiliza o conceito de mudança na frequência alélica devido à seleção e o conceito teórico de ganho genético. O Índice é baseado no princípio da seleção combinada, utiliza conjuntamente as informações dos valores genômicos aditivos preditos via G-BLUP, BayesCpi ou BLASSO e via Delta-p. Estes métodos foram aplicados e comparados quanto à predição genômica utilizando nove características de arroz (Oryza sativa), sendo elas: comprimento da folha bandeira, largura da folha bandeira; número de panículas por planta; número de ramos da panícula primária; comprimento de semente; largura de semente; teor de amilose; teor de proteína; resistência a bruzone. O índice Delta-p/G-BLUP obteve maiores capacidades preditivas para as características estudadas, exceto para a característica Conteúdo de amilose, em que o método que obteve maior capacidade preditiva foi o BayesCpi, sendo aproximadamente 3% superior ao índice Delta-p/G-BLUP.

ABSTRACT: Rice cultivation has great national and global importance, being one of the most produced and consumed cereals in the world and the primary food for more than half of the world’s population. Because of its importance as food, developing efficient methods to select and predict genetically superior individuals in reference to plant traits is of extreme importance for breeding programs. The objective of this research was to evaluate and compare the efficiency of the Delta-p, G-BLUP (Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Predictor), BayesCpi, BLASSO (Bayesian Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator), Delta-p/G-BLUP index, Delta-p/BayesCpi index, and Delta-p/BLASSO index in the estimation of genomic values and the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms on phenotypic data associated with rice traits. Use of molecular markers allowed high selective efficiency and increased genetic gain per unit time. The Delta-p method uses the concept of change in allelic frequency caused by selection and the theoretical concept of genetic gain. The Index is based on the principle of combined selection, using the information regarding the additive genomic values predicted via G-BLUP, BayesCpi, BLASSO, or Delta-p. These methods were applied and compared for genomic prediction using nine rice traits: flag leaf length, flag leaf width, panicles number per plant, primary panicle branch number, seed length, seed width, amylose content, protein content, and blast resistance. Delta-p/G-BLUP index had higher predictive abilities for the traits studied, except for amylose content trait in which the method with the highest predictive ability was BayesCpi, being approximately 3% greater than that of the Delta-p/G-BLUP index.