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Biomedical subjects

A Gimelfarb

Publications and source records attributed to A Gimelfarb.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Pleiotropy and multilocus polymorphisms.

It is demonstrated that systems of two pleiotropically related characters controlled by additive diallelic loci can maintain under Gaussian stabilizing selection a stable polymorphism in more than two loci. It is also shown that such systems may have multiple stable polymorphic equilibria. Stabilizing selection generates negative linkage disequilibrium, as a result of which the equilibrium phenotypic variances are quite low, even though the level of allelic polymorphisms can be very high. Consequently, large amounts of additive genetic variation can be hidden in populations at equilibrium under stabilizing selection on pleiotropically related characters.

Genetic Linkage

Age differences between distributions of genotypes among pregnant women: evidence of fertility selection.

The number of children produced by a modern woman is usually below her total reproductive capacity and is determined by circumstances other than natural selection. It is, therefore, practically impossible to detect differences in natural fertilities associated with different types (e.g. phenotypes, genotypes) of women. This does not mean, however, that natural selection at the reproductive level cannot at all be detected today. If women of a particular type have high natural fertility, this usually means that they reproduce (become pregnant) at a higher rate than women of a type with lower natural fertility. Hence, when there is a limit on the number of children, women of the first type will reach the limit at an earlier age than women of the second type. As a result, types that have a higher natural fertility should be overrepresented among pregnant women of younger ages and, consequently, underrepresented among older ones, as compared to types with a lower natural fertility. Based on this notion, a model of age-related differences between distributions of types among pregnant women is suggested. The model is applied to data on MNSs-blood group and PGM1 (phosphoglucomutase) types in a sample of pregnant women and an evidence of natural selection at the reproduction level associated with these genetic markers is obtained.

Adolescent

Genotypic variation for a quantitative character maintained under stabilizing selection without mutations: epistasis.

A model of the gene action on a quantitative character is suggested. The model takes into account epistasis by combining multiplicative with the traditional additive approximation of the action of loci. It is demonstrated on the basis of this model that a high level of genotypic variation can be maintained in a population for a quantitative character under stabilizing selection in the absence of mutations, if there is epistasis. It is also shown that a large amount of additive variation as well as high heritability can be "hidden" in such a population and "released" if stabilizing selection is relaxed.

Computer Simulation

Processes of pair formation leading to assortative mating in biological populations: dynamic interaction model.

A model of pair formation that treats mating between two individuals as a dynamic process rather than an instant event is suggested. A number of cases corresponding to polygamous and monogamous matings of individuals are considered. The individual mating preferences are represented in the model by a set of "compatibility probabilities." It is shown that the mating pattern (the distribution of characters among mating pairs) established in a population as a result of the process of pair formation does not uniquely reflect the pattern of mating preferences. Quite different mating patterns may occur in populations with very similar mating preferences, as well as similar mating patterns may occur in populations with different individual mating preferences. The model demonstrates that not only mating preferences of individuals but also specific mechanisms of pair formation play an important role in determining the mating pattern of a population.

Animals

Additive variation maintained under stabilizing selection: a two-locus model of pleiotropy for two quantitative characters.

A model with two diallelic loci controlling two additive quantitative characters is suggested. One of the loci has a similar effect on both characters, whereas the second locus has an antagonistic effect on two characters. Both characters experience direct stabilizing selection. The model yields a stable polymorphic state, with both characters maintaining genetic variation. The genetic correlation between the characters at the equilibrium is zero, in spite of the pleiotropic effects of the loci controlling them.

Alleles

Multiplicative genotype-environment interaction as a cause of reversed response to directional selection.

In experiments with directional selection on a quantitative character a "reversed response" to selection is occasionally observed, when selection of individuals for a higher (lower) value of the character results in a lower (higher) value of the character among their offspring. A sudden change in environments or random drift is often assumed to be responsible for this. It is demonstrated in this paper that these two causes cannot account for the reversed response at least in some of the experiments. Multiplicative genotype-environment interaction is discussed as a possible cause of a reversed response to directional selection. Such interaction entails either disruptive or stabilizing genotypic selection, even when the phenotypic selection is directional.

Animals

Offspring-parent genotypic regression: how linear is it?

Linearity of offspring-parent regression is investigated for quantitative characters with dominance. This is done by fitting a second-order regression equation in orthogonal bivariate polynomials to the offspring's genotypic value and evaluating the significance of nonlinear terms in the equation. Three genetic models are considered.

Animals