The frequency and character of interactions among genes influencing complex traits remain unknown. Our ignorance is most acute for segregating variation within natural populations, the epistasis most relevant for quantitative trait evolution. Here, we report a comprehensive survey of interactions among a defined set of flower-size QTL: loci polymorphic within a single natural population of yellow monkeyflower ( Mimulus guttatus ). We find that epistasis is typical. Observed phenotypes routinely differ from those predicted on the basis of direct allelic affects in the isogenic background, although the direction of deviations is highly variable. Across QTL pairs, there are significantly positive and negative interactions for every trait. Across traits, specific locus pairs routinely exhibit both positive and negative interactions. There was a tendency for negative epistasis to accompany positive direct effects and vice versa for the trait of corolla width, which may be due, at least in part, to the fact that QTL were identified from their direct effects on this trait. Received July 7, 2011. Accepted September 1, 2011. Copyright © 2011 by the Genetics Society of America Related articles Issue Highlights : ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS Genetics December 2011 189 : NP Full Text Full Text (PDF) « Previous | Next Article » Table of Contents This Article Published online before print September 16, 2011 , doi: 10.1534/genetics.111.132423 Genetics December 1, 2011 vol. 189 no. 4 1461-1471 » Abstract Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supporting Information Classifications Investigations Genetics of Complex Traits Services Email this article to a friend Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Download to citation manager Citing Articles Load citing article information Google Scholar Articles by Kelly, J. K. PubMed PubMed citation Articles by Kelly, J. K. Related Content Related articles in this journal Load related web page information This Months's Issue January 2012, 190 (1) Alert me to new issues of Genetics ABOUT SUBSCRIBE INFO FOR AUTHORS ONLINE SUBMISSION EDITORIAL BOARD CONTACT ALERTS HELP ADVERTISING RSS Help Contact Us International Access Link Print ISSN: 0016-6731 Online ISSN: 1943-2631 Copyright © 2012 by the Genetics Society of America phone: 412-268-1812 fax: 412-268-1813 email: genetics-gsa@andrew.cmu.edu
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