Table 1 Features of different approaches aiming to link genotype and phenotype

From: Combining experimental evolution with next-generation sequencing: a powerful tool to study adaptation from standing genetic variation

 

E&R

Classic GWAS

GWAS in reference panel

Pool-GWAS

Linkage mapping

Analysis of heterozygous individuals

+

+

+

+

Repeated phenotyping

Every generation

+

Sensitivity to environmental noise

Low because of repeated phenotyping in every generation and replication

High

Low because of repeated phenotyping of identical genotypes

Moderate because of replication

High

Well-established analysis strategies

+

+

+

Mapping resolution

High

High

High

High

Moderate (cost effective), high (expensive)

Genetic diversity analyzed

High

High

Moderate–high

High

Limited to parental genotypes

Inference of effect size

Selection, coefficient

+

+

+

Randomized genetic background

+,

in starting population and repeated mixing by sexual reproduction during the experiment

+,

but sensitive to population structure that can be accounted for in analysis

+,

but sensitive to population structure that can be accounted for in analysis given a sufficient sample size

+,

but sensitive to population structure that can be accounted for in analysis

+

Genotyping/sequencing costs

Low because of Pool-Seq

High for establishment, no costs for follow-up experiments

High for establishment, no costs for follow-up experiments

Low because of Pool-Seq

Low because of the use of genetic markers (Rad-Tag sequencing)

Sampling effort

High because of maintenance of experimental populations

Depends on species

High for establishment, low later on

Moderate

Moderate

Analysis of multiple traits from the same genotypes

+

+

+

Replication

Yes, is common practice

Only across different populations

Requires an independent reference panel

Yes, it is common practice. Easy to expand to multiple populations

Requires independent mapping families

Influence of allele frequency (conditional on presence in the sample)

Low power for high-frequency alleles, low-frequency alleles are often lost

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Trajectories of selected variants

+

Identification of adaptive variants in a defined environment

+

  1. Abbreviations: E&R, Evolve and resequence; GWAS, genome-wide association study; Pool-Seq, Pool-sequencing.