Additive and non-additive genetic effects in complete diallel cross of Crassostrea angulata strains tested in tropical farming environments

Additive and non-additive genetic effects in complete diallel cross of Crassostrea angulata strains tested in tropical farming environments | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Additive and non-additive genetic effects in complete diallel cross of Crassostrea angulata strains tested in tropical farming environments Luan Thanh Nguyen, Anh Mai Thi Nguyen, Nguyen Hoang Khoi Le, Suong Thao Nguyen, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7413162/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract As a native of subtropical regions, the Portuguese oyster ( Crassostrea angulata ) has not been extensively evaluated under tropical farming systems. This study examined additive and non-additive genetic effects for body weight and survival in a complete 4 × 4 diallel cross using four geographically distinct C. angulata strains, tested under tropical estuarine conditions in Southern Vietnam. After 180 days of grow-out, performance data were collected from 13,173 oysters across four sites with fluctuating salinity (14–30 ppt) and stable temperatures (27–32°C). Our results revealed significant additive genetic variation and genotype-by-environment interactions across environment. The Vung Tau (V) and Khanh Hoa (K) strains exhibited the strongest additive genetic effects (AGE) for both traits, with V showing consistent contributions across hybrid combinations. In contrast, Quang Ninh (Q) and Taiwan (T) strains displayed negative additive genetic performance, reflecting limited adaptation to tropical estuarine conditions. Reciprocal effects contributed to phenotypic variation and showed asymmetry in certain crosses, suggesting maternal and environmental interactions. Heterosis was generally negative or negligible for body weight, but modest positive values for survival were detected in crosses involving Q (e.g., QK, QT), indicating limited dominance effects. Collectively, additive genetic variance was the primary driver of trait improvement, underscoring the importance of strain selection. Strains V and K are promising candidates for developing a synthetic base population, while inclusion of genetically distinct strains such as Q and T may help maintain long-term diversity in breeding programs targeting tropical oyster aquaculture. Crassostrea angulata diallel cross genetic effects heterosis tropical farming Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 07 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 07 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 04 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 29 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Aug, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 20 Aug, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 20 Aug, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 20 Aug, 2025 First submitted to journal 20 Aug, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7413162","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":505456434,"identity":"2c4d10c6-e730-46ff-ac6e-a8fd6aea87d9","order_by":0,"name":"Luan Thanh 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This study examined additive and non-additive genetic effects for body weight and survival in a complete 4 \u0026times; 4 diallel cross using four geographically distinct \u003cem\u003eC. angulata\u003c/em\u003e strains, tested under tropical estuarine conditions in Southern Vietnam. After 180 days of grow-out, performance data were collected from 13,173 oysters across four sites with fluctuating salinity (14\u0026ndash;30 ppt) and stable temperatures (27\u0026ndash;32\u0026deg;C). Our results revealed significant additive genetic variation and genotype-by-environment interactions across environment. The Vung Tau (V) and Khanh Hoa (K) strains exhibited the strongest additive genetic effects (AGE) for both traits, with V showing consistent contributions across hybrid combinations. In contrast, Quang Ninh (Q) and Taiwan (T) strains displayed negative additive genetic performance, reflecting limited adaptation to tropical estuarine conditions. 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