As expected, those markers define a strongly associated haplotype in our population (P<0.000001 for haplotype H2, based on 1,000,000 permutations, Supplementary Table S4).
These three markers define a 7.2 cM interval on the GPMx GBS map.
In addition, 14 markers are listed that were part of a sequence of significant markers defining a QTLR, although they did not reach significance for Z or CS.
Interestingly, expression of Snail was positively correlated to tumour grade (P=0.003) and to expression of the proliferation marker Ki67 (P=0.024), implying that nuclear Snail expression is associated with markers defining a more aggressive disease in breast cancer (Table 2).
This allowed for more exacting definition of the boundaries, based on the outermost heterochromatin and euchromatin markers, defining a transition zone with an average size of 78 kb (range: ~15 to 226 kb).
These markers define a region on chromosome 18p previously shown to undergo LOH in invasive ductal breast carcinomas as well as non-small cell lung carcinomas and glioblastomas [ 1, 2].
We demonstrate that the expression patterns of BRCA1, pRb, p16, PTEN and p53 are highly correlated with one another, and that these markers define a subgroup of TNBCs associated with genetic or epigenetic defects in the BRCA1 gene.
Since these DNA markers define a specific position in the eggplant genome, they should be useful for merging the various genetic linkage maps currently available, some of which include loci related to important agronomic traits.
