How accurate is the current picture of human genetic variation?

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_72C2E71E17C9
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
How accurate is the current picture of human genetic variation?
Journal
Heredity
Author(s)
Romero I.G., Manica A., Goudet J., Handley L.L., Balloux F.
ISSN
1365-2540[electronic]
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2009
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
102
Number
2
Pages
120-126
Language
english
Abstract
Our understanding of the distribution of worldwide human genomic diversity has greatly increased over recent years thanks to the availability of large data sets derived from short tandem repeats (STRs), insertion deletion polymorphisms (indels) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). A concern, however, is that the current picture of worldwide human genomic diversity may be inaccurate because of biases in the selection process of genetic markers (so-called 'ascertainment bias'). To evaluate this problem, we first compared the distribution of genomic diversity between these three types of genetic markers in the populations from the HGDP-CEPH panel for evidence of bias or incongruities. In a second step, using a very relaxed set of criteria to prevent the intrusion of bias, we developed a new set of unbiased STR markers and compared the results against those from available panels. Contrarily to recent claims, our results show that the STR markers suffer from no discernible bias, and can thus be used as a baseline reference for human genetic diversity and population differentiation. The bias on SNPs is moderate compared to that on the set of indels analysed, which we recommend should be avoided for work describing the distribution of human genetic diversity or making inference on human settlement history.
Keywords
Genetic Markers, Genetic Variation, Genetics, Medical/standards, Genetics, Population/standards, Humans, INDEL Mutation, Microsatellite Repeats, Models, Genetic, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
19/02/2009 12:17
Last modification date
20/08/2019 15:30
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