The appropriate threshold for declaring linkage when allowing sex-specific recombination rates.

Am J Hum Genet
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

In human genetics, two loci are declared to be linked when the lod score at the maximum likelihood recombination fraction theta exceeds the threshold of 3.0. Since recombination rates differ between the sexes, one can alternatively detect linkage by estimating separate recombination rates, theta m and theta f, for male and female meiosis and examining the corresponding sex-specific lod scores. The question arises: In order to maintain the same chance of falsely declaring linkage, what is the correct threshold for declaring linkage when sex-specific lod scores are used? We show here that the appropriate threshold is about 3.5. If the restriction that theta f greater than theta m is added, the appropriate threshold falls to about 3.25. We also discuss the relative efficiency of detecting linkage by using sex-specific and sex-averaged lod scores.

Year of Publication
1988
Journal
Am J Hum Genet
Volume
43
Issue
4
Pages
396-400
Date Published
1988 Oct
ISSN
0002-9297
PubMed ID
3177382
PubMed Central ID
PMC1715500
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