Estimating gene conversion rates from population data using multi-individual identity by descent.

ABSTRACT: In humans, homologous gene conversions occur at a higher rate than crossovers, however gene conversion tracts are small and often unobservable. As a result, estimating gene conversion rates is more difficult than estimating crossover rates. We present a method for multi-individual identity-by-descent (IBD) inference that allows for mismatches due to genotype error and gene conversion. We use the inferred IBD to detect alleles that have changed due to gene conversion in the recent past. We analyze data from the TOPMed and UK Biobank studies to estimate autosome-wide maps of gene conversion rates. For 10 kb, 100kb, and 1 Mb windows, the correlation between our TOPMed gene conversion map and the deCODE sex-averaged crossover map ranges from 0.56 to 0.67. We find that the strongest gene conver

SUBMITTER: Browning SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11888280 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature