Estimations of Mutation Rates Depend on Population Allele Frequency Distribution: The Case of Autosomal Microsatellites.

ABSTRACT: Microsatellites (or short-tandem repeats (STRs)) are widely used in anthropology and evolutionary studies. Their extensive polymorphism and rapid evolution make them the ideal genetic marker for dating events, such as the age of a gene or a population. This usage requires the estimation of mutation rates, which are usually estimated by counting the observed Mendelian incompatibilities in one-generation familial configurations (typically parent(s)-child duos or trios). Underestimations are inevitable when using this approach, due to the occurrence of mutational events that do not lead to incompatibilities with the parental genotypes ('hidden' or 'covert' mutations). It is known that the likelihood that one mutation event leads to a Mendelian incompatibility depends on the mode of genetic tr

SUBMITTER: Antao-Sousa S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9323320 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature