Pilot HGDP: Developing Genetic Markers Informative in all Populations

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The goals of this pilot project are to: 1) demonstrate the utility of a simple, expandable, and cost-effective strategy in identifying a set of genetic markers that are highly variable in several populations, and 2) develop a simple genetic assay for such a set of markers. To achieve these goals, the allele frequencies of one hundred and sixty common genetic markers in the three major subpopulations in the United States (Caucasian, Hispanic, and African American) will be estimated by automated DNA sequencing. A set of 40 markers that are evenly distributed across the human genome and that are informative in all three populations will be selected for high-throughput genetic assay development. This approach can be expanded easily in parallel with the development of a high-density genetic map of the human genome. With a large number of informative genetic markers available, an appropriate subset of them can be tailored for use in studying population history, mechanisms of evolution, disease resistance and susceptibility, and many other questions being asked in the full-scale Human Genome Diversity Project. Answers to these questions will not only provide insights in anthropology and population biology, but also promote global unity and health.