title: A nonparametric approach for mapping quantitative trait loci.
abstract: Genetic mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) is performed typically by using a parametric approach, based on the assumption that the phenotype follows a normal distribution. Many traits of interest, however, are not normally distributed. In this paper, we present a nonparametric approach to QTL mapping applicable to any phenotypic distribution. The method is based on a statistic ZW, which generalizes the nonparametric Wilcoxon rank-sum test to the situation of whole-genome search by interval mapping. We determine the appropriate significance level for the statistic ZW, by showing that its asymptotic null distribution follows an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. These results provide a robust, distribution-free method for mapping QTLs.
authors.affiliation: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kruglyak
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Lander
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002874:Chromosome Mapping / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002875:Chromosomes; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D016678:Genome; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016011:Normal Distribution; D010641:Phenotype; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers