title: Linkage analysis using sex-specific recombination fractions with GENEHUNTER-MODSCORE.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sex-specific marker maps have become increasingly available. We have implemented the usage of sex-specific recombination frequencies in the GENEHUNTER-MODSCORE program that performs multipoint linkage analysis. Furthermore, we have devised a consistent method to choose the combinations of male and female genetic positions at which linkage scores should be calculated. Marker coordinates can be read automatically from publicly available genetic maps.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a MOD-score analysis of the COGA dataset provided for Genetic Analysis Workshop 14, the highest linkage peak on chromosome 1 further increases when using sex-specific maps, while some smaller peaks are decreased. Simulations confirm that the MOD score can be biased when a sex-averaged instead of the correct sex-specific map is employed. This shows that an adequate modeling of the female:male ratio of genetic distances is important, especially for complex traits.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The new version of GENEHUNTER-MODSCORE can be downloaded from the following website: http://www.staff.uni-marburg.de/~strauchk/software.html
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, Philipps University Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany. dietter@med.uni-marburg.de
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dietter
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mattheisen
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fürst
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rüschendorf
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Wienker
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Strauch
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002874:Chromosome Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006801:Humans; D008126:Lod Score; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010375:Pedigree; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011995:Recombination, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012984:Software