Open AccessEstimation of genetic variation at the DNA level from restriction endonuclease data.
Author(s) -
Warren J. Ewens,
Richard S. Spielman,
Harry Harris
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.78.6.3748
Subject(s) - restriction enzyme , endonuclease , biology , genetics , dna , restriction fragment , population , computational biology , demography , sociology
We consider the estimation of the genetic variation in a natural population when the data are obtained by the use of restriction endonucleases. Under the restriction endonuclease technique, a particular DNA segment is considered and cut wherever a recognition sequence appropriate to the endonuclease occurs. We consider data generated when a random sample of homologous DNA segments is treated in this way with one or a battery of restriction endonucleases. The numbers and sizes of the fragments that result indicate the locations and the frequencies of the recognition sequence (or, with a battery of restriction endonucleases, of each recognition sequence). These frequencies in the sample form the basis for an estimate of the amount of genetic variation in the population.