linkage analysis


link·age a·nal·y·sis

the assessment of the linkage relationship between two loci by the examination of data in pedigrees. The classic concern is with estimating recombination fractions and (because of its elasticity, efficiency, and other optimal properties) the preferred method is maximum likelihood estimation. However, there are other more modern concerns, notably determining the order of loci, testing for additive and interactive properties in the mapping function, and reconciling the pedigree data with evidence from other methods (for example, cytogenetics, in situ hybridization studies, etc.).

linkage analysis

Genetics A gene-hunting technique that traces patterns of heredity in large, high-risk families, in an attempt to locate a disease-causing gene mutation by identifying traits co-inherited with it; the formal study of the association between the inheritance of a condition in a family and a particular chromosomal locus; LA is based on certain ground rules of genetics. See Lod score.