The stepwise mutation model (SMM) is a simple, widely used model to describe the evolutionary behaviour of microsatellites. We apply a Markov chain description of the SMM and derive the marginal and joint properties of this process. In addition to the standard SMM, we also consider the normalised allele process. In contrast to the standard process, the normalised process converges to a stationa...

We identified the most frequent, variable-length DNA sequence motifs in the human and mouse genomes and sub-selected those with multiple recurrences in the intergenic and intronic regions and at least one additional exonic instance in the corresponding genome. We discovered that these motifs have virtually no overlap with intronic sequences that are conserved between human and mouse, and thus a...

Using the generalized stepwise mutation model, we propose a method of estimating the relative mutation rates of microsatellite loci, grouped by the repeat motif. Applying ANOVA to the distributions of the allele sizes at microsatellite loci from a set of populations, grouped by repeat motif types, we estimated the effect of population size differences and mutation rate differences among loci. T...

Owing to their codominant, multiallelic, and highly polymorphic nature, microsatellite markers have been used widely in population genetics and biological resource conservation studies. To investigate the genetic structure of Sepioteuthis lessoniana, we developed 24 microsatellite DNA markers and assessed the polymorphism of each locus in a wild S. lessoniana population. The number of alle...

We employ microsatellite markers to assess mating tactics in Lepomis marginatus. Genetic assignments for 1015 progeny in 23 nests indicate that about 95% of the offspring were sired by their respective nest-guardians, a finding consistent with the apparent absence of a brood parasitic morphotype in this species. Allopaternal care was documented in two nests, one resulting from a nest takeover, ...

Male red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) often cooperate with their neighbours in defending nests against predators. Some studies have suggested that this is an example of by-product mutualism, whereas others have suggested the possibility of reciprocal altruism. No study has addressed the possibility of kin-selected cooperation in nest defence in this species. Reciprocal altruism, kin ...

A multiplex PCR assay was designed for multilocus strain typing of Toxoplasma gondii based on length polymorphism of five microsatellite markers. Eight T. gondii strains already sequenced at these five markers were used as control isolates. This method is simple, rapid, reproducible, and adapted to a large set of isolates.

Y-chromosomal variation at five biallelic markers (Tat, YAP, 12f2, SRY(10831) and 92R7) and nine multiallelic short tandem repeat (STR) loci (DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385I/II and DYS388) in a Norwegian population sample are presented. The material consists of 1766 unrelated males of Norwegian origin. The geographical distribution of the population sample refl...

Tibeto-Burman populations of India provide an insight into the peopling of India and aid in understanding their genetic relationship with populations of East, South and Southeast Asia. The study investigates the genetic status of one such Tibeto-Burman group, Adi of Arunachal Pradesh based on 15 autosomal microsatellite markers. Further the study examines, based on 9 common microsatellite loci,...