Linkage Disequilibrium Maps and Location Databases

Effective application of association mapping for complex traits requires characterization of linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns that reflect the dominant process of recombination and its duration in addition to the more subtle influences of mutation, selection, and genetic drift. Maps expressed in linkage disequilibrium units (LDUs) reflect the influences of these factors with the use of a modified version of Malecot’s isolation-by-distance model. As a result, LDU maps are analogous to linkage maps in so far as their provision of an additive metric that is related to recombination and facilitates association-mapping studies. However, unlike linkage maps, LDUs also reflect the partly cumulative effects of multiple historical bottlenecks that account for substantial variations in LD patterns between populations. This chapter provides an overview of the data requirements and methodology used to construct LDU maps, their applications outside association mapping, and their integration into location databases.