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PMID: 18711218 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Review

Tilting at quixotic trait loci (QTL): an evolutionary perspective on genetic causation.

Genetics ·Vol. 179 ·No. 4 ·2008-08-00 ·Pages 1741-56

Weiss KM

Abstract

Recent years have seen great advances in generating and analyzing data to identify the genetic architecture of biological traits. Human disease has understandably received intense research focus, and the genes responsible for most Mendelian diseases have successfully been identified. However, the same advances have shown a consistent if less satisfying pattern, in which complex traits are affected by variation in large numbers of genes, most of which have individually minor or statistically elusive effects, leaving the bulk of genetic etiology unaccounted for. This pattern applies to diverse and unrelated traits, not just disease, in basically all species, and is consistent with evolutionary expectations, raising challenging questions about the best way to approach and understand biological complexity.

MeSH Terms
Animals Chromosome Mapping Evolution, Molecular Genetic Variation Genetics, Population Humans Quantitative Trait Loci
Authors & Affiliations
1 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Weiss Kenneth M
Department of Anthropology and Integrated Biosciences Genetics Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA. [email protected]
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Article Info
Journal
Genetics
Abbr.
Genetics
ISSN
0016-6731
DOI
10.1534/genetics.108.094128
Email
[email protected]
Published
2008-08-00
Pages
1741-56
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0374636
PMCID
PMC2516055
Subset
IM
Grants
NIMH NIH HHS · R01 MH063749 · United States
NIMH NIH HHS · MH063749 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1534/genetics.108.094128 PMC Full Text View journal details
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