Detecting selection-induced departures from Hardy-Weinberg proportions

Genet Sel Evol. 2009 Jan 21;41(1):15. doi: 10.1186/1297-9686-41-15.

Abstract

Viability selection influences the genotypic contexts of alleles and leads to quantifiable departures from Hardy-Weinberg proportions. One measure of these departures is Wright's inbreeding coefficient (F), where observed heterozygosity is compared with expected heterozygosity. Here, I extend population genetics theory to describe post-selection genotype frequencies in terms of post-selection allele frequencies and fitness dominance. The resulting equations correspond to non-equilibrium populations, allowing the following questions to be addressed: When selection is present, how large a sample size is needed to detect significant departures from Hardy-Weinberg? How do selection-induced departures from Hardy-Weinberg vary with allele frequencies and levels of fitness dominance? For realistic selection coefficients, large sample sizes are required and departures from Hardy-Weinberg proportions are small.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Gene Frequency
  • Genetics, Population
  • Genotype
  • Inbreeding
  • Models, Genetic*
  • Selection, Genetic*