A robust test for assortative mating

Area of Science:

• Population Genetics
• Human Genetics
• Immunogenetics

Background:

• Testing for random mating in human populations is challenging due to ethnic preference and population stratification.
• High polymorphism in Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) loci complicates detecting non-random mating.
• Ethically homogeneous populations offer a potential solution but may involve confounding inbreeding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a robust statistical test for random mating at multiallelic loci.
• To create a method that accounts for stratification and inbreeding in human populations.
• To investigate non-random mating patterns within the Hutterite population using HLA data.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel test for random mating utilizing genotypic information from parents of spouses.
• Focused the test on families with allele sharing between parental pairs to enable potential spouse allele sharing.
• Calculated the statistical power of the test across various scenarios.

Main Results:

• The developed test is robust to stratification and inbreeding.
• Analysis of Hutterite HLA data revealed significant negative assortative mating.
• The parental origin of shared haplotypes was crucial in detecting this negative assortative mating.

Conclusions:

• The new test provides a reliable method for assessing random mating in human populations.
• Significant negative assortative mating exists in the Hutterite population concerning HLA alleles.
• Accounting for parental haplotype origin is essential for accurate non-random mating detection.