A general mixture model for mapping quantitative trait loci by using molecular markers

In a segregating population a quantitative trait may be considered to follow a mixture of (normal) distributions, the mixing proportions being based on Mendelian segregation rules. A general and flexible mixture model is proposed for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) by using molecular markers. A method is discribed to fit the model to data. The model makes it possible to (1) analyse non-normally distributed traits such as lifetimes, counts or percentages in addition to normally distributed traits, (2) reduce environmental variation by taking into account the effects of experimental design factors and interaction between genotype and environment, (3) reduce genotypic variation by taking into account the effects of two or more QTLs simultaneously, (4) carry out a (combined) analysis of different population types, (5) estimate recombination frequencies between markers or use known marker distances, (6) cope with missing marker observations, (7) use markers as covariables in detection and mapping of QTLs, and finally to (8) implement the mapping in standard statistical packages.