A collection of ordered tetranucleotide-repeat markers from the human genome. The Utah Marker Development Group.

A collection of 1,069 human PCR-based genetic markers has been developed, and their distribution over the 22 autosomes and the X chromosome has been determined. Each marker was developed around a short-tandem-repeat DNA sequence. The majority (85%) of the markers described here were selected to contain tetranucleotide repeats, because these repeats show better stability during PCR than do dinucleotide repeats. Linkage maps constructed from genotypes collected with these markers in four CEPH pedigrees (1331, 1332, 1362, and 884) covered 3,417 cM of the human genome. More than 600 of the loci revealed heterozygosities > .70. Overall, 444 loci were ordered, with odds > 100:1 against inversion of adjacent loci. The average distance between markers was 7.4 cM on the autosomes and 24.8 cM on the X chromosome. Likely locations (100:1 odds intervals) were assigned for the remaining 621 short-tandem-repeat polymorphisms, as well as for 160 other markers that are present on the framework maps published by the Cooperative Human Linkage Center. Four markers specific to the Y chromosome are also reported here. From our maps, 347 markers were chosen to define "index" maps for each of the 22 autosomes. The index markers detect loci with an average heterozygosity of .85 and cover 3,169 cM of the autosomes, with an average distance between markers of 9.2 cM. These polymorphic short tandem repeats will be highly useful as reagents for the ongoing genetic and physical mapping of the human genome and for characterization of genetic changes in cancer.