Exploration of the disease locus by a careful evaluation of the likelihood polynomial for pedigree data

Abstract

It is demonstrated through two case studies that a careful evaluation of the likelihood polynomial results in a more accurate localization of disease locus. The evaluation of the likelihood function as a polynomial enables more flexible exploration of the disease locus. Visualization by a contour plot of the function on a unit square of paternal and maternal recombination fractions along with a superimposed ellipsoid of the Fisher information matrix helps us to find a more accurate localization of the disease locus.