Pedigree Tree Research Articles

Morphological analysis, agronomic characteristics, species identification, and phylogenetic analysis of Pseuderanthemum sp. using the rbcLgene

The study aimed to evaluate the agronomic characteristics of eleven samples of Pseuderanthemum sp. variety based on the results of the morphological survey on stem height, root length, leaves, combining molecular biology methods to determine their genetic relationships by building a phylogenetic tree based on the plastid gene rbcL sequence. Initial results of an evaluation of the genetic diversity of eleven Pseuderanthemum sp. samples showed that there were differences in stem length, leaf width to root length. Based on the analysis results from the pedigree tree, the tree samples with similar survival indexes and genetically close to each other were classified into two main groups. Based on molecular data, eleven varieties of Pseuderanthemum sp. in the study have been identified, all belonging to the species Pseuderanthemum sp. have a high similarity coefficient above 98% and 100% coverage. Although the geographical location of the samples is variable, it is necessary to investigate other gene sequences related to morphological and biochemical characteristics, such as bioactive compounds in leaves and fruits to have more accurate conclusions about this species.

Assessment of nurses' perception of role of genetics in development of breast cancer at Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti

ObjectiveChanges in the traditional approaches to prevention, diagnosis, and therapeutic management of breast cancer are becoming increasingly genetically based. It is therefore important for nurses to have competency in underlying biology of carcinogenesis and the molecular rationale underlying strategies to prevent, diagnose, and treat breast cancer. The risk for breast cancer is increased in individuals carrying a mutation in a predisposing gene and in others with a number of affected relatives with early age of disease onset. The authors investigated perception of nurses on the role of genetics in the development of breast cancer. Methods and materialA descriptive quantitative research design was adopted as the research design. The instrument for data collection was an adapted, pre-tested semi-structured, and self-administered questionnaire. Study participants were 187 nurses working at a tertiary health institution in Ekiti State. Data were analyzed and summarized using both descriptive and inferential statistics with level of significance set at P < .05. ResultsThe mean age of respondents was 39 ± 9.1 years and majority (86.2%) were females and B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science) (53.2%), with more than a decade working experience (62.2%). The study revealed that knowledge of the role of genetics in development of breast cancer was low among respondents with only a few (25.6%) having good knowledge. Although majority of the respondents had good perception of genetic counseling, only 40% had good practice of genetic assessment and counseling with a few of them ever using “Family pedigree trees”, “ever referred a breast cancer patient for genetic assessment”, and with many reporting “difficulties guiding breast cancer patients in seeking genetic counselling”… ConclusionDespite high level of education, knowledge, and practice of genetic counseling and assessment is poor among the respondents, with many reporting difficulties guiding breast cancer patients/relatives in seeking genetic counseling.

Mobile-Based and Self-Service Tool (iPed) to Collect, Manage, and Visualize Pedigree Data: Development Study.

BackgroundPedigree data (family history) are indispensable for genetics studies and the assessment of individuals' disease susceptibility. With the popularity of genetics testing, the collection of pedigree data is becoming more common. However, it can be time-consuming, laborious, and tedious for clinicians to investigate all pedigree data for each patient. A self-service robot could inquire about patients' family history in place of professional clinicians or genetic counselors.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to develop a mobile-based and self-service tool to collect and visualize pedigree data, not only for professionals but also for those who know little about genetics.MethodsThere are 4 main aspects in the iPed construction, including interface building, data processing, data storage, and data visualization. The user interface was built using HTML, JavaScript libraries, and Cascading Style Sheets (version 3; Daniel Eden). Processing of the submitted data is carried out by PHP programming language. MySQL is used to document and manage the pedigree data. PHP calls the R script to accomplish the visualization.ResultsiPed is freely available to all users through the iPed website. No software is required to be installed, no pedigree files need to be prepared, and no knowledge of genetics or programs is required. The users can easily complete their pedigree data collection and visualization on their own and through a dialogue with iPed. Meanwhile, iPed provides a database that stores all users’ information. Therefore, when the users need to construct new pedigree trees for other genetic traits or modify the pedigree trees that have already been created, unnecessary duplication of operations can be avoided.ConclusionsiPed is a mobile-based and self-service tool that could be used by both professionals and nonprofessionals at any time and from any place. It reduces the amount of time required to collect, manage, and visualize pedigree data.

Development and application of microsatellite markers within transcription factors in flare tree peony (Paeonia rockii) based on next-generation and single-molecule long-read RNA-seq

Tree peonies native to China are a precious crop with ornamental, medicinal and edible oil properties, of which flare tree peony (Paeonia rockii) is one of the most significant germplasms in Paeonia. The development and application of expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers are very valuable for genetic and breeding applications, but EST-SSR resources for the genus Paeonia are still limited. In this study, we first reported the development of SSRs within transcription factors (TFs) in P. rockii based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) and single-molecule long-read sequencing (SMLRS). A total of 166 EST-SSRs containing six nucleotide repeat types were identified from 959 candidate TFs associated with yield, with an average of one SSR per 5.83 unigenes. In total, 102 (61.45%) pairs of primers produced amplification products in the two RNA-seq cultivars. Among them, 58 (56.86%) pairs of primers from 18 gene families (AP2, bHLH, HSF, etc.) were identified to be polymorphic both in the parents of a linkage mapping population and in eight randomly selected accessions of P. rockii. Further, the 58 EST-SSRs indicated a high level of informativeness with PIC values ranging from 0.32 to 0.91 (mean 0.70) after assessment in 37 tree peony accessions. Transferability studies indicated that the amplification ratio of the 58 pairs of primers ranged from 89.66 to 100% across seven species of Paeonia. In addition, a genetic relationship study was performed in 62 accessions. Cluster analysis using the neighbour-joining (NJ) tree demonstrated that major clusters corresponded to the known pedigree trees. Taken together, these newly developed EST-SSRs have a potential use in the conservation of tree peony germplasm and marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding.

Tracing founder haplotypes of Japanese apple varieties: application in genomic prediction and genome-wide association study

Haplotypes provide useful information for genomics-based approaches, genomic prediction, and genome-wide association study. As a small number of superior founders have contributed largely to the breeding history of fruit trees, the information of founder haplotypes may be relevant for performing the genomics-based approaches in these plants. In this study, we proposed a method to estimate 14 haplotypes from 7 founders and automatically trace the haplotypes forward to apple parental (185 varieties) and breeding (659 F1 individuals from 16 full-sib families) populations based on 11,786 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, by combining multiple algorithms. Overall, 92% of the single-nucleotide polymorphisms information in the parental and breeding populations was characterized by the 14 founder haplotypes. The use of founder haplotype information improved the accuracy of genomic prediction in 7 traits and the resolution of genome-wide association study in 13 out of 27 fruit quality traits analyzed in this study. We also visualized the significant propagation of the founder haplotype with the largest genetic effect in genome-wide association study over the pedigree tree of the parental population. These results suggest that the information of founder haplotypes can be useful for not only genetic improvement of fruit quality traits in apples but also for understanding the selection history of founder haplotypes in the breeding program of Japanese apple varieties.

Fingerprint pattern similarity: a family-based study using novel classification

Objectives: Establishing that certain traits are inherited can be assessed from the extent of morphological similarity of the offspring and their parents. This study, evaluated the pattern similarity of the fingerprint of offspring to that of their parents using a novel classification. Methods: Fifty families (comprising of father, mother and a child) without ethnic considerations were recruited and digital fingerprints were obtained. The fingerprints; arch (A), loop (L), and whorl (W) were identified and a novel classification (A, L, W, AL, AW, and LW) for heredity study as described by Aigbogun et al.(2018) was adopted. Chi-square analysis was used to test distribution differences, while a pedigree tree was designed for the offspring’s similarity to the parents. Results: In this study, loop (L) was consistently predominant both as single (>60%) and combined distribution (>75%), followed by whorl (<25%) and then arch (<22%); although not entirely consistent for the whorl (W) and arch (A). The distribution except the ring finger (¯2=24.891; P=0.036) was not statistically significant (p>0.05). From the pedigree tree, the possibility that the offspring displayed patterns similar to that of the parental combinations was 84% for the thumb, 76% for the index finger, 84% for the middle finger, 88% for the ring finger, and 92% for the little finger. Conclusion: Morphological evidence from this study suggests that fingerprints are more genetically determined than environmentally influenced; however, the pattern in which they are inherited seemed closer to co-recessivity with complex expressivity.

Kinship identification based on rare severe variants from trio whole exome sequencing

Background: To automatic identify potential sample swaps or kinship label errors for inter-family or intra-family whole exome sequencing (WES) data, this study added a kinship quality control module to the current trio WES analysis pipeline. Methods: The study involved 105 trio WES, including 323 samples in total. The module used total variants data (total variants) or the rare, severe variants data during data processing (feature variants) to evaluate the similarity between samples. Then, the module identified different kinships based on sample similarity, including setting thresholds to distinguish related and non-related kinship and thresholds to reconstruct the level of kinship (first-, second-, and third-degree kinship). Results: Based on total variants, no clear threshold of sample similarity could be set to identify the kinship. In contrast, sample similarity scores based on feature variants could not only accurately identify whether there is relationship between samples, but also reconstruct the pedigree tree among samples. At last, the study simulated sample swap events for two trios to test whether feature variants could accurately identify the swapped samples. Conclusions: We developed a kinship quality control module into a pre-published NGS data processing pipeline (Fudan pipeline 2.0) to automate the identification of kinship or sample swap events.

Investigation of Different Ways in Which the CODIS 7.0 May be Used in Mass Disaster Identification.

DNA analysis is a key method for the identification of human remains in mass disasters. Reference samples from relatives may be used to identify missing persons by kinship analysis. Different methods of applying the CODIS in disaster victim identification (DVI) were investigated. Two searches were evaluated: (i) relating family relatives to a pedigree tree (FPT) and (ii) relating unidentified human remains to a pedigree tree (UPT). A joint pedigree likelihood ratio (JPLR) and rank were calculated for each search. Both searches were similar in average JPLR and rank. In exceptional cases, namely the existence of a mutation different from the CODIS model, a nonbiological father, a mistake in STR, or incorrect profile association, the UPT search returned one true rank, whereas the FPT search returned no results. This paper suggests a novel strategy to overcome these limitations and increase efficiency in conducting identification of mass disaster victims.

Single-Cell Tracking of A549 Lung Cancer Cells Exposed to a Marine Toxin Reveals Correlations in Pedigree Tree Profiles.

Long-term video-based tracking of single A549 lung cancer cells exposed to three different concentrations of the marine toxin yessotoxin (YTX) reveals significant variation in cytotoxicity, and it confirms the potential genotoxic effects of this toxin. Tracking of single cells subject to various toxic exposure, constitutes a conceptually simple approach to elucidate lineage correlations and sub-populations which are masked in cell bulk analyses. The toxic exposure can here be considered as probing a cell population for properties and change which may include long-term adaptation to treatments. Ranking of pedigree trees according to a measure of “size,” provides definition of sub-populations. Following single cells through generations indicates that signaling cascades and experience of mother cells can pass to their descendants. Epigenetic factors and signaling downstream lineages may enhance differences between cells and partly explain observed heterogeneity in a population. Signaling downstream lineages can potentially link a variety of observations of cells making resulting data more suitable for computerized treatment. YTX exposure of A549 cells tends to cause two main visually distinguishable classes of cell death modalities (“apoptotic-like” and “necrotic-like”) with approximately equal frequency. This special property of YTX enables estimation of correlation between cell death modalities for sister cells indicating impact downstream lineages. Hence, cellular responses and adaptation to treatments might be better described in terms of effects on pedigree trees rather than considering cells as independent entities.

P090 NGS characterization of HLA haplotypes in multi-generation families of Kuwaiti descent

Objective Family studies remain the gold standard for studying HLA haplotype segregation. This information is particularly critical when studying haplotype associations among populations where not enough members of the population have been genotyped, rendering bioinformatics algorithms less reliable. In this study we characterize HLA haplotypes in 2 multi-generation families of Kuwaiti descent. Methods Two multi-generation families of Kuwaiti descent were tested for HLA genotypes by high resolution typing using NGS technology. We used a MiSeq-based platform (Illumina, Inc; San Diego, CA), Holotype HLA reagents, and HLA Twin analysis software (Omixon, Budapest, Hungary). All individuals were high-resolution typed at loci HLA-A, B, C, DRB1 & DQB1. The identified haplotypes were compared to haplotype frequencies and ranking among the 4 major US populations (Caucasians, African Americans, Hispanics and Asian Pacific Islanders) using the NMDP Haplostat software. Results The analysis of 14 members of a 4-generation family identified 8 haplotypes and of 6 members of a 3-generation family identified 5 haplotypes. The pedigree tree of both families is shown in the figure and the frequency and rank of each haplotype is shown in the table. No haplotypes were shared between the 2 families. Conclusion Many of the identified HLA haplotypes were not listed in Haplostat and none of them were among the most common 200 HLA haplotypes in any of the 4 major populations. Further characterization of Kuwaiti haplotypes through family studies is in progress however, these preliminary results suggest that the Kuwaiti population may have unique HLA haplotypes. Download : Download high-res image (123KB) Download : Download full-size image Download : Download high-res image (1MB) Download : Download full-size image

Ix-layer structure for genomics:A powerful conceptual framework that integrates research, test and treatment

Genomic data are now available from various fields of medicine and biology, and I proposed a conceptual framework "Six-layer structure" to integrate various areas of genomics. The proposed layers are "life" as the uppermost layer, followed by "species","population","family","individual",and finally "cell" as the bottommost layer. In each pair of adjacent layers, each member of the upper layer comprises a set of members of the lower layer. In each layer, we can define consistent partial orders of members based on genomic data in the forms of phylogenic and pedigree trees. Based on this framework, we can give integrated explanations for various researches, tests and drug therapies concerning genomic data, and we can use this framework for new discoveries as well as new test and drug developments.

Morphological and molecular genetic diversity analyses in Helianthus annuus (L.)

The knowledge of genetic diversity among parental lines is a prerequisite for selecting parents for hybridization in any heterosis breeding programme. Evaluation of 13 parental lines using D 2 analysis was undertaken during spring 2014 at PAU, Ludhiana. The genotypes were grouped into four clusters. Cluster II comprised of maximum number of genotypes (5) viz., CMS -47A, P 93R, P145R, P103R, P 167R followed by cluster I (4 genotypes i.e. CMS -11A, CMS -67A, CMS -234A, 95-C-1); cluster III and IV having two genotypes each i.e. CMS -68A, RCR 8297 and P 124R, P 134R respectively. Maximum inter cluster distance of 578.187 was recorded between genotypes of cluster II and IV while minimum inter cluster distance (175.195) was observed between genotypes present in cluster III and IV. Thirty SSR markers were used for molecular markers analysis. Total number of alleles amplified by 26 polymorphic primers was 51 with an average of 1.96 alleles per locus. The average value of polymorphic information content (PIC) for all the 26 polymorphic markers was 0.47. A polygenetic tree generated, based on Dice dissimilarity matrix and cluster analysis, led to the clustering of the sunflower genotypes into two major groups (one group comprising R lines while other comprising A lines) while one genotype (CMS 234A) formed separate independent cluster. The result of dissimilarity matrix revealed high genetic diversity among all the inbreds lines. Overall, the values for genetic distances ranged from 0.13 to 0.71. The highest genetic distance (0.71) was observed between the genotypes i.e. CMS 67A and P 93R followed by 0.70 for CMS 67A and P124R. Minimum genetic distance 0.13 was observed between P 103R and P 134R, P 134R and P 145R which was indicative of common parentage of these genotypes in the pedigree tree. The principle coordinated analysis along with pattern of clustering of dissimilarity matrix separated the lines into two groups; one having B-lines and other for R -lines. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed greater variation within genotypes (68%) as compared to between genotypes (32%).

Six-layer structure for genomics and its applications.

The term 'genetics' was coined before an understanding of DNA sequence data was achieved, and it is now insufficient to describe the broad areas in which DNA data have important roles. The term genomics is more broadly descriptive, but it does not provide a satisfactory conceptual framework that scientists can share. Here I propose a six-layer structure that describes the entire scientific field for 'genomics'. The proposed layers are 'life' as the uppermost layer, followed by 'species', 'population', 'family', 'individual' and finally 'cell' as the bottommost layer. In each pair of adjacent layers, each member of the upper layer comprises a set of members of the lower layer. In each layer, we can define consistent partial orders of members based on genomic data in the forms of phylogenic and pedigree trees. Although total orders such as those defined for time and space in physics cannot be defined in biology, defining consistent partial orders allows mathematical analysis to be performed. I will show that mathematical genetics studies can be understood as attempts to bridge gaps between layers of the proposed six-layer structure, while genetic tests can be understood as procedures to differentiate among members of each layer by using genomic data.

Characterisation and development of EST-SSR markers in tree peony using transcriptome sequences

Tree peony is a well-known ornamental and medicinal plant in China, as well as a new crop that has been recently demonstrated to exhibit a great potential for edible oil production. However, only limited molecular markers are currently available in this species, which hinders its genetic and breeding studies. The objective of this study was to develop expressed sequence tag (EST)-simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers based on transcriptome sequences in tree peony. A total of 4,373 EST-SSRs were identified from 3,787 unigene sequences with an average of one SSR per 9.24 kb. Di-nucleotide repeats (46.26 %) were the most abundant type followed by tri-, hexa-, tetra-, and penta-nucleotide repeats. Moreover, 788 primer pairs were synthesised, out of which 373 primer pairs (47.3 %) produced successful amplifications, and 149 primer pairs (39.9 %) were polymorphic in both parents of one mapping population. The 30 polymorphic EST-SSR markers were randomly selected to assess polymorphism further in 36 tree peony accessions, in which the polymorphism information content values ranged from 0.36 to 0.85 with a mean of 0.69, thereby indicating a high level of informativeness. Transferability studies indicated that 95.3 % EST-SSR markers were transferable to nine other Paeonia species, thereby expanding their utility. In addition, as a demonstration of utility, a genetic relationship study was performed in 56 accessions. Cluster analysis using the neighbour-joining tree method demonstrated that major clusters corresponded to known pedigree trees. Thus, these newly developed markers will be valuable in facilitating marker-assisted selection breeding in tree peony and its related species.

Analysis of consanguineous and non-consanguineous pedigrees related to the mode of transmission of essential hypertension- study based on Serene Threonine Kinase-39 gene Single Nucleotide Polymorphism rs35929607 in a population of Sindh, Pakistan

Background: The consanguineous marriages are very common worldwide with a risk of acquiring a recessive gene mainly in multi-generational tradition of first cousin marriages. In Pakistan, the Muslim majority has more prevalence of practicing consanguinity than the Hindus. Aims & Objective: We studied the Serene Threonine Kinase-39 Single Nucleotide A > G Polymorphism rs35929607; and comparatively analyzed recessive versus dominant mode of transmission of essential hypertension by plotting genotypes on the pedigree maps of both indicated populations. Materials and Methods: This was Cross sectional, case-controlled and pedigree based study. After getting an approval from the Aga Khan University Ethical Review Committee, we recruited N=130 members from 4 pedigrees (n=67 from 2 consanguineous pedigrees: 25 males and 42 females; and n=63 from 2 non-consanguineous pedigrees with 32 males and 31 females). We genotyped N=96 participants and calculated the prevalence of genotypes and frequencies of the allele A and G. Prevalence of AA, GG and AG genotypes were calculated. Assessment for concordance with HWE was performed. Chi-square and odds ratio with 95% confidence limitation for frequencies of allele A and allele G was calculated. Relation of EHTN transmission with the homozygosity and heterozygosity was plotted against the participants in the pedigree trees. Results: Consanguineous pedigrees showed frequencies of 62.26% for AG, 35.85% for AA and 1.89% for GG genotypes; and frequency of reference allele (A) was 67.0% and of rare allele (G) 33.0% (χ2 = 8.80 and p-value 0.003). Non-consanguineous pedigrees showed 53.49% for AG, 44.19% for AA and 2.33% for GG and frequency of reference allele (A) 71.0% and rare allele (G) was 29.0% (χ2 = 3.79 and p-value 0.0514). The p-values indicate that both populations are not falling in concordance with Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE) and are stratified. Conclusion: Consanguineous pedigrees in context to STK-39 SNP rs35929607, showed recessive pattern of inheritance as opposed to the non-consanguineous cohort showing dominant pattern of inheritance of essential hypertension. This outcome needs further confirmation by carrying out study at a broader scale by recruiting large sample size.

Strategy for the creation of clinical grade hESC line banks that HLA‐match a target population

Here, we describe a pre-derivation embryo haplotyping strategy that we developed in order to maximize the efficiency and minimize the costs of establishing banks of clinical grade hESC lines in which human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotypes match a significant proportion of the population. Using whole genome amplification followed by medium resolution HLA typing using PCR amplification with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP), we have typed the parents, embryos and hESC lines from three families as well as our eight clinical grade hESC lines and shown that this technical approach is rapid, reliable and accurate. By employing this pre-derivation strategy where, based on HLA match, embryos are selected for a GMP route on day 3–4 of development, we would have drastically reduced our cGMP laboratory running costs.

Disaster victim investigation recommendations from two simulated mass disaster scenarios utilized for user acceptance testing CODIS 6.0

Members of the National DNA Data Bank (NDDB) of Canada designed and searched two simulated mass disaster (MD) scenarios for User Acceptance Testing (UAT) of the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) 6.0, developed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Department of Justice. A simulated airplane MD and inland Tsunami MD were designed representing a closed and open environment respectively. An in-house software program was written to randomly generate DNA profiles from a mock Caucasian population database. As part of the UAT, these two MDs were searched separately using CODIS 6.0. The new options available for identity and pedigree searching in addition to the inclusion of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-STR (short tandem repeat) information in CODIS 6.0, led to rapid identification of all victims. A Joint Pedigree Likelihood Ratio (JPLR) was calculated from the pedigree searches and ranks were stored in Rank Manager providing confidence to the user in assigning an Unidentified Human Remain (UHR) to a pedigree tree. Analyses of the results indicated that primary relatives were more useful in Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) compared to secondary or tertiary relatives and that inclusion of mtDNA and/or Y-STR technologies helped to link family units together as shown by the software searches. It is recommended that UHRs have as many informative loci possible to assist with their identification. CODIS 6.0 is a valuable technological tool for rapidly and confidently identifying victims of mass disasters.

PlantDB – a versatile database for managing plant research

BackgroundResearch in plant science laboratories often involves usage of many different species, cultivars, ecotypes, mutants, alleles or transgenic lines. This creates a great challenge to keep track of the identity of experimental plants and stored samples or seeds.ResultsHere, we describe PlantDB – a Microsoft® Office Access database – with a user-friendly front-end for managing information relevant for experimental plants. PlantDB can hold information about plants of different species, cultivars or genetic composition. Introduction of a concise identifier system allows easy generation of pedigree trees. In addition, all information about any experimental plant – from growth conditions and dates over extracted samples such as RNA to files containing images of the plants – can be linked unequivocally.ConclusionWe have been using PlantDB for several years in our laboratory and found that it greatly facilitates access to relevant information.

Heredity of sutural patterns at the pterion in rhesus monkeys

Five bones of the cranial vault articulate on the lateral aspect of the skull near the pterion. The pattern of articulation in these sutures varies among and within primate species and has been used as a criterion in taxonomic studies, and in archeological and forensic studies of skeletal variability. The sutural patterns have remarkable consistency within species, which leads to the hypothesis that these patterns have a genetic basis. We investigated variations in the pterion in 422 skulls of 66 rhesus monkey families from the long-standing colony on Cayo Santiago Island. Four types of articulation patterns were recorded: (1) the Tempo-Frontal type (TF), (2) the Spheno-Parietal type (SP), (3) the X type, and (4) the Zygomatico-Temporal type (ZT). The results demonstrated that the TF type is the most common suture pattern in rhesus monkeys, comparable to some other anthropoid species, but not humans and some apes. The SP type accounts for 14% of the whole sample and is concentrated in a dozen families. Mothers with the SP phenotype have a high incidence of offspring with SP phenotypes. Most non-SP mothers having SP offspring often have siblings or family members from previous generations having the SP type. These findings suggest that variations of sutural patterns are regulated by specific genes. The SP type is likely controlled by an autosomal recessive gene. This is the first time that variation in the sutural patterns at the pterion have been investigated in pedigree trees, and the inheritance patterns of the variation defined, such that genes which control these variations can begin to be identified with DNA sequencing. Supported by NSF Physical Anthropology grant BCS 0240865.

Peditree: Pedigree Database Analysis and Visualization for Breeding and Science

At the Wageningen Laboratory of Plant Breeding, a software package has been developed to query a simple structured database with variety pedigree data. The package, called Peditree, creates a tree-shaped representation of pedigree information and has several visualization and lookup options. Estimates of inbreeding coefficient within a pedigree or coefficients of coancestry among pedigrees can be obtained. Furthermore trait data--if available--can be linked, displayed within the pedigree tree, and used to highlight pedigree entries that comply with set criteria.