Partial correlation analysis indicates causal relationships between GC-content, exon density and recombination rate in the human genome
2009
Causal Relationships in the Human Genome
Sample size: 5315
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Jan Freudenberg, Mingyi Wang, Yaning Yang, Wentian Li
Primary Institution: Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Hypothesis
How do GC-content, exon density, and recombination rate relate to each other in the human genome?
Conclusion
Recombination rate and exon density are independent causes of GC-content variation in the human genome.
Supporting Evidence
- Recombination rate and exon density are shown to be unconditionally uncorrelated.
- The study uses partial correlations to construct directed graphs for genomic variables.
- The correlation between GC-content and recombination rate is maximized at a specific window size.
Takeaway
This study looks at how different parts of our DNA are connected, showing that some parts affect each other in specific ways.
Methodology
Partial correlation analysis and graphical models were used to infer causal relationships among genomic variables.
Limitations
The study relies on correlation data, which may not fully capture causal relationships.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0
Statistical Significance
p=0
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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