Research Information System University of Greifswald

Teumer A*¹, Ernst F¹, Wiechert A¹, Uhr K, Nauck M², Petersmann A², Völzke H³, Völker U¹, Homuth G¹

1 - Interfakultäres Institut für Genetik und Funktionelle Genomforschung / Abt. Funktionelle Genomforschung

2 - Institut für Klinische Chemie und Laboratoriumsmedizin

3 - Institut für Community Medicine / Abt. SHIP KEF

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using array-based genotyping technology are widely used to identify genetic loci associated with complex diseases or other phenotypes. The costs of GWAS projects based on individual genotyping are still comparatively high and increase with the size of study populations. Genotyping using pooled DNA samples, as also being referred as to allelotyping approach, offers an alternative at affordable costs. In the present study, data from 100 DNA samples individually genotyped with the Affymetrix Genome-Wide Human SNP Array 6.0 were used to estimate the error of the pooling approach by comparing the results with those obtained using the same array type but DNA pools each composed of 50 of the same samples. Newly developed and established methods for signal intensity correction were applied. Furthermore, the relative allele intensity signals (RAS) obtained by allelotyping were compared to the corresponding values derived from individual genotyping. Similarly, differences in RAS values between pools were determined and compared.