A comparison of methods for estimating the transition: transversion ratio from DNA sequences

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:2004
Authors:A. K. K. Strandberg, Salter L. A.
Journal:Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
Volume:32
Pagination:495-503
Keywords:Bayesian estimation, independent contrasts, maximum likelihood, rate variation, transition bias, transition/transversion ratio
Abstract:

Estimation of the ratio of the rates of transitions to transversions (TI:TV ratio) for a collection of aligned nucleotide sequences is important because it provides insight into the process of molecular evolution and because such estimates may be used to further model the evolutionary process for the sequences under consideration. In this paper, we compare several methods for estimating the TI:TV ratio, including the pairwise method [TREE 11 (1996) 158], a modification of the pairwise method due to Ina [J. Mol. Evol. 46 (1998) 521], a method based on parsimony (TREE 11 (1996) 158), a method due to Purvis and Bromham [J. Mol. Evol. 44 (1997) 112] that uses phylogenetically independent pairs of sequences, the maximum likelihood method, and a Bayesian method [Bioinformatics 17 (2001) 754]. We examine the performance of each estimator under several conditions using both simulated and real data. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.01.013
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