polygene: Population genetics analyses for autopolyploids based on allelic phenotypes

Abstract

Polyploidy has appeared in almost every ancestral plant lineage, and in extant species, occurs frequently. When present, polyploidy presents problems for genetic data analysis, which are caused by both genotypic ambiguities and double-reduction. To address these problems, we developed a new software package, polygene, which enables the estimation of genotypic frequencies for a number of polysomic inheritance models. Specifically, polygene obtains posterior probabilities for genotypes hidden within allelic phenotypes. Comprehensive modes of genetic analyses are provided by polygene, which include genetic diversity analysis, tests for allelic phenotypic or genotypic distributions, linkage disequilibrium and genetic differentiation, genetic distance analysis, principal coordinates analysis, hierarchical clustering analysis, individual inbreeding coefficient estimation, individual heterozygosity index estimation, population assignment, pairwise relatedness estimation, parentage analysis, analysis of molecular variance and Bayesian clustering. polygene enables easy and convenient allelic phenotype- or genotype-based analysis for both autopolyploids and diploids. polygene will thus facilitate molecular ecology research involving autopolyploids.