Skip to main content
Dryad

Data from: Large-scale genotyping of highly polymorphic loci by next generation sequencing: how to overcome the challenges to reliably genotype individuals?

Data files

Feb 04, 2015 version files 12.26 MB

Click names to download individual files

Abstract

Studying the different roles of adaptive genes is still a challenge in evolutionary ecology and requires reliable genotyping of large numbers of individuals. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques enable such large-scale sequencing, but stringent data processing is required. Here, we develop an easy to use methodology to process amplicon-based NGS data and we apply this methodology to reliably genotype four major histocompatibility complex (MHC) loci belonging to MHC class I and II of Alpine marmots (Marmota marmota). Our post-processing methodology allowed us to increase the number of retained reads. The quality of genotype assignment was further assessed using three independent validation procedures. A total of 3069 high-quality MHC genotypes were obtained at four MHC loci for 863 Alpine marmots with a genotype assignment error rate estimated as 0.21%. The proposed methodology could be applied to any genetic system and any organism, except when extensive copy-number variation occurs (that is, genes with a variable number of copies in the genotype of an individual). Our results highlight the potential of amplicon-based NGS techniques combined with adequate post-processing to obtain the large-scale highly reliable genotypes needed to understand the evolution of highly polymorphic functional genes.