Practice question

Mechanism of polymorphism generation differs among markers. Short Tandem Repeats arise from DNA polymerase slippage during replication where nascent strand misaligns on template in repetitive tract, adding or deleting few repeat units. This slippage model explains high mutation rate of microsatellites and multiallelic length variation. RFLP results from point mutation affecting restriction site, SNP from single nucleotide substitution, ISSR from amplification between microsatellite loci. Replication slippage specifically underlies STR variation, supporting use in population genetics where high variability is advantageous.