homopolymer error

Question

[maricom]

Hi,

I have a question about the error in the homopolymer region. I can understand there is a possibility for a deletion error like this (fig.1), but is there a possibility for an insertion error like this (fig. 2)?

fig. 1 (correct) TAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (error) TAAAA(-)AAAAAAAAA

fig. 2 (correct) TAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (error) TAAAAAA(G)AAAAAA

Thank you.

Answer 1

[Kevin Blighe]

It is possible. The culprit would likely be sequence error from the very inefficient Sequence-By-Synthesis method, which may have introduced a G base in some reads. The possibility for mis-alignment from another read [originating from elsewhere in the genome], which genuinely contains a G base, is also possible.

Kevin

[maricom]

Thank you Kevin!