eQTL and directed graphical model

Gene expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) are genetic loci that are associated with gene expression traits. The study of the eQTL, or the genetic basis of gene expression variation, not only improves our understanding of gene expression regulation but also brings insights on the functional roles of genetic variations that influence phenotypic outcomes, such as complex human diseases. In contrast to genome-wide association studies, where the signal-to-noise ratio is often low, the eQTLs often have stronger influence on gene expression variation, and hundreds or thousands of eQTLs may be recovered. We conjecture that one of the major applications of eQTL findings is to construct directed graphical models of gene expression data. In this chapter, we review the methods for eQTL mapping, constructing directed graphical models, and the approaches to construct directed graphical models using eQTL data.