There has been widespread and growing interest in genetic markers suitable for drawing population genetic inferences about past demographic events, and to detect the effects of selection. In addition to SNPs, microsatellites (or STRs) have received great attention in the analysis of human population history. In the SNPSTR database we catalogue a relatively new type of compound genetic marker called SNPSTR which combines a STR marker with one or more tightly linked SNPs. Here, the SNP(s) and the microsatellite are less than 250 base pairs apart so each SNPSTR can be considered a small haplotype with no recombination occurring between the two individual markers. Thus, SNPSTRs have the potential to become a very useful tool in the field of population genetics. The SNPSTR database contains all inferable human SNPSTRs as well as those in mouse, rat, dog and chicken. More information on SNPSTRs and the database can be found in the ABOUT and FAQ sections.

NOTE: SNPSTR database Release 1.5 is based on Ensembl 47, dbSNP 127/128 and latest HapMap Phase II.

Reference: Agrafioti I, Stumpf MP (2007) SNPSTR: a database of compound microsatellite-SNP markers. Nucleic Acids Res. 35(Database issue):D71-5