Allelic variation adjacent to the human insulin and apolipoprotein C-II genes in different ethnic groups

✍ Scribed by L. G. Williams; N. I. Jowett; M. A. Vella; S. Humphries; D. J. Galton

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1985
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 420 KB
• Volume: 71
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0340-6717
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00284580

✦ Synopsis

We have used DNA probes for the human insulin gene and apolipoprotein C-II (apo C-II) gene to determine the extent of allelic variation in different ethnic groups. The distribution of an apo C-II DNA polymorphism revealed by the restriction endonuclease Taq I showed no significant variation amongst racial groups; in contrast, an insulin gene-related DNA polymorphism showed marked variability. In Japanese, Chinese, and Asian Indian groups there was an increased frequency of homozygosity for the class 1 allele compared to Caucasian groups (P less than 0.001, P less than 0.01, and P less than 0.05, respectively). In Caucasian, Japanese, Chinese, and Asian Indian groups no class 2 allele was observed; but in the Negroid populations (African and West Indian) the class 2 allele frequencies were 0.23 and 0.25 respectively. Possible reasons for this variation in allele distribution are considered in relation to disease associations.