Ethnic related selection for an ADH Class I variant within East Asia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) are widely studied enzymes and the evolution of the mammalian gene cluster encoding these enzymes is also well studied. Previous studies have shown that the ADH1B*47His allele at one of the seven genes in humans is associated with a decrease in the risk of alcoholism and the core molecular region with this allele has been selected for in some East Asian populations. As the frequency of ADH1B*47His is highest in East Asia, and very low in most of the rest of the world, we have undertaken more detailed investigation in this geographic region.

Methodology/principal findings

Here we report new data on 30 SNPs in the ADH7 and Class I ADH region in samples of 24 populations from China and Laos. These populations cover a wide geographic r

SUBMITTER: Li H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2268739 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature