Project description:<p>We conducted genome wide association studies (GWAS) of disease-associated quantitative phenotypes in the Hutterites,
a founder population of European descent. The Hutterites in our studies live on communal farms in South Dakota and are
related to each other through multiple lines of descent in a 3,657-person, 13-generation pedigree with 64 founders.
The small number of founding genomes reduces genetic heterogeneity whereas their communal lifestyle ensures that
non-genetic factors are remarkably uniform between individuals. During our <u>Phase 1 studies</u>, between 1996 and 1997,
we measured qualitative and quantitative phenotypes that are associated with common diseases in ~750 individuals
living in 9 Hutterite colonies. These individuals were genotyped using the Affymetrix 500k array. The SNPs included
in our GWAS had >90% call rates, minor allele frequencies >5%, Hardy-Weinberg p-values >0.001 (corrected
for Hutterite population structure), and fewer than 5 Mendelian errors. During our Phase 2 studies,
between 2006 and 2009, we phenotyped ~900 individuals living in 9 Hutterite colonies (7 overlapping with
Phase 1 colonies). The Phase 2 individuals were genotyped with the Affymetrix 5.0 or 6.0 array. The SNPs included
in the GWAS had >95% call rates, minor allele frequencies >5%, Hardy-Weinberg p-values >0.001 (corrected for
Hutterite population structure), and fewer than 5 Mendelian errors. The combined Phase 1 and Phase 2 sample
includes 1264 unique individuals; ~ 400 individuals participated in both Phase 1 and 2 studies. These 1264
individuals are the subjects of ongoing and future studies.</p>
