Summary: Am. J. Hum. Genet. 69:1068­1079, 2001
1068
The Genetic Dissection of Complex Traits in a Founder Population
Carole Ober,1
Mark Abney,1,2
and Mary Sara McPeek1,2
Departments of 1
Human Genetics and 2
Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago
We estimated broad heritabilities (H2
) and narrow heritabilities (h2
) and conducted genomewide screens, using a
novel association-based mapping approach for 20 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) among the Hutterites, a founder
population that practices a communal lifestyle. Heritability estimates ranged from .21 for diastolic blood pressure
(DBP) to .99 for whole-blood serotonin levels. Using a multipoint method to detect association under a recessive
model we found evidence of major QTLs for six traits: low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides, lipoprotein (a)
(Lp[a]), systolic blood pressure (SBP), serum cortisol, and whole-blood serotonin. Second major QTLs for Lp(a)
and for cortisol were identified using a single-point method to detect association under a general two-allele model.
The heritabilities for these six traits ranged from .37 for triglycerides to .99 for serotonin, and three traits (LDL,
SBP, and serotonin) had significant dominance variances (i.e., H2

Source: Abney, Mark - Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago
Das, Soma - Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago

Collections: Biology and Medicine; Computer Technologies and Information Sciences