Linkage disequilibrium analysis of G-olf{sub {alpha}} (GNAL) in bipolar affective disorder

Journal Article · Fri Sep 20 00:00:00 EDT 1996 · American Journal of Medical Genetics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1096-8628(19960920)67:5<491::AID-AJMG11>3.0.CO;2-I· OSTI ID:539232

Tsiouris, S J; Breschel, T S; Xu, J ^[1]

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1. Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States); and others

This study examines G-olf{sub {alpha}} as a possible candidate gene for susceptibility to bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) using the Transmission Disequilibrium Test (TDT). G-olf{sub {alpha}}, which encodes a subunit of a G-protein involved in intracellular signaling, maps within a region of chromosome 18 that has been implicated by two different linkage studies as a potential site of BPAD susceptibility loci. The expression pattern of G-olf{sub {alpha}} in the brain, its coupling to dopamine receptors, and the effects of lithium salts on G-proteins all support G-olf{sub {alpha}} as a candidate gene for BPAD. Our study population consisted of 106 probands and sibs with bipolar I disorder, with a median age-at-onset of 21.5 years ascertained from the United States. There was no evidence of linkage disequilibrium between BPAD and any of the observed G-olf{sub {alpha}} alleles in our sample. Division of families based on sex of the transmitting parent did not significantly change the results. This sample had good power (78%) to detect linkage disequilibrium with alleles conferring a relative risk equal to that estimated for the putative 18p locus (2.58). Our results do not support a major role for G-olf{sub {alpha}} as a susceptibility locus for BPAD in a substantial portion of our sample. Other genes lying near G-olf{sub {alpha}} within the linked region on chromosome 18 cannot be excluded by our data. This study illustrates the use of the TDT in evaluating candidate genes within linked chromosome regions. 24 refs., 1 tab.

• OSTI ID: 539232
• Journal Information: American Journal of Medical Genetics, Vol. 67, Issue 5; Other Information: PBD: 20 Sep 1996
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
GENES
GENETIC MAPPING
GENE REGULATION
GENE MUTATIONS
PATIENTS
HEREDITARY DISEASES
MENTAL DISORDERS
NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES
GENOTYPE
AGE DEPENDENCE
GENETICS
RISK ASSESSMENT
ETIOLOGY
HUMAN CHROMOSOME 18
STATISTICS
GTP-ASES
BRAIN
BIOLOGICAL MARKERS
POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION