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Relationship of 2D:4D finger ratio with androgen receptor CAG and GGN repeat polymorphism
Author(s) -
Zhang Chuan,
Dang Jie,
Pei Liguo,
Guo Mengjing,
Zhu Hao,
Qu Lei,
Jia Fei,
Lu Hong,
Huo Zhenghao
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
american journal of human biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.559
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1520-6300
pISSN - 1042-0533
DOI - 10.1002/ajhb.22347
Subject(s) - digit ratio , androgen receptor , androgen , allele , endocrinology , medicine , biology , polymorphism (computer science) , numerical digit , gene , testosterone (patch) , genetics , hormone , arithmetic , mathematics , prostate cancer , cancer
Objectives: The relative length of the second‐to‐fourth digits (2D:4D) has been linked with prenatal androgen in humans. A recent study shows that the 2D:4D ratio in mice is controlled by the balance of androgen to estrogen signaling during a narrow window of digit development. Androgen receptor (AR) activity is higher in digit 4 than in digit 2, and inactivation of AR decreases growth of digit 4, which causes a higher 2D:4D ratio. At the molecular level, the effect of androgens is mediated through the activation of AR. The CAG/GGN repeat polymorphisms of the AR gene are associated with AR activity. Here, we investigate the effect of CAG/GGN repeat polymorphisms in AR on 2D:4D in Chinese. Methods: Digit lengths of the second and fourth fingers were measured from photocopies of the ventral surface of the hand and by actual finger measurements. We genotyped AR polymorphisms by ABI 3730 DNA analyzer. Results: We found that left hand 2D:4D ratio was longer than that of the right hand both in males and in females. We failed to find any relationship between CAG / GGN alleles and the left hand, right hand, right minus left‐hand or mean hand 2D:4D ratios (all, r < 0.20, P > 0.05). Conclusions: In this study, we first found that the left hand 2D:4D ratio was longer than that of the right hand in both males and females. However, we found that both CAG and GGN alleles were not associated with the left hand, right hand, right minus left‐hand or mean hand 2D:4D ratios. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.