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Apolipoprotein molecular variation in Moroccan Berbers: pentanucleotide (TTTTA)n repeat in the LPA gene and APOE‐C1‐C2 gene cluster
Author(s) -
Harich N,
Esteban E,
LópezAlomar A,
Chafik A,
Moral P
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
clinical genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.543
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1399-0004
pISSN - 0009-9163
DOI - 10.1034/j.1399-0004.2002.620310.x
Subject(s) - allele , linkage disequilibrium , apolipoprotein e , genetics , biology , population , genotype , allele frequency , apolipoprotein b , gene , haplotype , demography , medicine , biochemistry , disease , pathology , sociology , cholesterol
Apolipoprotein LPA, APOE, APOC1, and APOC2 genotype frequencies have been determined for the first time in a North African population. A sample of 140 Berber individuals from the Moroccan Moyen Atlas region has been analyzed. Allelic and haplotypic data have been used to compare our sample with other world populations and the results clearly differentiate Berbers from Europeans and Sub‐Saharans, suggesting several distinctive features of Moroccan Berbers as the extreme high values of LPA PNR*11 pentanucleotide allele (10.5%) and the relatively high and low values of APOE*E4 (15.7%) and *E2 (4.5%) in comparison to other Mediterraneans. Another remarkable result is the frequency distribution of the two APOC2 alleles (70% vs 30%) in comparison with the European pattern (50% of each allele). The high values of APOE*E4 and LPA PNR*7 together with the intermediate linkage disequilibrium values between APOE and APOC1 alleles in comparison with Europeans and Africans suggest a certain degree of Sub‐Saharan influence in the current Moroccan population.