[Distribution of genotype and allele frequencies of dopamine D4 receptor gene 48 bp variable number tandem repeat polymorphism in Chinese Han population in Hunan].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the distribution of genotype and allele frequencies of the dopamine D4 receptor(DRD4) gene exon 3 48 bp variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism in Hunan Han population.


METHODS
The genotype and alleles of 304 healthy persons were examined with polymerase chain reaction, denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver staining.


RESULTS
Seven alleles and twelve genotypes were found. The most common allele was allele 5 with a frequency of 70.6%. There was statistically significant difference in allele distribution between the Hunan Han population and the Han population of other regions such as Shanghai, Beijing and Sichuan in China (P< 0.05). Different allele frequency distributions were observed when compared to other ethnic populations such as Japanese, American, Mexican, and Italian (P< 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The distributions of allele of DRD4 gene exhibit regional and ethnic heterogeneity.
Zhao
Ai-ling
AL
Department of Psychiatry, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011 PR China.
Zhao
Jing-ping
JP
Zhang
Yu-hu
YH
Tang
Bei-sha
BS
Liu
Zhe-ning
ZN
Cheng
Jin-dong
JD
D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4 / Q000235:genetics*
C493599:DRD4 protein, human; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4