Analysis of the human alpha-globin gene cluster reveals a highly informative genetic locus
Higgs DR., Wainscoat JS., Flint J., Hill AV., Thein SL., Nicholls RD., Teal H., Ayyub H., Peto TE., Falusi AG.
Extensive molecular studies have characterized 15 dimorphic and 2 multiallelic genetic markers within the human alpha-globin gene cluster. Analysis of these markers in 9 populations has shown that the alpha-globin locus is remarkably polymorphic and is therefore an ideal marker on chromosome 16 for the construction of a human genetic linkage map. The combined analysis of 9 polymorphic markers has established alpha-globin haplotypes that provide the means to study the molecular genetics and common mutants of this cluster. The novel association of a conventional restriction fragment length polymorphism haplotype and linked, hypervariable regions of DNA should allow a comparison of the rate of change of such markers.