GENETIC-LINKAGE ANALYSIS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA USING CHROMOSOME 11Q13-24 MARKERS IN ISRAELI PEDIGREES

It is generally agreed that there is a genetic component in the etiolo gy of schizophrenia which may be tested by the application of linkage analysis to multiply-affected families, One genetic region of interest is the long arm of chromosome 11 because of previously reported assoc iations of genetic variation in this region with schizophrenia, and be cause of the fact that it contains the locus for the dopamine D2 recep tor gene, In this study we have examined the segregation of schizophre nia with microsatellite dinucleotide repeat DNA markers along chromoso me 11q in 5 Israeli families multiply-affected for schizophrenia. The hypothesis of linkage under genetic homogeneity of causation was teste d under a number of genetic models, Linkage analysis provided no evide nce for significant causal mutations within the region bounded by INT and D11S420 on chromosome 11q, It is still possible, however, that a g ene of major effect exists in this region, either with low penetrance or with heterogeneity. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.