CLADISTIC-ANALYSIS OF THE APOLIPOPROTEIN AI-CIII-AIV GENE-CLUSTER USING A HEALTHY FRENCH-CANADIAN SAMPLE .1. HAPLOID ANALYSIS

A cladistic analysis was carried out to identify haplotypes hypothesiz ed to differ for functional DNA sequence variations within the apolipo protein (ape) AI-CIII-AIV gene cluster that affect plasma lipid, lipop rotein and apolipoprotein levels. A sample of unrelated healthy French Canadians was studied. First, a cladogram of the observed apo AI-CIII -AIV haplotypes was estimated. Then this cladogram was used to define a statistical analysis of the association between haplotype variation and variation in plasma lipid, lipoprotein and apolipoprotein levels. Three haplotypes were identified which were associated with small (5-1 2% of the total sum of squares) pleiotropic effects on plasma lipid, l ipoprotein and apolipoprotein traits and these effects were context, i .e. gender, dependent.