A MICROSATELLITE POLYMORPHISM IN THE HUMAN INSULIN-RECEPTOR GENE - A HIGHLY INFORMATIVE MARKER FOR LINKAGE ANALYSIS

To study genetic susceptibility to non-insulin dependent diabetes mell itus (NIDDM), association of insulin receptor gene, a candidate gene f or NIDDM, with NIDDM was studied. A microsatellite polymorphism locate d in intron 2 of the human insulin receptor gene was detected by the p olymerase chain reaction and used as a genetic marker. Eight different alleles were observed, indicating highly polymorphic nature of this m arker. Although no association of this marker with NIDDM was observed in Japanese subjects, this marker will be useful for linkage studies o f insulin receptor gene and genes located close to this gene on chromo some 19.