GENETIC-LINKAGE STUDY OF A MAJOR SUSCEPTIBILITY LOCUS (D2S125) IN A BRITISH POPULATION OF NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETIC SIB-PAIRS USING A SIMPLE NONISOTOPIC SCREENING METHOD

A polymorphic microsatellite marker (D2S125) was recently reported to show significant linkage to non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (N IDDM) in a population of Mexican-American affected sib-pairs, We have used a simple non-isotopic screening technique employing the polymeras e chain reaction (PCR) with a biotinylated primer to study the genetic linkage and allele frequency distribution of the D2S125 marker in a p opulation of 109 British NIDDMs (62 possible affected sib-pairs). The analysis provided Ilo evidence for linkage of the D2S125 marker in the British subjects (MLS = 0.029, P > 0.05). The PCR screening method us ed proved to be a convenient and reliable alternative to the radiolabe lling of PCR products.