Improved haplotype analysis of human myelin basic protein short tandem repeat loci

We report an improved haplotype analysis of the human myelin basic protein gene (MBP) short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphism. The polymorphic G --> A transition and 2 conventional STR polymorphisms, MBPA and MBPB, were simult aneously determined by an amplified product length polymorphism technique. After the MBPC fragments containing MBPA and MBPB were amplified, the linka ge of these 2 STR loci was determined by a second amplification, using poly merase chain reaction (PCR) technique, of the isolated MBPC fragments, The present haplotype analysis dispensed with family studies for the haplotypin g of MBPA and MBPB, Polymorphisms of the MBP loci studied in German and Jap anese populations showed a high genomic variation. Haplotype analysis of th e MBP loci showed distinct differences between the German and the Japanese populations, Consequently, haplotype analysis of the MBP loci promises to b e useful in forensic identification and paternity testing.