POLYMORPHISM OF THE GLUCAGON RECEPTOR GENE AND NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS IN THE RUSSIAN POPULATION

Recently, a missense mutation in the glucagon receptor (GCG-R) gene ca using a Gly to Ser change at codon 40 (Gly40Ser) has been associated a nd linked with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). We scre ened 150 unrelated NIDDM patients and 109 non-diabetic subjects for th e presence of the Gly40Ser polymorphism by use of polymerase chain rea ction - restriction fragment length polymorphism in the Russian popula tion. None of the NIDDM patients showed this polymorphism. In contrast , two of the control subjects were heterozygous carriers of the polymo rphism. Both were healthy females without a family history of diabetes . The body mass index, age, and 2-h blood glucose levels of the two su bjects with the polymorphism were similar to those of the control subj ects homozygous for the wild-type. Our results suggest that Gly40Ser p olymorphism of the GCG-R gene is not associated with NIDDM in the Russ ian population and point to the genetic heterogeneity of NIDDM in diff erent ethnic groups.