Published in
Behavior Genetics (June 2014). doi: 10.1007/s10519-014-9662-x
Abstract:
Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are one of the earliest available forms of genetic variation available for analysis and have been utilized in studies of neurological, behavioral, and health phenotypes. Although findings from these studies have been suggestive, their interpretation has been complicated by a variety of factors including, among others, limited power due to small sample sizes. The current report details the availability, diversity, and allele and genotype frequencies of six commonly examined SSRs in the ethnically diverse, population-based National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. A total of 106,743 genotypes were generated across 15,140 participants that included four microsatellites and two di-nucleotide repeats in three dopamine genes (DAT1, DRD4, DRD5), the serotonin transporter, and monoamine oxidase A. Allele and genotype frequencies showed a complex pattern and differed significantly between populations. For both di-nucleotide repeats we observed a greater allelic diversity than previously reported. The availability of these six SSRs in a large, ethnically diverse sample with extensive environmental measures assessed longitudinally offers a unique resource for researchers interested in health and behavior.
View or download complete article at Springer Link.
Authors
- Brett C. Haberstick, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
- Andrew Smolen, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
- Gary L. Stetler, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
- Joyce W. Tabor, Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Taylor Roy, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
- H. Rick Casey, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
- Alicia Pardo, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
- Forest Roy, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
- Lauren A. Ryals, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
- Christina Hewitt, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
- Eric A. Whitsel, Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health; Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine
- Carolyn T. Halpern, Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill; Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health
- Ley A. Killeya-Jones, Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Jeffrey M. Lessem, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
- John K. Hewitt, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
- Kathleen Mullan Harris, Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill; Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill