Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2000 Jul 17;93(2):155-7.
doi: 10.1002/1096-8628(20000717)93:2<155::aid-ajmg13>3.0.co;2-g.

Increased transmission of intermediate alleles of the FMR1 gene compared with normal alleles among female heterozygotes

Affiliations
Comparative Study

Increased transmission of intermediate alleles of the FMR1 gene compared with normal alleles among female heterozygotes

V Drasinover et al. Am J Med Genet. .

Abstract

Fragile X syndrome (Fra X) is the most common heritable disease accounting for mental retardation and is caused by an expanded CGG repeat in the first exon of the FMR1gene. Previous studies have shown an increased fertility rate among fragile X carrier mothers and a preponderance of mentally retarded boys among the male offspring. In this study, we examined the transmission of the intermediate allele in the lower range of CGG repeats in carrier mothers found randomly in a screening program of the normal population. We tested 10,587 healthy women with no family history of mental retardation and identified 138 (1.3%) who were carriers of the intermediate allele (51-200 CGG repeats). Of these, 107 underwent prenatal testing during 108 pregnancies for Fra X in the fetus. Of the 108 pregnancies, the abnormal allele was transmitted in 67 (segregation ratio = 0.62, P < 0.012). We found a significant increase in the transmission of the abnormal allele by mothers who had between 51 and 60 repeats (segregation ratio = 0.69 [P < 0.007] for the group with 51-55 repeats, and 0.74 [P < 0.04] for the group with 56-60 repeats), but no increase by mothers who had more than 61 repeats. This suggests a genetic advantage for the abnormal allele in the 51- to 60-repeat range.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

Cited by

Publication types

Substances

LinkOut - more resources