Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 26, 2026

An Allele-specific Gene Expression Assay to Test the Functional Basis of Genetic Associations
Published on: November 3, 2010
Differences in ornithine decarboxylase and androgen receptor allele frequencies among ethnic groups
Thomas G O'Brien1, Y Guo, K Visvanathan
1Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, 100 Lancaster Avenue, Wynnewood, PA 19096, USA.
Abstract:
Recent evidence suggests that the A allele of the ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) gene is a genetic risk factor for prostate cancer. ODC is a target gene of the highly polymorphic androgen receptor (AR) gene, short alleles of which have been associated in some studies with increased prostate cancer risk. We determined ODC allele frequencies and distribution of AR alleles in American Caucasians, African-Americans, Hispanics, Europeans, and Africans. The frequency of the ODC A allele varied from 0.183 (Hispanics, Europeans) to 0.415 (Africans) with American Caucasian and African-Americans having intermediate values. The mean number of CAG repeats in the AR gene varied from 19.8 (African-Americans) to 25.1 (Hispanics). It is possible that ethnic differences in risk alleles for ODC and AR may account for some of the ethnic variation in prostate cancer risk.
Related Concept Videos
The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female Drosophila...
Principles of Pharmacogenetics: Types of Genetic Variants
Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase
Human Genetics
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
Genetic Variation
Genes exist in different versions called alleles, which...

