High-resolution two-dimensional electrophoretic survey of serum protein genetic types in Schmiedeleut Hutterites

High-resolution, two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) was used to examine allele frequencies in eight serum protein marker systems and to screen for rare or previously undescribed alleles in 152 members of the Schmiedeleut branch of the Hutterite Brethren. The results include the first report of α₂ -HS glycoprotein, apolipoprotein E, and SPPM-158 frequencies and haptoglobin 1F and 2S subtype frequencies in the Hutterites. Designed as part of ongoing genetic studies in this reproductively isolated population, this study was done to determine which markers might correlate with medical features or could be useful in population studies. Prior studies of erythrocyte surface and enzymatic markers, lymphocyte surface and enzymatic markers, and serum proteins by other investigators have identified common, rare, and private markers in approximately 40 polymorphic systems. This study included five serum protein markers that were not examined in previous studies. The study identified a 2DE marker, SPPM-158, that was later confirmed in other populations to be a ubiquitous serum protein polymorphism. Allele frequencies for α₂ -HS glycoprotein, apolipoprotein E, group-specific globulin, haptoglobin, SPPM-158, α₁ -antitrypsin, apolipoprotein A-IV, and transferrin are presented. The first five of these had allele frequencies useful for population studies. We did not find any rare or private variants with 2DE in these systems. Overall, the 2DE data were in good agreement with prior studies in the Hutterites and relevant European populations.