Evolution of haplotypes at the DRD2 locus
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 13, 2026

Design and Use of a Low Cost, Automated Morbidostat for Adaptive Evolution of Bacteria Under Antibiotic Drug Selection
Published on: September 27, 2016
C M Castiglione1, A S Deinard, W C Speed
1Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8005, USA.
Abstract:
We present here the first evolutionary perspective on haplotypes at DRD2, the locus for the dopamine D2 receptor. The dopamine D2 receptor plays a critical role in the functioning of many neural circuits in the human brain. If functionally relevant variation at the DRD2 locus exists, understanding the evolution of haplotypes on the basis of polymorphic sites encompassing the gene should provide a powerful framework for identifying that variation. Three DRD2 polymorphisms (TaqI "A" and "B" RFLPs and the (CA)n short tandem repeat polymorphic in all the populations studied, and they display strong and significant linkage disequilibria with each other. The common haplotypes for the two TaqI RFLPs are separately derived from the ancestral haplotype but predate the spread of modern humans around the world. The knowledge of how the various haplotypes have evolved, the allele frequencies of the haplotypes in human populations, and the physical relationships of the polymorphisms to each other and to the functional parts of the gene should now allow proper design and interpretation of association studies.
Related Concept Videos
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
Genetic Drift
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
In contrast, regions which code...
Incomplete Dominance
Gene Duplication and Divergence
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are characterized.
Exon Recombination
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...

