Correlation of CAG repeat length between the maternal and paternal allele of the Huntingtin gene: Evidence for assortative mating

Abstract

Triplet repeats contribute to normal variation in behavioral traits and when expanded, cause brain disorders. While Huntington's Disease is known to be caused by a CAG triplet repeat in the gene Huntingtin, the effect of CAG repeats on brain function below disease threshold has not been studied. The current study shows a significant correlation between the CAG repeat length of the maternal and paternal allele in the Huntingtin gene among healthy subjects, suggesting assortative mating. © 2011 Nopoulos et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.