University of Washington

Ellen M Wijsman

Thomas D Bird

Gerard D Schellenberg

Method for isolating a DNA segment indicative of an Alzheimer's disease trait in a family population, wherein said family population consists essentially of a plurality of blood relatives of an individual having a chromosome 14 Alzheimer's disease trait, by: preparing a test sample of immobilized separated genomic DNA fragments from a plurality of the blood relatives, contacting each of the test samples with a test oligonucleotide under conditions permitting hybridization of complementary single stranded DNA molecules, wherein the test oligonucleotide is complementary with at least a portion of a genetic marker located between band q11.2 and band q32.1 in chromosome 14, identifying a plurality of hybridized molecules so formed as alleles of the genetic marker in the family population, identifying one of the genetic marker alleles as indicative of the Alzheimer's disease trait in the family population by either determining by pedigree analysis a segregation value for each of the genetic markers alleles and the Alzheimer's disease trait, and selecting an indicative genetic marker allele that co-segregates with the Alzheimer's disease trait in the family population, or measuring genetic linkage between each of the genetic marker alleles and the Alzheimer's disease trait, and selecting a genetic marker allele as indicative of the Alzheimer's disease trait in the family population if the selected genetic marker allele has a maximal LOD score of at least 3 at a recombination fraction of about 0.0 to about 0.1 for genetic linkage with the Alzheimer's disease trait in the family population, and isolating a chromosome 14 DNA segment containing the indicative genetic marker allele.

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Ellen M Wijsman