A unique population in Quebec is helping reveal the genetics behind common diseases such as heart disease and asthma. But as it loses its isolation, is time running out?
1 The novel loci include regions that contain novel candidate Crohn disease genes such as JAKMIP1, which is involved in interleukin-23 signaling, and LOC285484, which is similar to a secreted cytokine potentially involved in intestinal inflammation.
Raelson says the Quebec population is ideal for genetic research. Here, 2,600 individuals migrated from France between 1608 and 1760, then experienced a genetic bottleneck, creating a population with less "genetic noise" or variation. This homogeneity makes it easier to spot disease-causing mutations (see Figure). "Founder populations can help in identifying smaller [genetic] effects with more power," says Ariel Darvasi of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who works with the Ashkenazi Jewish population.
Raelson says that the genetic bottleneck - in which ...
