Summary
The phenotype of β thalassemia can be caused by over 40 different mutations. To set up a prenatal diagnosis program using DNA analysis, it is important to determine the type and frequency of mutation in a particular geographic area. We have delineated the molecular lesions that cause β thalassemia in the Guangdong province of China, and found six mutations in four different haplotypes. The surprising finding that five of these mutations each occur in two different haplotypes suggests the occurrence of crossing over or gene conversion events at the β-globin locus. The delineation of the haplotypes and mutations will permit the choice of the appropriate probes for prenatal detection of β thalassemia in this part of China.
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Zhang, JZ., Cai, SP., He, X. et al. Molecular basis of β thalassemia in South China. Hum Genet 78, 37–40 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00291231
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00291231