New global map shows distribution of sickle cell gene

New global map shows distribution of sickle cell gene
3. November 2010 03:09

At a global scale, the sickle cell gene is most commonly found in areas with historically high levels of malaria, adding geographical support to the hypothesis that the gene, whilst potentially deadly, avoids disappearing through natural selection by providing protection against malaria.

In a study funded by the Wellcome Trust, geographers, biologists and statisticians at the University of Oxford, together with colleagues from the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Programme in Kenya, have produced the first detailed global map showing the distribution of the sickle cell gene. The results are published today in open access in the journal Nature Communications.

Haemoglobin S (HbS) is known to cause sickle cell disease, which is usually fatal if untreated. Natural selection suggests that such a disadvantageous gene should not survive, yet it is common in people of African, Mediterranean and Indian origin.

full-text:
New global map shows distribution of sickle cell gene