Selection Variability for Arg48His in Alcohol Dehydrogenase ADH1B among Asian Populations

The variant His at codon 48 of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene (ADH1B) results in more efficient ethanol metabolism than with the “typical” codon 48Arg. In this study we introduced selection properties of Arg48His genotypes of ADH1B and estimated fitness in four ethnic-geographical clusters in Asia. Population genetics models were employed that derive observed gene frequencies from fitness relationships among genotypes, to infer the selection pattern of polymorphisms in an indirect manner. The data were analyzed using the model of “complete stationary distribution” by Wright that takes into account random genetic drift, pressure of migrations, mutations, and selection as influential factors of gene frequency. We found that the different population groups showed some variation in the types of selection for Arg48His. Han Chinese from eastern and southeastern China and the Japanese and Korean populations showed stabilizing selection, while the groups from Central Asian and Indochina showed divergent selection. However, all the groups demonstrated a strong positive selection for Arg48His.