Population, formal genetics, and linkage relations of the phosphoglycolate phosphatase (PGP)--E.C.3.1.3.18.

One hundred and sixty-seven blood donors, 26 families with 72 offspring and 12 motherchild couples were studied for the phosphoglycolate phosphatase polymorphism. In hemolysates, the isozymes are stable for at least five weeks. The distribution of observed phenotypes in the population study did not diverge from the expected values according to Hardy-Weinberg law. In the family study, the formal genetic model of three alleles--PGP1, PGP2 and PGP3 at one autosomal locus-could be confirmed. Among 33 individuals from a Mongoloid population PGP1 was observed in 100%. This observation lead us to the conclusion, based also on recent data in Negroid populations (Barker and Hopkinson 1978), that phosphoglycolate phosphatase may be a more recent polymorphism of Caucasoid populations. Linkage studies with the hp alpha locus an chromosome 16 resulted in 19 meiotic divisions of 4 informative families in a lod score peak of 0.23 at theta 0.25 being inconclusive. The inclusion of the PGP system in paternity testing is also discussed.