PURPOSE OF REVIEW Asthma is a phenotypically heterogeneous disorder and, over the years, many different clinical subtypes of asthma have been described. A precise definition of asthma phenotypes is now becoming more and more important, not only for a better understanding of pathophysiologic mechanisms, but in particular to ascertain the specific genes associated with these phenotypes. RECENT ...

We present two models for phenotypic-dependent interspecific competition. In both cases the survivorship of individuals of one population depends on the entire phenotypic distribution of the other species. The first model considers a continuously varying metric trait, with assortative or random mating; the second model examines a character controlled by two alleles at a single locus. Pursuing t...

Key words: dysferlin, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, Miyoshi myopathy Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) is a heterogeneous group of disorders and consists of 9 autosomal recessive types (1-9), and 5 autosomal dominant types (10, 1 1). Recently two different clinical forms of muscular dystro-phy, LGMD2B and Miyoshi myopathy have been shown to have a dysferlin defect (12-14), which is a prot...

One of the major puzzles in modern human genetics is the fact that patients with the same genotype for a diseasecausing mutation may express very different clinical manifestations. Gaucher disease is one of the more common, clinically important, autosomal recessive disorders. In this issue, Winfield et al. (1997) point out that the problem of phenotypic variation is a serious one in this disord...

2 Disease list and descriptions: A 15 2.1 Amino acid (AA) metabolism (aromatic) (Albinism, Alkaptonuria, Tyrosinemia, Waardenburg syndrome) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 2.1.1 Albinism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 2.1.2 Alkaptonuria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....

Phenotypic studies continue to contribute to an understanding of the functions of cytoskeletal proteins. Many of these studies indicate some degree of functional redundancy within a family of cytoskeletal proteins. Some surprises have emerged, such as suggestions of unexpected relationships between the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons. Finally, phenotypic studies have provided evidence for a...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Asthma is a heterogeneous disease. Identification of specific subphenotypes of asthma may further our understanding of pathophysiology and treatment response, leading to the better targeting of both existing and novel antiasthma therapies. An accurate and comprehensive clinicopathological classification system therefore remains an important priority for asthma research. The pr...

Serum haptoglobins have been found to be useful genetic markers. The distribution of the different haptoglobin genes was found to vary in different parts of the world (Giblett, I96I). Thus Orientals and Eskimos were found to have a high incidence of the gene Hp2 and Negroes a high incidence of Hp'. Caucasians in continental Europe, Australia, and the United States have revealed an intermediate ...

Animal signals may result from construction behaviour and can provide receivers with essential information in various contexts. Here we explore the potential benefits of extended phenotypes with a signalling function as compared to bodily ornaments and behavioural displays. Their independence of the body, their physical persistence and the morphological and cognitive conditions required for the...

Understanding the molecular underpinnings of evolutionary adaptations is a central focus of modern evolutionary biology. Recent studies have uncovered a panoply of complex phenotypes, including locally adapted ecotypes and cryptic morphs, divergent social behaviours in birds and insects, as well as alternative metabolic pathways in plants and fungi, that are regulated by clusters of tightly lin...