ALDH2 Gene

The ALDH2 gene encodes an enzyme involved in the processing of alcohol.

Alleles

People normally have two alleles per gene, one inherited from their mother and one inherited from their father.

Off (Global)

This allele has been widespread globally for tens of thousands of years.

On (Asian)

This allele originates from an ancient Asian mutation that occurred thousands of years ago.

Allele Pairs

It is the combination of a person's pair of gene alleles that influences traits.

Predictable Skin Normal After Ethanol Patch
Predictable No Facial Flush From Alcohol
Allele Pair People with this allele pair show no skin redness after application of an ethanol patch. They usually do not have a facial flush reaction after drinking alcohol.
Predictable Skin Red After Ethanol Patch
Predictable Facial Flush From Alcohol
Allele Pair People with these allele pairs show skin redness after application of an ethanol patch. They usually have a facial flush reaction after drinking alcohol; reddish blotches may appear on their face, neck, and shoulders.

Gene Details

The ALDH2 gene is located on chromosome 12 and encodes the protein named "Aldehyde dehydrogenase, mitochondrial", which influences the reported traits.

Additional References ALDH2
Genetics Home Reference by the U.S. National Library of Medicine ALDH2
Wikipedia ALDH2
Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man 100650
SNPedia ALDH2
UniProt P05091
U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information 217

PubMed articles

Allele Definitions

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On
A
T
Off
G
C
Show Minus Strand
+
-
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs)
[0] rs671 dbSNP SNPedia