History and relevance of the Hutterite population for genetic studies

Abstract

The social and cultural origins of the Hutterian Brethren, the most inbred population in North America, are described along with the characteristics that make the group useful for genetic studies. The Hutterites represent a closed population, with high levels of fertility and consanguinity. The group maintains a stable residence pattern and keeps extensive genealogic records. The uniform pattern of communal living, the existence of endogamous subgroups within the population, and an orderly design for colony fission facilitates comparisons rarely found in other accessible populations. This inbred population is useful for detecting new recessively inherited diseases, for advancing our knowledge of the effect of inbreeding, and for analyzing human chromosomal variation. Selected demographic and genetic studies are cited.

Drawing the history of the Hutterite population on a genetic landscape: inference from Y-chromosome and mtDNA genotypes

“…3 In 1770, they once again escaped persecution and settled in what is today the Ukraine, where the population stabilized and grew from about 116 to 41000 members. 1,4 Finally, in 1874, about 1265 Hutterites migrated to the United States and settled in what is now South Dakota. 5 Approximately 850 of these immigrants settled as single family farmers; the remaining 443 Hutterites established three communal farms (called 'colonies'), each of which has given rise to one of the three major subdivisions of the Hutterite population: the Schmiedeleut (S-leut), Lehrerleut (L-leut), and Dariusleut (D-leut).…”

“…The Hutterites retain a Tyrolean dialect as their first language and remain relatively isolated from the outside. 4 Although there have been no genetic studies comparing the Hutterites to their European ancestral populations, mutation analysis of the cystic fibrosis (CF) gene (CFTR) reflects their Tyrolean ancestry. Only two mutations in the CFTR gene are present in the Hutterites.…”

Respiratory Symptoms and Asthma in Two Farming Populations: A Comparison of Hutterite and Non‐Hutterite Children

“…We did not identify the age at which children in the study began their early participation in farming activities. However, it is generally known that communal daycare settings for preschool and young school-age children are common practice in Hutterite colonies (1). Daycare generally lasts until the end of early school years (grades 5 to 6).…”

“…P ersons living in Hutterite colonies are known for their communal lifestyle that is deeply rooted in farming and rural living. Hutterites are members of an Anabaptist group that migrated to Canada from Europe in the early 1900s and settled primarily in the Canadian prairie provinces and Northern Great Plains of the United States (1). There are three distinct sects or leutes of Hutterites found in Canada, including the Dariusleut, Lehrerleut and Schmiedeleut.…”

“…There are three distinct sects or leutes of Hutterites found in Canada, including the Dariusleut, Lehrerleut and Schmiedeleut. Of these three leutes, only the Dariusleut and Lehrerleut sects are located in Saskatchewan (1). Living in rural communal environments, Hutterites have remained genetically isolated from other rural and urban groups, preferring to marry between colonies and within sects.…”