* Address for correspondence

g.oxfordjournals.org/ D ow nloaded from 2 Several correlated phenotypes, alcohol dependence, major depressive syndrome, and an endophenotype of electrophysiological measurements, Event Related Oscillations, have demonstrated linkage on the long arm of chromosome 7. Recently we reported both linkage and association between polymorphisms in the gene encoding the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M2 (CHRM2) and Event-Related Oscillations. In this study we evaluated whether genetic variation in the CHRM2 gene is also a risk factor for the correlated clinical characteristics of alcoholism and depression. The CHRM2 gene contains a single coding exon and a large 5' untranslated region encoded by multiple exons that can be alternatively spliced. Families were recruited through an alcohol dependent proband and multiplex pedigrees were selected fo