Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias (ADCAs) are a group of neurodegenerative disorders that are clinically and genetically heterogeneous. We report here a genetic linkage study, with five chromosome 12q markers, of three Martinican families with ADCA type 1, for which the spinocerebellar ataxia 1 (SCA1) locus was excluded. Linkage to the SCA2 locus was demonstrated with a maximal lead score of 6.64 at theta = 0.00 with marker D12S354. Recombinational events observed by haplotype reconstruction demonstrated that the SCA2 locus is located in an approximately 7-cM interval flanked by D12S105 and D12S79. Using the z(max)-1 method, multipoint analysis further reduced the candidate interval for SCA2 to a region of 5 cM. Two families shared a common haplotype at loci spanning 7 cM, which suggests a founder effect, whereas a different haplotype segregated with the disease in the third family. Finally, a mean anticipation of 12+/-14 years was found in parent-child couples, with no parental sex effect, suggesting that the disease might be caused by an expanded and unstable triplet repeat.