Determining the Area of Ancestral Origin for Individuals From North Eurasia Based on 5,229 SNP Markers

Diversity of HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DQB1 alleles and haplotypes in Kazakhstani Tatar population and genetic relatedness to other populations

BACKGROUND

Kazakhstan is a transcontinental former Soviet Union republic whose present-day population comprises more than 100 ethnic groups. Insofar as Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genotyping is useful for anthropological studies, data on the HLA profile of Kazakhstani Tatars are lacking.

OBJECTIVE

We extend our earlier findings on the unique HLA profile of distinct Kazakhstani populations by examining HLA class I and class II loci in Kazakhstani (Volga) Tatar minority population and its relatedness to those of bordering and worldwide communities.

METHODS

HLA class I and class II genotypes of the Kazakhstan Tatar minority were analyzed by PCR-SSP and were compared to neighboring populations using Neighbor-Joining (NJ) trees and standard genetic distances (SGD) analysis.

RESULTS

In total, 132 HLA alleles were identified in a sample of 103 Kazakhstani Tatars, of which HLA-A*02:01 (20.1 %), -B*07:02 (12.1 %), -C*07:02 (12.7 %), -DRB1*07:01 (18.1 %), and -DQB1*02:01 (19.6 %) were the most frequent. The most frequent two-locus haplotypes were B*07:02 ∼ C*07:02 (10.6 %) B*07:02 ∼ DRB1*15:01 (06.1 %), B*07:02 ∼ DQB1*06:02 (07.1 %), and DRB1*15:01 ∼ DQB1*06:02 (11.6 %).

CONCLUSIONS

Considering historical data, the close relatedness of Kazakhstani Tatars to European Russians (including Russian Tatars) suggests that Kazakhstani Tatars may be Russian Tatars, who originated from the Volga region, following their massive migrations to central Asia.

Genetic history of the Koryaks and Evens of the Magadan region based on Y chromosome polymorphism data

In order to clarify the history of gene pool formation of the indigenous populations of the Northern Priokhotye (the northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk), Y-chromosome polymorphisms were studied in the Koryaks and Evens living in the Magadan region. The results of the study showed that the male gene pool of the Koryaks is represented by haplogroups C-B90-B91, N-B202, and Q-B143, which are also widespread in other peoples of Northeastern Siberia, mainly of Paleo-Asiatic origin. High frequency of haplogroup C-B80, typical of other Tungus-Manchurian peoples, is characteristic of the Evens of the Magadan region. The shared components of the gene pools of the Koryaks and Evens are haplogroups R-M17 and I-P37.2 inherited as a result of admixture with Eastern Europeans (mainly Russians). The high frequency of such Y chromosome haplogroups in the Koryaks (16.7 %) and Evens (37.8 %) is indicative of close interethnic contacts during the last centuries, and most probably especially during the Soviet period. The genetic contribution of the European males' Y chromosome significantly prevails over that of maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA. The study of the Y chromosome haplogroup diversity has shown that only relatively young phylogenetic branches have been preserved in the Koryak gene pool. The age of the oldest component of the Koryak gene pool (haplogroup C-B90-B91) is estimated to be about 3.8 thousand years, the age of the younger haplogroups Q-B143 and N-B202 is about 2.8 and 2.4 thousand years, respectively. Haplogroups C-B90-B91 and N-B202 are Siberian in origin, and haplogroup Q-B143 was apparently inherited by the ancestors of the Koryaks and other Paleo-Asiatic peoples from the Paleo-Eskimos as a result of their migrations to Northeast Asia from the Americas. The analysis of microsatellite loci for haplogroup Q-B143 in the Eskimos of Greenland, Canada and Alaska as well as in the indigenous peoples of Northeastern Siberia showed a decrease in genetic diversity from east to west, pointing to the direction of distribution of the Paleo-Eskimo genetic component in the circumpolar region of America and Asia. At the same time, the Evens appeared in the Northern Priokhotye much later (in the XVII century) as a result of the expansion of the Tungusic tribes, which is confirmed by the results of the analysis of haplogroup C-B80 polymorphisms.

Mitogenomics of the Koryaks and Evens of the northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk

Due to the geographical proximity of the northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk and Kamchatka Peninsula to the Beringia, the indigenous populations of these territories are of great interest for elucidating the human settlement history of northern Asia and America. Meanwhile, there is a clear shortage of genetic studies of the indigenous populations of the northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. Here, in order to examine their fine-scale matrilineal genetic structure, ancestry and relationships with neighboring populations, we analyzed 203 complete mitogenomes (174 of which are new) from population samples of the Koryaks and Evens of the northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Chukchi of the extreme northeast Asia. The patterns observed underscore the reduced level of genetic diversity found in the Koryak, Even, and Chukchi populations, which, along with the high degree of interpopulation differentiation, may be the result of genetic drift. Our phylogeographic analysis reveals common Paleo-Asiatic ancestry for 51.1% of the Koryaks and 17.8% of the Evens. About third of the mitogenomes found in the Koryaks and Evens might be considered as ethno-specific, as these are virtually absent elsewhere in North, Central and East Asia. Coalescence ages of most of these lineages coincide well with the emergence and development of the Tokarev and Old Koryak archaeological cultures associated with the formation of the Koryaks, as well as with the period of separation and split of the North Tungusic groups migrated northwards from the Lake Baikal or the Amur River area.

Population biobank as a basis for determining spatial variation of clinically relevant pharmacogenetic biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases

The introduction of pharmacogenetic tests among the Russian population faces a fundamental limitation  — pronounced genetic differences between populations. The genetic geography of pharmacogenetic markers of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) helps to remove these limitations.

Aim. To reveal the spatial variation of the gene pools of the indigenous European Russian population in terms of DNA markers that are significant for the pharmacotherapy of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) using the population biobank collections.

Material and methods. A total of 3170 samples from 61 populations of the Biobank of Northern Eurasia, which represents the gene pools of the indigenous Eastern Europe population, were studied using two pharmacogenetic DNA marker arrays as follows: 60 most significant markers and 24 markers associated with CVDs. Using the multivariate statistics and genetic geography, a comparison of gene pool variation was made.

Results. A cartographic atlas has been created that includes maps of the distribution among the Eastern Europe population of 24 pharmacogenetic CVD markers. These cartographic models allow various specialists to analyze patterns in the distribution of pharmacogenetic markers. General patterns are supplemented by regional studies in  the  North Caucasus, the Cisurals and the Russian Plain, which identify population groups with similar pharmacogenetic status. For each region, a comparison of gene pool variation for two arrays of above-mentioned DNA markers was made.

Conclusion. The created atlas is the basis for the development of pharmacogenetic studies conducted by genetic geography methods using a single panel of markers and representative samples provided by population biobanks. The reliability of the results is ensured by a detailed genealogical and population annotation of each biobank sample and representative samples from the populations.