Genetic structure and affinity among eight ethnic populations of Eastern India: Based on 22 polymorphic DNA loci

Abstract

The nature and extent of genetic variation at 22 polymorphic DNA loci, belonging to three distinct classes, especially, 12 STR loci (D3S1358, vWA, FGA, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, HPRTB, F13B, LPL), four VNTR loci (D1S7, D4S139, D5S110, D17S79), and six coding loci (HLDQA1, LDLR, GYPA, HBGG, D7S8, GC) were investigated among eight population groups of West Bengal and Manipur regions of India. Of these, two groups from West Bengal belong to Caucasoid and six (one in WB and five in Manipur) belong to Mongoloid stock. Both STR and the expressed loci show wide diversity among the eight populations. For example, Manipur Muslims show differences in allele frequency when compared to four other regional populations. Similarly, Garo, one of the Mongoloid populations of West Bengal, differ in allele frequency from their counterparts in the Manipur region. Departure from Hardy-Weinberg expectations was observed at certain loci in a few populations (e.g., D21S1137 in Kayastha and Brahmin, HUM F13B in Meitei). Heterozygosity values were higher for Caucasoid than Mongoloid groups. The overall gene differentiation (GST) for STR loci is higher (5.3%) than for those at the expressed region (4.6%). The clustering pattern of the eight populations differs with respect to different classes of genetic markers used. The dendrograms based on six coding loci (HLDQA1, LDLR, GYPA, HBGG, D7S8, GC) differs from those based on STR and VNTR markers. Caucasoid and Mongoloid groups form different clusters and Manipur Muslims are distinct from others. The clustering pattern corresponded with the spatial and ethnic affiliations of the populations. Using different classes of DNA loci at the coding and noncoding region will help to better understand the influence of population structure variables on the genetic structure of populations.

Antiquity, geographic contiguity and genetic affinity among Tibeto-Burman populations of India: A microsatellite study

“…It also improves understanding of the genetics of diseases prevalent among these populations and clarifies findings based on classical genetic markers and historical accounts (Cann et al 1987;Bhattacharya et al 1999;Underhill et al 2001;Kivisild et al 2002;Basu et al 2003). Until now, very few molecular genetic studies among Indian Tibeto-Burman populations have been carried out and these were sporadic and limited to only some regional populations (Dutta et al 2001;Chakrabarti et al 2002;Dutta et al 2002;Cordaux et al 2003;Kashyap et al 2004a).…”

Genetic insights into the origins of Tibeto-Burman populations in the Himalayas

“…9,[17][18][19][20][21][22] This region, bordered by the Himalayas to the north and the Bay of Bengal in the south, connects the Indian subcontinent to East Asia. In a recent autosomal microsatellite study, the genetic affinities present among TB groups from Northeast India 21 have been ascribed to geographic contiguity rather than linguistic affiliation.…”

A Microsatellite Guided Insight into the Genetic Status of Adi, an Isolated Hunting-Gathering Tribe of Northeast India

“…In view of their importance, many researchers have earlier attempted, using classical and molecular genetic markers, to address various population genetic issues pertaining to these regional groups. The studies were however sporadic and restricted to only few regional populations [9]–[20]. In this regard, the Tibeto-Burman speaking populations inhabiting the easternmost tip of northeast India, Arunachal Pradesh, (sharing the international border between India and Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar) were hardly dealt with and hence there exist a dearth of population genetic studies in this region [21]–[24].…”