Distribution of Y chromosomal STRs loci in Mayan and Mestizo populations from Guatemala

In this study, a sample of 225 Guatemalan males, comprising 115 Mestizo-Guatemalan and 110 Mayan-Guatemalan, was typed for 17 Y-short tandem repeats (STRs) loci (DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS448, DYS456, DYS458, DYS635, YGATA_H4.1 and DYS385a/b). The haplotype diversity (H = 1) and discrimination capacity (96.86%) were calculated. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) demonstrated a low but significant interpopulation differentiation when compared with the results obtained when we confront the Mestizo and Mayan populations with the European populations.Furthermore, the genetic variability and differences among the American, African, Asian, and European populations were analyzed with the software Statistica 9.1. In addition, the genetic distances were also calculated using other published data. Reynolds and Slatkińs genetic distance was visualized using the multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis. All the analysis performed locates the Mayan population next to the Native American population, while Guatemalan-Mestizo population was found to be between these populations and the European population, similar to other Mestizo one.The implementation of the estimation of individual ancestry proportions of the whole population sample showed the presence of two well-differentiated population groups.     

Microsatellite autosomal genotyping data in four indigenous populations from El Salvador

Fifteen microsatellite loci (D3S1358, TH01, D21S11, D18S51, PENTA E, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, CSF1PO, PENTA D, vWA, D8S1179, TPOX, and FGA) have been genotyped in four indigenous populations from El Salvador (Central America), namely, Conchagua, Izalco, Panchimalco, and San Alejo. Here we have obtained values for several indices of forensic interest for these population samples. Population differentiation test showed no significant statistical differences between these four populations, and an AMOVA test indicates that most of the genetic variation (approximately 100%) occurs within individuals. Population pairwise genetic comparisons with other population samples seem to indicate the existence of a major Native American component in the populations from El Salvador.     

Searching for the origin of Romanies: Slovakian Romani, Jats of Haryana and Jat Sikhs Y-STR data in comparison with different Romani populations

Haplotype frequencies for 11 Y-STR markers (DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385, DYS437, DYS438 and DYS439) in a Romani population (n=63) from Slovakia, Jats of Haryana (n=84) and Jat Sikhs (n=80) from India were determined. The Slovakian Romani, the Haryana and Sikh populations were endogamous based on their unique haplotype ratio and haplotype diversity values, although the Sikh population appeared to be more diverse. AMOVA revealed non-significant differences between the Romanies and significant differences with non-Romani populations. The Macedonian Romani population differed from all Romani populations examined. Frequent haplotypes observed in Romani populations were sporadic in northwest Indian populations. Thirteen out of 316 populations worldwide were found to share the six most frequent haplotypes of the Slovakian Romanies when the screening conditions were narrowed based on the population size to be over 40, the occurrence of the haplotypes was more than one and the sum frequencies of the most frequent haplotypes was at least 0.02. The most common haplotypes were also observed in other Romani groups. When searching with two Indian (Malbar and Malaysian Indian) most frequent haplotypes under the same conditions matches could be detected in all Romani populations except for the Macedonian Romanies. The search with the Jat Sikhs and Jats of Haryana most frequent haplotypes resulted no matches in Romani populations.     

Population data for MiniNC01 in a population sample from North-eastern Italy and their use in neoplastic tissues fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin

To establish a database for the three MiniNC01 loci D10S1248, D14S1434, D22S1045 in a population sample from North-eastern Italy, 102 unrelated individuals were typed. DNA was amplified in a multiplex reaction with subsequent automatic detection using capillary electrophoresis. The obtained data give a contribution to the definition of Italian population miniSTRs allele frequencies for the three analysed loci. These three MiniSTRs were tested on 21 neoplastic tissues and the obtained genotypes were compared to those obtained from normal tissue. Only 3 cases (14.28%) gave a different genotype suggesting a better performance of these markers than traditional STRs.