Premium
Immunoglobulin (GM and KM) allotypes in the Sikh population of India
Author(s) -
Field L. Leigh,
Surje Sira,
Ray Ajit K.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330750105
Subject(s) - caste , haplotype , hinduism , population , biology , ethnic group , demography , genetics , geography , allele , sociology , anthropology , gene , religious studies , philosophy , political science , law
The populations of India are genetically diverse, both within and between geographic regions; immunoglobulin (GM) allotypes provide important information on genetic differences between populations, since the frequencies of combinations of allotypes (termed “haplotypes”) vary dramatically among ethnic groups. As part of a project to assess genetic diversity among defined Indian populations, we have examined eight GM allotypes in a sample of 101 unrelated Sikhs who have migrated to Toronto, Canada: Glm(1, 2, 3, 17) and G3m (5, 15, 16, 21). Sikhs are a religious group that arose in the Punjab about 1500 A.D.; most of the original converts are believed to have been middle to upper‐middle caste Hindus. Gm allotyping showed that six Gm haplotypes occurred at polymorphic frequencies (>0.01) in Sikhs: Gm 3;5 , Gm 1,17;21 , Gm 1,2,17;21 , Gm 1,17;5 , Gm 1,17;15,16 , and Gm 1,3;5 . These haplotypes have all been previously reported in Indian populations. The frequencies of the first four haplotypes resembled the published frequencies for lower‐caste Hindus of NW India more than upper‐caste Hindus. However, the last two haplotypes have been found only in upper‐caste Hindus. The frequency of one of these, Gm 1,17;15,16 was higher in Sikhs (0.09) than has been reported in any Indian population with the exception of Parsis (who are descended from Iranians). We speculate that the high frequency of this haplotype may have been characteristic of some of the Hindu castes in the Punjab from which Sikhs are descended.