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Mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms among Hindus: A comparison with the Tharus of Nepal
Author(s) -
SEMINO O.,
TORRONI A.,
SCOZZARI R.,
BREGA A.,
BENERECETTI A. S. SANTACHIARA
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
annals of human genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.537
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1469-1809
pISSN - 0003-4800
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-1809.1991.tb00405.x
Subject(s) - hinduism , mitochondrial dna , biology , genetics , polymorphism (computer science) , population , genotype , demography , gene , religious studies , philosophy , sociology
SUMMARY The polymorphisms of mitochondrial DNA for the restriction enzymes Hpal, Bamill, Haell, Mspl, Avail and Hindi were studied in a sample of 79 Hindus, 45 from New Delhi (India) and 34 from Terai (Nepal), both to characterize another Caucasian population and to investigate some possible Hindu component in the genetic structure of the Tharus, a Nepalese population, the anthropological position of which is still disputed. 1. A new Bam HI polymorphism was detected; about 5 % of the Hindu mtDNAs have lost the site at 14258 bp and lack any Bam HI site. Once again a Bam HI polymorphism was found in a Caucasian population. 2. New site mutations were found to yield morphs previously described ( Msp I‐7, Ava II ‐ 18). 3. Variant morphs for two different enzymes were found due to a shared mutation (morphs Bam HI ‐ O /Ava II ‐ 30 and morphs Msp I‐7 Hindu / Ava II‐18 Hindu ). 4. Comparison between Hindu and Tharu data does not show any evidence of a specific Indian component in the Tharu genetic structure and allows us to conclude that Tharus are clearly differentiated from modern Hindus.