Open AccessPopulation studies in Northern Sweden II. Red cell enzyme polymorphism in the Swedish Lapps
Author(s) -
BECKMAN G.,
BECKMAN L.,
CEDERGREN B.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
hereditas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1601-5223
pISSN - 0018-0661
DOI - 10.1111/j.1601-5223.1971.tb02439.x
Subject(s) - biology , phosphoglucomutase , adenylate kinase , population , genetics , allele frequency , lactate dehydrogenase , enzyme , adenosine deaminase , polymorphism (computer science) , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , allele , biochemistry , demography , sociology
Five polymorphic red cell enzyme systems (phosphoglucomutase, adenylate kinase, acid phosphatase, 6‐phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and adenosine deaminase) were studied in a series of Swedish nomad Lapps. No departures from the Hardy‐Weinberg equilibria were found. Adenylate kinase was probably not polymorphic in the original Lappish population. In all five systems significant gene frequency differences from non‐Lappish Scandinavian populations were found, which further stresses the genetic uniqueness of the Lapps. In four enzyme systems significant differences were found between Lappish groups. It is unlikely that the unique genetic composition of the Lapps is due to natural selection in an arctic environment. The accumulated genetic information on the Lapps suggests that founder effect and genetic drift are to a large extent responsible for the peculiar gene pool of the original Lappish population.