Assessing ethnicity from human mitochondrial DNA types determined by hybridization with sequence-specific oligonucleotides.
A logistic regression model was developed to predict ethnic group from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) types determined by hybridization with sequence-specific oligonucleotide (SSO) probes of the two hypervariable segments of the mtDNA control region. The model was developed with, and tested against, a previously reported data set of 525 individuals from five ethnic groups (African-American, Southeast Asian, Caucasian, Japanese, and Mexican) involving 23 probes at nine regions within the two hypervariable segments [1]. The model correctly predicted the ethnic group of 65.3% of the overall sample; however, the success rate varied substantially among ethnic groups, with the most success obtained with Caucasians (81% correctly classified). A discriminant analysis yielded similar results. An example is given of using the model to predict the ethnic group of an SSO-type from a forensic case. Such models provide alternatives to traditional skeletal-based methods of predicting ethnicity, especially in cases where skeletal material is absent or incomplete.
Connor
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A
Population Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
Stoneking
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M
D001213:Asian / Q000235:genetics; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics*; D015342:DNA Probes; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000145:classification*; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000235:genetics; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012044:Regression Analysis; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*; D001741:Black or African American
D015342:DNA Probes; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial