Sex-specific migration patterns in Central Asian populations, revealed by analysis of Y-chromosome short tandem repeats and mtDNA.
Eight Y-linked short-tandem-repeat polymorphisms (DYS19, DYS388, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, and DYS393) were analyzed in four populations of Central Asia, comprising two lowland samples-Uighurs and lowland Kirghiz-and two highland samples-namely, the Kazakhs (altitude 2,500 m above sea level) and highland Kirghiz (altitude 3,200 m above sea level). The results were compared with mtDNA sequence data on the same individuals, to study possible differences in male versus female genetic-variation patterns in these Central Asian populations. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed a very high degree of genetic differentiation among the populations tested, in discordance with the results obtained with mtDNA sequences, which showed high homogeneity. Moreover, a dramatic reduction of the haplotype genetic diversity was observed in the villages at high altitude, especially in the highland Kirghiz, when compared with the villages at low altitude, which suggests a male founder effect in the settlement of high-altitude lands. Nonetheless, mtDNA genetic diversity in these highland populations is equivalent to that in the lowland populations. The present results suggest a very different migration pattern in males versus females, in an extended historical frame, with a higher migration rate for females.
Pérez-Lezaun
A
A
Unitat de Biologia Evolutiva, Facultat de Ciències de la Salut i de la Vida, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
Calafell
F
F
Comas
D
D
Mateu
E
E
Bosch
E
E
Martínez-Arias
R
R
Clarimón
J
J
Fiori
G
G
Luiselli
D
D
Facchini
F
F
Pettener
D
D
Bertranpetit
J
J
D000483:Alleles; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007623:Kazakhstan; D007707:Kyrgyzstan; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D013620:Tajikistan; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences; D014998:Y Chromosome
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial