Human mitochondrial DNA sequence variation in the Moroccan population of the Souss area.
BACKGROUND
Various populations have contributed to the present-day gene pool of Morocco, including the autochthonous Berber population, Phoenicians, Sephardic Jews, Bedouin Arabs and sub-Saharan Africans.


OBJECTIVE
The primary objective of the study was to complete a genetic description of the Berber-speaking population in the Souss region of southern Morocco, based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence analysis.


METHODS
The first hypervariable segment of the mtDNA control region was sequenced in a sample of 50 individuals from the Souss Valley, and the results compared with the extensive body of data available on mtDNA sequence variation in Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.


RESULTS
Thirty-four different sequences were found: an estimated 68% of the sequences occurred throughout Europe, West Asia and North Africa, 26% originated in sub-Saharan Africa, and 6% belonged to the North African specific haplogroup U6. The Souss Valley mtDNA sequences indicated the presence of two populations which expanded at different times: the West Eurasian sequences in the Souss sample had a smaller average number of pairwise differences than pairs of sub-Saharan sequences.


CONCLUSIONS
Detailed knowledge of the possible geographic origin of each sequence facilitated an interpretation of both internal diversity parameters and between-population relationships. The sub-Saharan admixture in the Souss Valley matched the south-north cline of sub-Saharan influence in North Africa, also evident in the genetic distances of North African populations to Europeans and sub-Saharan Africans.
Brakez
Z
Z
Laboratoire de Biologic Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Faculté des Sciences, Université Ibnou-Zohr, Agadir, Morocco.
Bosch
E
E
Izaabel
H
H
Akhayat
O
O
Comas
D
D
Bertranpetit
J
J
Calafell
F
F
D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D001483:Base Sequence / Q000235:genetics*; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions / Q000235:genetics*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005060:Europe; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics*; D005788:Gene Pool; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008037:Linguistics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009018:Morocco; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial