title: [Origin of caucasoid-specific mitochondrial DNA lineages in the ethnic populations of the Altai-Sayan region].
abstract: The data on sequence variation in the first hypervariable segment (HVSI) of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) representing Caucasoid mtDNA lineages in the gene pools of Altaians and Khakassians are presented. Identification of the subgroups of Caucasoid mtDNA lineages found in the gene pools of the ethnic populations of the Altai-Sayan region and the adjacent territories, Altaians, Khakassians, Tuvinians, Buryats, and Yakuts was carried out. All Caucasoid mtDNA lineages belonged to groups H, HV1, J*, J1, J1b1, T1, T4, U1a, U2, U3, U4, U5a1, I, X and N1a. Taking into consideration possible contribution of southern Caucasoid and eastern European components to the formation of the anthropological type of Altai-Sayan ethnic populations, distribution of the revealed Caucasoid mtDNA lineages among the ethnic populations of the Central Asia, Western Asia, Caucasus, and Eastern Europe was examined. The applied approach permitted identification of 60% of mtDNA types the majority of which had southern Caucasoid origin. Less than 10% of mtDNA types were of eastern European origin. The gene pools of Altaians and Khakassians displayed the presence of autochthonous components represented by mtDNA types from subgroups U2 and U4.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Russian Academy of Sciences, Magadan, 685000 Russia. mderenko@mail.ru
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Derenko
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Maliarchuk
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Zakharov
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D012800:Siberia / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial