title: An mtDNA perspective of French genetic variation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The French has been insufficiently characterized so far for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study aimed to enhance the information available for the French mtDNA pool and to explore the potential microgeographical differentiation of two French regions selected for their linguistic and historical idiosyncrasies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 868 samples from 12 different locations in France were collected. They were sequenced for the hypervariable segment I (HVS-I) and typed for haplogroup defining markers from the coding region either by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) or by a new protocol based on the 5' nuclease allelic discrimination. The mtDNA gene pools of French Basques and Bretons were compared in terms of frequency and composition with relevant neighbouring populations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The French Basques' mtDNA pool shares some common features with that of the Spanish Basques, such as the high frequency of haplogroup H. However, the French Basques exhibit a number of distinct features, most notably expressed in the prevalence of haplogroups linked with the Neolithic diffusion in Europe. In Brittany, Finistère shows closer affinities with Britain and Scandinavia than the two other departments of Brittany.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mtDNA haplogroup composition of the French does not differ significantly from the surrounding European genetic landscape. At a finer grain, microgeographical differentiation can be revealed, as shown for the French Basque country and for Brittany.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Etude du Polymorphisme de l'ADN, Faculté de Médecine, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Chrystelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: Erwan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pennarun
authors.forename: Toomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kivisild
authors.forename: Kristiina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tambets
authors.forename: Helle-Viivi
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Tolk
authors.forename: Ene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Metspalu
authors.forename: Maere
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reidla
authors.forename: Sylviana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chevalier
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giraudet
authors.forename: Lovorka Barać
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Lauc
authors.forename: Marijana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pericić
authors.forename: Pavao
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rudan
authors.forename: Mireille
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Claustres
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Journel
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dorval
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Villems
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chaventré
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Moisan
mesh_terms: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005602:France; D005788:Gene Pool; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population / Q000379:methods*; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial