[Correlation analysis of surnames and Y-chromosome genetic heritage in 3 provinces of southwestern Colombia].
BACKGROUND
In Colombia, surnames are characters usually passed to the children by the father, and they have been compared to neutral alleles associated with the Y-chromosome.


OBJECTIVE
Population frequencies were determined for 17 short tandem repeats (STR) DNA markers on the Y-chromosome to compare the two identity codes and define the correlation between haplotypes and surnames in each individual.


METHODS
DNA was extracted from blood samples from 308 male individuals in provinces of Valle del Cauca, Cauca and Nariño, all in southwestern Colombia. Sample DNA was analyzed with the commercial kit AmpFLSTR Yfiler (Applied Biosystems) and examined for the following 17 Y-chromosome STR markers: DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385a/b, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS448, DYS456, DYS458, DYS635 and Y-GATA-H4. The frequencies of molecular haplotypes were associated with the surname reported by each individual, and a correlation table was constructed. Amerindian and European surnames were associated with the presence of allele DYS19/13, a characteristic of Amerindian populations.


RESULTS
Allele frequencies were reported for each of the 17 STR markers in the southwestern region of Colombia-high genetic and haplotypic diversities were obtained. Approximately 40% of lineage inconsistencies were found when the molecular genotype was compared with the European or Amerindian surnames.


CONCLUSIONS
Surnames must be used as population markers with reservation. The genetic evidence indicates that traditional genealogies based on surnames with or without documental support, may be inconsistant with their biological provenance.
Gómez
Alberto
A
Instituto de Genética Humana, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia. agomez@javeriana.edu.co
Avila
Sandra J
SJ
Briceño
Ignacio
I
D002648:Child; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y; D003105:Colombia; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005789:Genealogy and Heraldry; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009275:Names; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D005819:Genetic Markers