Mitochondrial haplogroups associated with elite Kenyan athlete status.
The maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has enabled construction of detailed phylogenies. Analysis of key polymorphisms from these phylogenies allows mtDNA to be assigned to haplogroups, which have been associated with elite endurance performance.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the frequencies of mtDNA haplogroups found in elite Kenyan athletes with those in the general Kenyan population.


METHODS
DNA samples were obtained from 221 national level Kenyan athletes (N), 70 international Kenyan athletes (I), and 85 members of the general Kenyan population (C). mtDNA haplogroups were classified by sequencing 340 bases of hypervariable section (HVS I) and by genotyping known restriction sites. Frequency differences between groups were assessed using exact tests of population differentiation.


RESULTS
The haplogroup distribution of national (P = 0.023) and international athletes (P < 0.001) differed significantly from controls, with international athletes showing a greater proportion of L0 haplogroups (C = 15%, N = 18%, I = 30%) and lower proportion of L3* haplogroups (C = 48%, N = 36%, I = 26%). Although a high number of international athletes originated from the Rift Valley province relative to controls (C = 20%, N = 65%, I = 81%), subjects from this province did not differ in haplogroup distribution from other regions (P = 0.23). Nor did Bantu subjects differ from Nilotic (P = 0.12) despite an overrepresentation of Nilotic languages among the athletes.


CONCLUSIONS
International athletes differed in their mtDNA haplogroup distribution relative to the general Kenyan population. They displayed an excess of L0 haplogroups and a dearth of L3* haplogroups. These findings suggest that mtDNA haplogroups are influential in elite Kenyan distance running, although population stratification cannot be ruled out.
Scott
Robert A
RA
International Centre for East African Running Science, Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UNITED KINGDOM.
Fuku
Noriyuki
N
Onywera
Vincent O
VO
Boit
Mike
M
Wilson
Richard H
RH
Tanaka
Masashi
M
H Goodwin
William
W
Pitsiladis
Yannis P
YP
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D005820:Genetic Testing; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial