Population severance in manipur at dopamine receptor D2 locus.
BACKGROUND
Tibeto-Burman language-speaking Mongoloid groups of northeast India are reported to be genetically highly heterogeneous. Manipur, one of the states of this region sharing a major International border with Myanmar, is also expected to be diversified as seen by its large number of tribal and nontribal groups. A number of genomic markers, that is, autosomal, mitochondrial, and Y chromosomal ones, have been used to understand the peopling of the northeast region.


OBJECTIVE
In this article, an attempt is made to understand the peopling of Manipur using three sites (Taq1A, Taq1B, and Taq1D) on the dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) gene through allele and haplotype frequencies and their distribution patterns.


METHODS
In total, 367 blood samples were collected from eight populations of which three (Meitei, Muslims, and Bamon) are nontribal groups and five (Aimol, Kabui, Paite, Kom, and Thadou) are tribal groups.


RESULTS
All the three sites are polymorphic in all the studied populations with relatively lower heterozyosities indicating a genetic discontinuity between the populations of mainland India and northeast India, suggesting the unlikeliness of eastward migration of people from Africa through India.


CONCLUSIONS
High heterogeneity and predominance of ancestral haplotype (B2D2A1) among the Meitei suggest an admixture of incoming mongoloid groups with an already existing protoastroloid element. The study also highlights the distinctiveness of Manipuri population groups with respect to DRD2 gene polymorphism.
Biochemical and Molecular Anthropology Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India. knsaraswathy@yahoo.com
Kallur N
KN
Saraswathy
Yaiphaba M
YM
Sanjenbam
Benrithung
B
Murry
Kiranmala N
KN
Devi
Ekata
E
Sinha
Vipin
V
Gupta
Rupak
R
Mukhopadhyay
Asghar
A
Mohammad
Achoubi Devi
AD
Nongthomban
Somibabu Meitei
SM
Khangenbam
Mohinder P
MP
Sachdeva
D000883:Anthropology; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011153:Population / Q000235:genetics*; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000235:genetics*
D005819:Genetic Markers; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2