French Guiana Amerindian demographic history as revealed by autosomal and Y-chromosome STRs.
BACKGROUND
Previous investigations of French Guiana Amerindians performed by this group included blood group and protein genetic markers, mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome investigations. Molecular autosomal data and more extensive Y-chromosome determinations were lacking.


METHODS
The genetic variability of 15 autosome (ASTRs) and 17 Y-chromosome (YSTRs) microsatellite loci was studied in four French Guiana (Emerillon, Palikur, Wayampi, Kali'na) and one Brazilian (Apalai) Amerindian populations. A sixth group, the Peruvian Matsiguenga of the Maipurean linguistic family, was included in the data analysis since they could provide information about the past migration of people from that linguistic stock into northeastern Amazonia.


RESULTS
Marked ASTR and YSTR variability was found, with 96% of the YSTR haplotypes being found in one population only. There was excellent agreement between the present and previous autosomal or uniparental results. Multidimensional scaling based on F(ST) genetic distances and population structure analysis revealed heterogeneity in gene distribution, with a clear difference between the Matsiguenga and Emerillon and the other groups. In the latter, Wilcoxon sign-rank test between observed and expected heterozygosity and the mode of allele frequency distribution revealed clues of a significant past genetic bottleneck. The Wayampi stand genetically closer to the Apalai, Palikur and Kali'na when examined for the autosome but not the Y-chromosome panel of markers, suggesting preferential female gene flow.


CONCLUSIONS
The new data provided additional important information about the biological history of people from a remote South American region, indicating how gene diversity analyses can be used to increase understanding of human microevolutionary processes.
Laboratoire AMIS Anthropologie Moléculaire et Imagerie de Synthèse, CNRS FRE2960, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France. stephanemazieres@voila.fr
Stephane
S
Mazieres
Sidia Maria
SM
Callegari-Jacques
Shaiane Goulart
SG
Crossetti
Jean-Michel
JM
Dugoujon
Georges
G
Larrouy
Etienne
E
Bois
Eric
E
Crubezy
Mara Helena
MH
Hutz
Francisco Mauro
FM
Salzano
D001938:Brazil; D002877:Chromosomes, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics*; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005616:French Guiana; D051456:Gene Flow; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005819:Genetic Markers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005843:Geography; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D010375:Pedigree; D010568:Peru; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D005819:Genetic Markers