title: Southeast Asian diversity: first insights into the complex mtDNA structure of Laos.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vast migrations and subsequent assimilation processes have shaped the genetic composition of Southeast Asia, an area of close contact between several major ethnic groups. To better characterize the genetic variation of this region, we analyzed the entire mtDNA control region of 214 unrelated donors from Laos according to highest forensic quality standards. To detail the phylogeny, we inspected selected SNPs from the mtDNA coding region. For a posteriori data quality control, quasi-median network constructions and autosomal STR typing were performed. In order to describe the mtDNA setup of Laos more thoroughly, the data were subjected to population genetic comparisons with 16 East Asian groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Laos sample exhibited ample mtDNA diversity, reflecting the huge number of ethnic groups listed. We found several new, so far undescribed mtDNA lineages in this dataset and surrounding populations. The Laos population was characteristic in terms of haplotype composition and genetic structure, however, genetic comparisons with other Southeast Asian populations revealed limited, but significant genetic differentiation. Notable differences in the maternal relationship to the major indigenous Southeast Asian ethnolinguistic groups were detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, we portray the great mtDNA variety of Laos for the first time. Our findings will contribute to clarify the migration history of the region. They encourage setting up regional and subpopulation databases, especially for forensic applications. The Laotian sequences will be incorporated into the collaborative EMPOP mtDNA database http://www.empop.org upon publication and will be available as the first mtDNA reference data for this country.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University, Austria.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bodner
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Röck
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kloss-Brandstätter
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Horst
authors.forename: Basil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Horst
authors.forename: Sourideth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sengchanh
authors.forename: Torpong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sanguansermsri
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horst
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krämer
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Walther
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Parson
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007812:Laos; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial