title: Using HLA loci to inform ancestry and health in Polynesian and Maori populations.
abstract: Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) are important genetic markers of tissue identity and accurately reflect ancestral history. The work reported in this paper provides a detailed description of HLA polymorphism in Polynesian and Maori individuals in relation to other populations. Our study concerns HLA classes I and II antigens in Polynesian (N = 36) and Maori (N = 114) subjects genotyped at two digit resolution by New Zealand Blood Service Laboratory in Auckland using polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific oligonucleotide and PCR-SSP technologies. We have also compared our data with those from other Austronesian-speaking Mongoloid and Papuan-speaking Australoid populations in order to test previously published account of the origin of Proto-Polynesians via gender-biassed gene flow between these two ancestral populations. We use principal coordinate analysis for this purpose, arguing this approach to be superior to tree-based methods, because of factors associated with population history and admixture. Our data are in general agreement with earlier work and reflect received wisdom on the dual origin of Proto-Polynesians. They also show the way in which the genetic make-up of Polynesian and Maori subjects is changing due to intermarriage with Europeans.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Edinur
authors.forename: P P J
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Selwyn
authors.forename: Z M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Velickovic
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lea
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Chambers
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D018703:Founder Effect; D051456:Gene Flow; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D011114:Polynesia
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens