title: Near fixation of 374l allele frequencies of the skin pigmentation gene SLC45A2 in Africa.
abstract: The L374F polymorphism of the SLC45A2 gene, encoding the membrane-associated transporter protein that plays an important role in melanin synthesis, has been suggested to be associated with skin color in human populations. In this study, the detailed distribution of the 374f and 374l alleles has been investigated in 2,581 unrelated subjects from 36 North, East, West, and Central African populations. We found once more the highly significant (p < 0.001) correlation coefficient (r = 0.957) cline of 374f frequencies with degrees of latitude in European and North African populations. Almost all the African populations located below 16° of latitude are fixed for the 374l allele. Peul, Toucouleur, and Soninké populations have 374l allele frequencies of 0.06, 0.03, and 0.03, respectively.
authors: Institute of Molecular Anthropology, 44 Monge Street, 75005, Paris, France, lucotte@hotmail.com.
authors: Gérard
authors: G
authors: Lucotte
authors: Isao
authors: I
authors: Yuasa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D000352:Africa, Northern; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics; D005787:Gene Frequency; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012880:Skin Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics*; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C510061:SLC45A2 protein, human