Genotyping data and novel haplotype diversity of STR markers in the SLC26A4 gene region in five ethnic groups of the Iranian population.
OBJECTIVE
SLC26A4 gene mutations are the second currently identifiable genetic cause of autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss after GJB2 mutations. Because of the extensive size of the SLC26A4 gene and the variety of mutations, indirect diagnosis using linkage analysis has been suggested. Therefore, in this investigation three potential short tandem repeat (STR) markers related to this region including D7S2420, D7S496, and D7S2459 were selected for further analysis.


METHODS
The characteristics and haplotype frequency of the markers were examined for the first time in five ethnic groups of the Iranian population including Fars, Azari, Turkmen, Gilaki, and Arab using the polymerase chain reaction followed by fluorescent capillary electrophoresis. RESULTS were analyzed by GeneMarker HID Human STR Identity, GenePop, Microsatellite tools, PowerMarker 3.25, and Arlequin 3.5 software.


RESULTS
Analysis of the allelic frequency revealed the presence of 11, 10, and 8 alleles for D7S2420, D7S496, and D7S2459 markers, respectively, in the Iranian population. The detailed analysis of each ethnic group was reported. Calculated polymorphism information content values were above 0.7 in the Iranian population. Pairwise linkage disequilibrium (LD) revealed a significant LD in pairing markers of D7S2420-D7S496 and in D7S496-D7S2459. Estimation of the haplotype frequency showed the presence of 20, 13, 15, 15, and 20 informative haplotypes in Fars, Azari, Turkmen, Gilaki, and Arabian ethnics, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Together, the investigated markers could be suggested as powerful tools for linkage analysis of SLC26A4 gene mutations in the Iranian population.
1 Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences , Shahrekord, Iran .
Marjan
M
Mojtabavi Naeini
Hamzeh
H
Mesrian Tanha
Morteza
M
Hashemzadeh Chaleshtori
Sadeq
S
Vallian
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000072259:Connexin 26; D017630:Connexins; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000208:ethnology; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008297:Male; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D009154:Mutation; D000076988:Sulfate Transporters
D017630:Connexins; C000607042:GJB2 protein, human; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C085609:SLC26A4 protein, human; D000076988:Sulfate Transporters; D000072259:Connexin 26