Genetic variation and natural hybridization betweenOrchis laxiflora andOrchis palustris (Orchidaceae)

Genetic divergence between population samples ofOrchis laxiflora and ofO. palustris from various European locations was studied by electrophoretic analysis of 25 enzyme loci. An average genetic distance of D_Nei = 1.24 was found between the two taxa, with 12 out of 25 loci showing alternative alleles (diagnostic loci). Genetic heterogeneity was observed within bothO. laxiflora andO. palustris, when northern and southeastern populations were compared, being lower in the former taxon (D = 0.06), than in the latter (D = 0.16). Karyologically, 2n = 36 was found for bothO. laxiflora andO. palustris. O. laxiflora andO. palustris produce hybrids, described asO. ×intermedia. Genotype analysis of several sympatric samples showed the presence of hybrid zones, including F₁ hybrids and, in low proportions, recombinant classes, putatively assigned to F_n and backcrosses, as well as a few introgressed individuals of both taxa. These data indicate that hybrids are only partially fertile, with a very limited mixing up of the two parental gene pools; this is also shown by the lack of significant lowering of genetic distances when sympatric and allopatric heterospecific samples are compared. Accordingly,O. laxiflora andO. palustris form a syngameon; nevertheless they can be considered as good taxonomic species, with virtually distinct gene pools, which evolve independently. The genetic variability inO. laxiflora andO. palustris is remarkably low ( _e = 0.05 and _e = 0.02, respectively). In particular, nearly complete absence of polymorphic loci was found inO. palustris from northcentral Europe. Two hypotheses are considered to explain the low genetic variability of this endangered species.     

Low genetic variation in Swedish populations of the rare speciesVicia pisiformis (Fabaceae) revealed with rflp (rDNA) and RAPD

Nine Swedish populations, 1–5 individuals/population, and one cultivated individual of the rare speciesVicia pisiformis were investigated for genetic variation. In hybridizations with two rDNA probes using 8 restriction enzymes, only two individuals belonging to one population were polymorphic. A map of the rDNA gene cluster was constructed for four of the restriction enzymes used. Two of the polymorphic sites were mapped and were found to be located outside regions coding for rRNA, presumably caused by single point mutations or small deletions. The repeat length of the rDNA region was c. 10,000 bp, which corresponds well with the size found for other species belonging toFabaceae. No length polymorphism was found in the intergenic spacer, contrary to the situation found for most other plant species investigated for rDNA variation. The haplotype diversity for the species (Hsp Shannon) was very low (0.055). Within-population values (Hpop) was 0 for all populations except the variable one, which had 0.301. PCR amplification with 6 random primers also revealed very low levels of genetic diversity. A polymorphism was observed in a limited number of individuals for four populations. Hsp was 0.065 and was 0.050. The average D value (Wetton) for the PCR haplotypes was 0.99.     

Contrasting Levels of Variation in Neutral and Quantitative Genetic Loci on Island Populations of Moor Frogs (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rana arvalis</Emphasis>)

Reduced levels of genetic variability and a prominent differentiation in both neutral marker genes and phenotypic traits are typical for many island populations as compared to their mainland conspecifics. However, whether genetic diversity in neutral marker genes reflects genetic variability in quantitative traits, and thus, their evolutionary potential, remains typically unclear. Moreover, the phenotypic differentiation on islands could be attributable to phenotypic plasticity, selection or drift; something which seldom has been tested. Using eight polymorphic microsatellite loci and quantitative genetic breeding experiments we conducted a detailed comparison on genetic variability and differentiation between Nordic islands (viz. Gotland, Öland and Læsø) and neighbouring mainland populations of moor frogs (Rana arvalis). As expected, the neutral variation was generally lower in island than in mainland populations. But as opposed to this, higher levels of additive genetic variation (V _A) in body size and tibia length were found on the island of Gotland as compared to the mainland population. When comparing the differentiation seen in neutral marker genes (F _ST) with the differentiation in genes coding quantitative traits (Q _ST) two different evolutionary scenarios were found: while selection might explain a smaller size of moor frogs on Gotland, the differentiation seen in tibia length could be explained by genetic drift. These results highlight the limited utility of microsatellite loci alone in inferring the causes behind an observed phenotypic differentiation, or in predicting the amount of genetic variation in ecologically important quantitative traits.     

Genetic Differentiation of Pedunculate Oak Quercus robur L. in the European Part of Russia Based on RAPD Markers

Using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA markers (RAPD), genetic variation and differentiation in four populations of pedunculate oak Quercus robur L. were examined. The populations occupy a large part of the Quercus robur range in the European Russia (Voronezh and Novgorod oblasts; Republics of Mordovia and Bashkortostan). With each of six random primers (A02, A09, A17, B01, B08, B11), 96 DNA samples were analyzed by PCR. In all, 48 putative polymorphic RAPD loci were detected. We failed to reveal population-specific DNA fragments for any primer although the frequencies of 14 fragments were significantly different among populations. The oak populations studied exhibited high variability: 73–90% of genes were polymorphic and the effective allele number was about 1.4. The total genetic variation varied from 0.202 (Vor) to 0.245 (Nov), which corresponded to the estimates for populations of this species from Central and Western Europe. The populations examined showed low among-population differentiation (G _ST = 0.098); gene flow N _e m was 4.61. The proportion of among-population variation of the RAPD loci studied accounted for 7% of the total variability; more than 93% of the total variability was explained by individual and within-population variation.     

Population-Genetic Structure of Chuvash Populations Inferred from the Data on Eight DNA Loci of the Nuclear Genome

Population-genetic study of indigenous populations representing three ethnic Chuvash group: highland (Cheboksarsk and Morgaush district), lowland (Kanash district) and mid-lowland (Marposad district). Eight polymorphic DNA loci of the nuclear genome (VNTR/PAH, STR/PAH, VNTR/ApoB, VNTR/DAT1, APF, VNTR/eNOS, IVS6aGATT, and KM.19/PstI) were examined in the population of each district. For each of the four population, we estimated the allele and genotype frequency distributions at each polymorphic system, heterozygosities H _S and between-population differences F _ST. In the combined Chuvash sample, = 0.464 and = 0.006. Loci VNTR(DAT) and VNTR(ApoB) showed highest between-population differentiation (0.009 F _ST 0.012), and loci IVS6aGATT, APF, VNTR(eNOS), andD7S23(KM.19), lowest differentiation (0.001 F _ST 0.003). Analysis of genetic distances revealed somewhat higher genetic similarity between the Cheboksarsk and Morgaush populations belonging to the highland Chuvash group, whereas the highland Chuvash population from the Marposad district, which belong to the mid-lowland group, was more distant from the former populations.     

Population genetics of Japanese monkeys: III. Ancestry and differentiation of local populations

Genetic variability in local populations of the Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) was quantified by the proportion of polymorphic loci (P_poly) and the average heterozygosity per individual ( ) from the starch- and polyacrylamide-gel electrophoreses of blood proteins controlled by 32 independent genetic loci. P_poly averaged 13.6% and 2.1%, the values being at lower level compared with other mammalian species. Geographical distribution of the genetic variations was not uniform in the whole species but its local differentiation was remarkable. Genetic variability tended to be lower in the southern localities, especially in the southernmost island of Yaku, than in the central and northern localities. The genetic distance and the principal component analyses showed that the most divergent local populations were the population in the Shimokita peninsula at the northernmost distribution area of the species and the populations on the Yaku island at the southernmost. The most contributory loci to the genetic divergence were the PGM-II, Gc, and Hb-β, the variant allele at the first locus being concentrated in the Yaku island, in the Shimokita peninsula, and in the easternmost Boso peninsula, and the variant allele at the latter two loci having high frequencies in the Shimokita and the Izu peninsulas. The Hennigian cladistic analysis, for which the Chinese rhesus macaque (M. mulatta) was used as the outgroup, revealed that the number of presence of derived (apomorphic) alleles was conspicuously smaller in southern islet populations than in central and northern populations, whereas any areal tendency was not recognized in the number of loss of ancestral (plesiomorphic) alleles. The observed distribution pattern that the plesiomorphic variant allele at the PGM-II locus concentrated only in the peripheral (southernmost, northernmost, and easternmost) ranges of the species, would indicate, as a possibility, the occurrence of two or more waves of immigration of ancestors of the present-day Japanese macaque from the Asian continent.     

Polymorphisme électrophorétique des protéines et enzymes sériques et érythrocytaires chez le chimpanzé (Pan troglodytes)

Summary The electrophoretic mobilities of serum enzymes and other proteins were investigated at 35 loci in 25 unrelated individuals of the chimpanzee Pan troglodytes. In this population the mean average of individual polymorphism is =0181, and the average level of heterozygoty =0.022. The same pattern of individual variability is found in Pan troglodytes and Homo sapiens.     

Genetic diversity and environmental associations of wild wheat,Triticum dicoccoides,in Israel

Summary Allozyme variation in the tetraploid wild progenitor of wheat, Triticum dicoccoides, was studied for the proteins encoded by about 50 gene loci in 457 individuals representing 12 populations from Israel. Six spikelet morphological traits were measured in the same populations. The results indicate that: (a) 16 loci (= 32%) were monomorphic in all 12 populations, 15 loci (= 30%) were locally polymorphic, and 19 loci (= 38%) were regionally polymorphic. All polymorphic loci (but one) displayed high levels of polymorphism ( 10%). In Israel, the proportion of polymorphic loci per population, P, in wild wheat averaged 0.25 (range, 0.16–0.38), and the genetic diversity index, H_e averaged 0.07, (range, 0.03 – 0.12). (b) Altogether there were 110 alleles at the 50 putative loci tested (c) Genetic differentiation of populations included regional and local patterns: (i) The coefficients of genetic distance between populations were high (mean D = 0.10 range, 0.02 – 0.25), and indicated sharp genetic differentiation over short distances, (ii) Common ( 10%) but sporadic and localized alleles were frequent (76%), and (iii) Rare alleles were few (only 5 alleles). (d) The patterns of allozyme and spikelet variation in the wild gene pool were significantly correlated with, and partly predictable by, water factors, including those of precipitation, evaporation, and relative humidity as well as of soil type, (e) All six spikelet characters showed statistically significant variation among localities and (f) Allozymic variation was correlated with spikelet variation.These results suggest in T. dicoccoides: (i) the operation of natural selection in population genetic structure, (ii) local adaptive genetic differentiation caused by diversifying selection through climate and soil, and (iii) the guidelines for sampling these resources for use in wheat breeding programs.     

Genetic analysis of an isolated red deer (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cervus elaphus</Emphasis>) population showing signs of inbreeding depression

In the present study, we analysed 18 red deer specimens from a small (N = 50) and isolated population in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany, with respect to variability at nine polymorphic microsatellite loci and 439 bp of the mitochondrial DNA control region. Several cases of brachygnathy (shortened lower jaw), commonly associated with inbreeding depression, have been recorded in the population. Genetic variability was very low compared with other European red deer populations including the neighbouring population from which the population under study was derived some 130 years ago. The effective population size was estimated to be seven individuals corresponding to an increase in inbreeding (or a loss of heterozygosity) of 7% each generation. This value is seven times higher than the theoretical threshold level up to which natural selection is believed to counteract the fixation of deleterious alleles in the gene pool. As a consequence, the population urgently needs genetic input from other populations to overcome the negative effects of random drift and inbreeding. To our knowledge, this study is one of the first to genetically analyse a red deer population showing strong signs of inbreeding depression.     

Laser light scattering determination of size and dispersity of synaptosomes and synaptic vesicles isolated from squid (Loligo pealei) optic lobes

Quasi-elastic laser light scattering has been used to investigate the size and dispersity of synaptosomes and synaptic vesicles isolated from optic lobes of the squid Loligo pealei. Synaptosomal fractions were highly polydisperse ( ) and the mean diameter ( ) ranged from 0.5–2.0 m. Size distribution histograms yielded two major components — smaller particles ( ) and a larger group of particles ( ). The heterogeneity of the synaptosomal particles detected in solution is in agreement with published data obtained using electron microscopy. Purified synaptic vesicle fractions also yielded complex particle size distribution data. A component with a mean diameter in the range 150–250 nm was detected, though a smaller particle ( ) dominated the scattering signal. This smaller particle closely resembles in size the electron lucent vesicles seen in the majority of squid optic lobe nerve terminals when examined by electron microscopy. Osmotically-induced shirnkage and swelling of the synptosomes was detected. Depolarization by veratridine (1.0×10^–4 M) did not result in a detectable change in the size of synaptosomal particles.     

Genetic diversity and ecological relationships of marsh frog populations in Israel

Summary Allozymic variation in proteins encoded by 28 loci was analyzed electrophoretically in 340 mostly adult specimens representing 11 populations, 8 central and 3 isolated, of aquatic marsh frogs, Rana ridibunda in Israel, along a north-south transect of generally increasing aridity. In addition, geographic variation in 3 morphological variables of 144 frogs and in vertebral stripe color polymorphism of 262 frogs were also studied. The results indicate that. (a) Of the 28 loci examined, 12 (= 43%) are largely monomorphic in all populations; out of the remaining loci, 6 were locally and weakly polymorphic and 10 regionally and strongly polymorphic. (b) No fixation of alternative alleles was found in any of the 28 loci and 11 populations studied. The commonest allele predominated across all populations, central as well as isolates, (c) Clinal patterns associated with increasing aridity southwards and eastwards occurred in polymorphism, P; heterozygosity, H; and in allele frequencies of Esterase-1, Xanthine dehydrogenase, Aldehyde oxidase and Albumin. (d) In the 3 estimates of genie variation, mean number of alleles per locus, A, mean proportion of polymorphic loci per population, P, and heterozygous loci per individual, H, marsh frogs displayed average estimates of genetic variation. The 3 estimates were: A =1.14 (range, 1.18–1.57); P = 0.33 (range, 0.14–0.54): H = 0.069 (range, 0.032–0.094). (e) Central populations harbored distinctly more genic variation than isolated populations. (f) Genic similarity between populations was high. (g) Significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were found in 8 out of 11 populations involving 8 loci, (h) P, H, and allozymic variation in several gene loci were significantly correlated and predictable by environmental variables, primarily those related to water and temperature. (i) A significant amount of morphological variation was found between localities for body length, foot length, and weight in both sexes. Body weight in females was negatively correlated with temperature; and all three morphological variables in females were predicted significantly by a combination of temperature and humidity. (j) The three vertebral stripe color phenotypes, gray, green and red occurred in the following frequencies: 0.59, 0.24, 0.17, respectively. The red morph increased clinally southwards and was significantly correlated with most temperature and water variables. The geographic variation in both the green and red morphs was predicted significantly by climatic variables, both colors blending with local substrates.The spatial patterns and environmental correlates of genetic and morphological variation in Rana ridibunda in Israel suggest that (i) protein polymorphisms are at least partly adaptive and that part is moulded by natural selection rather than by stochastic processes or neutrality; (ii) the environmental variation model seems to be a good predictor of genetic variation in marsh frogs; (iii) body size varies adaptively, presumably determined primarily through thermoregulation; (iv) the spatial pattern of the color polymorphism seems to be adaptively selected by at least two factors: visual predation and climatic determinants.     

Establishment of molecular markers and linkage groups in two F2 populations of Upland cotton

Two F₂ populations of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) from the crosses of HS46 x MARCABUCAG8US-1-88 (MAR) and HS46 x Pee Dee 5363 (PD5363) were characterized for restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) using DNA probes. Seventy-three probe/enzyme combinations were used in the HS46 x MAR population analysis, which resulted in 42 informative polymorphic fragments. These 42 moleclar markers represented 26 polymorphic loci, which consisted of 15 codominant and 11 dominant (+/-) genotypes. Chi-square analyses of these loci fit expected genotypic ratios of 121 and 31, respectively An analysis of these loci with the MAPMAKER program resulted in the establishment of four linkage groups A, B, C, and D with 4,2,2, and 2 loci, respectively, as well as 16 unlinked loci. Six probe-enzyme combinations were assayed on the HS46 x PD5363 population, which resulted in 11 informative polymorphic fragments. These 11 fragments represented 6 polymorphic loci, 1 dominant (+/-) and 5 codominant genotypes. The MAPMAKER analysis of these loci yielded 2 linked loci. Thus, a total of 53 polymorphic fragments and 32 polymorphic loci, representing five linkage groups, were identified among the two families.Contribution of the USDA-ARS in cooperation with the Miss Agric For Exp Stn.     

Reduced genetic diversity and low effective size in peripheral northern European catfish Silurus glanis populations

Using 10 polymorphic microsatellites and 1251 individual samples (some dating back to the early 1980s), genetic structure and effective population size in all native and introduced Swedish populations of the European wels catfish or Silurus glanis were studied. Levels of genetic variability and phylogeographic relationships were compared with data from a previous study of populations in other parts of Europe. The genetically distinct Swedish populations displayed comparably low levels of genetic variability and according to one-sample estimates based on linkage disequilibrium and sib ship-reconstruction, current local effective population sizes were lower than minimum levels recommended for short-term genetic conservation. In line with a previous suggestion of postglacial colonisation from a single refugium, all Swedish populations were assembled on a common branch in a star-shaped dendrogram together with other European populations. Two distinct subpopulations were detected in upper and lower habitats of River Emån, indicating that even minor dispersal barriers may restrict gene flow for wels in running waters. Genetic assignment of specimens encountered in the brackish Baltic Sea and in lakes where the species does not occur naturally indicated presence of long-distance sea dispersal and confirmed unauthorised translocations, respectively.     

Cryptic invasion of Italian pool frogs (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pelophylax bergeri</Emphasis>) across Western Europe unraveled by multilocus phylogeography

Human introductions of exotic amphibians can have catastrophic effects on native species. However, they usually remain unnoticed without genetic tools when species are difficult to distinguish morphologically. In Western Europe, pool frogs (Pelophylax sp.) make a worrisome case: recent genetic data showed the presence of Italian (Pelophylax bergeri) mtDNA haplotypes within the range of the threatened European Pelophylax lessonae, two morphologically similar taxa. Here we conduct a multilocus phylogeographic and population genetic survey of European and Italian pool frogs (combining present and historic samples), to investigate the origin(s) and consequences of potential introductions. Results are unequivocal: we show that the alien P. bergeri have extensively invaded France and north-Alpine Switzerland, and have also deeply introgressed with P. lessonae, which has led to the complete replacement of most populations. Alien specimens have probably been translocated multiple times from Central Italy at least prior to the 1960s. Based on our dense sampling, only two areas, north and south of the Alps still host native pool frogs in Switzerland, the Joux Valley near the French border and the canton of Ticino, respectively. Importantly, we show that these last P. lessonae populations are remnants of a private genetic diversity specific to Western Europe, which vanished during the P. bergeri’s invasion. Our study emphasizes the risk of genetic pollution during invasion by human-introduced taxa and brings alarming concern regarding uncontrolled amphibian translocations. Moreover, it demonstrates the necessity for genetic surveys to detect and monitor these invasions, especially where species determination is problematic.     

Range wide versus local patterns of genetic diversity in hornbeam (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Carpinus betulus</Emphasis> L.)

A study based on AFLP markers was conducted to characterise the present population genetic structure of Carpinus betulus in Europe and to formulate guidelines for the use of this species in plantations on a local scale in Flanders. High within-population diversity and little (but significant) genetic differentiation were detected at both Flemish and European scales. However, there was a pattern of isolation by distance only at the European scale. Within-population gene diversity, a new rarefaction-based measure of number of genotypes (band richness) and percentage of polymorphic loci are lower north of major mountain chains, suggesting that the mountain ranges formed a second bottleneck for the hornbeam during postglacial recolonisation. In Flanders, despite lower gene diversity, there were more polymorphic loci than in other European populations, a pattern that might have been caused by the mixing of material through planting, e.g. in hedges. In view of these findings, it is advised to create a single Flemish seed zone and to use preferentially reproductive material from this seed zone for new plantations in Flanders.     

Genetic characterization and intra-generic relationships of Artemia monica Verrill and A. urmiana Günther

Allozyme variation encoded for by 22 enzyme loci analyzed with starch-gel electrophoresis from samples of gonochoristic Artemia monica and A. urmiana collected from Lake Urmia, Iran and from Mono Lake, CA, USA, respectively, are compared and contrasted with data from representative gonochoristic populations of A. franciscana, A. persimilis and A. salina, as well as diploid, triploid, tetraploid, and pentaploid parthenogenetic forms. Values for parameters measuring degree of genetic variability (number of alleles per locus, proportion of polymorphic loci, and expected heterozygosity) in A. monica and A. urmiana were among the highest in the genus (1.76, 0.46, 0.19, and 2.19, 0.55, and 0.14, respectively). For A. monica, possible factors promoting its high genetic variability are discussed. Mean values for Nei's D between A. monica and A. franciscana were very low (0.09) and consistent with reported cytological and morphological similarities, thus the physiological differentiation which distinguishes the former must involve differences at very few loci. D values from A. urmiana to rest of the gonochoristic species (0.95) are consistent with its taxonomic status and distinctive morphology, while its low genetic distance to the monophyletic Artemia parthenogenetic lineage (mean D = 0.48) suggests a recent common ancestry.     

Allozyme Variation and Phylogenetic Relationships in Picea jezoensis (Pinaceae) Populations of the Russian Far East

Genetic variation and differentiation of 12 populations of Picea jezoensis from the Russian Far East were studied using 20 allozyme loci. The mean number of alleles per locus was 2.63, the percent of polymorphic loci was 88.1%, the observed heterozygosity was 0.181, and the mean value of expected heterozygosity amounted to 0.189. The values of expected heterozygosity of the northern and central mainland populations were higher than in the southern part of the natural range. A significant bias of Hardy–Weinberg heterozygosity to equilibrium heterozygosity (H_eq) suggests that most of the mainland populations have recently experienced a severe expansion in population size while populations from Kamchatka Peninsula have undergone a reduction in population size. Unbiased Nei’s genetic distance values were low within and between the mainland and Sakhalin Island populations (D_N=0.008). The largest values (D_N=0.063) were found between the mainland/Sakhalin and Kamchatka Peninsula populations. Based on genetic distance, P. jezoensis and P. kamtschatkensis could be considered as distinct taxa, but P. ajanensis, P. microsperma, and P. komarovii do not warrant taxonomic recognition.     

Microsatellite markers for the endangered European mink (Mustela lutreola) and closely related mustelids

The European mink (Mustela lutreola L., 1761) is an endangered carnivore species whose populations suffered a severe decline during the last century. The genotyping of eight polymorphic microsatellite loci revealed a relatively low number of alleles per locus (two to eight), as well as low levels of polymorphism (observed and expected heterozygosity values per locus were 0.49 and 0.54, respectively). Cross‐specific polymerase chain reaction amplifications were successful in seven closely related mustelid species suggesting that these loci may be useful not only for assessing genetic variability in European mink populations but also for determining potential hybridization events between M. lutreola and other mustelid species.     

Low genetic diversity and significant population structuring in the relict Amentotaxus argotaenia complex (Taxaceae) based on ISSR fingerprinting

Amentotaxus, a genus of the Taxaceae, represents an ancient lineage that has long existed in Eurasia. All Amentotaxus species experienced frequent population expansion and contraction over periodical glaciations in Tertiary and Quaternary. Among them, Amentotaxus argotaenia complex consists of three morphologically alike species, A. argotaenia, Amentotaxus yunnanensis, and Amentotaxus formosana. This complex is distributed in the subtropical region of mainland China and Taiwan where many Pleistocene refugia have been documented. In this study, genetic diversity and population structuring within and between species were investigated based on the inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) fingerprinting. Mean genetic diversity within populations was estimated in three ways: (1) the percentage of polymorphic loci out of all loci (P) (2) Neis unbiased expected heterozygosity (He), and (3) Shannons index of phenotypic diversity. For a total of 310 individuals of 15 populations sampled from the three species, low levels of ISSR genetic variation within populations were detected, with P=4.66–16.58%, He=0.0176–0.0645 and Hpop=0.0263–0.0939, agreeing with their seriously threatened status. AMOVA analyses revealed that the differences between species only accounted for 27.38% of the total variation, whereas differences among populations and within populations were 57.70 and 14.92%, respectively, indicating substantial isolation between the patch-like populations. A neighbor-joining tree identified a close affinity between A. yunnanensis and A. formosana. Genetic drift due to small population size, plus limited current gene flow, resulted in significant genetic structuring. Low levels of intrapopulational genetic variation and considerable interpopulational divergence were also attributable to demographic bottlenecks during and/or after the Pleistocene glaciations.     

Genetic Differentiation of the Population of Central Asia Inferred from Autosomal Markers

The gene pool of five ethnic groups of the Central Asian population was characterized using nine human-specific polymorphic insertion/deletion loci (ACE, PLAT, APOA1, PV92, F13B, A25, B65, CD4, Mt-Nuc). It has been shown for the first time that at the CD4 locus, the frequency of Alu(–) is inversely related to the Mongoloid component of the population. For the Central Asian populations, the lowest and highest frequencies of the Alu deletion at locus CD4 were recorded respectively in Dungans (0.04), immigrants from China, and Tajiks (0.15). The coefficient of gene differentiation in the Central Asian populations for all the genes was 2.8%, which indicates a relatively low level of population genetic subdivision in this region. The unity of the gene pool of the Central Asian Caucasoids was shown.