Variation in the gene frequencies of three generations of humans from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico

Allele frequencies for the ABO, Rh, MNSs, Duffy, Kidd, Lutheran, P and Lewis blood group systems in 207 persons whose 4 grandparents were born in the Monterrey Metropolitan area (MMA), grouped into 3 generations, were ascertained along with other related population from the MMA, Mestizos from Saltillo, Coahuila and Tlaxcala, and from the populations thought to have contributed to their genetic constitution (native Mexican Indians and Spanish). Genetic admixture and distance estimates were calculated. Gene frequencies of the three generations from MMA are intermediate to those of the ancestral populations, indicating that they are Mestizo but with a genetic structure different from Mestizos of Saltillo and Tlaxcala. Both genetic admixture and distance estimates indicate that the oldest generation exhibits the greatest Spanish influence which decreases in the youngest generation and in the other MMA populations as a result of the immigration from the central states of Mexico.     

Notes on the Weasel in Historic Plains Indian Culture

Abstract

One of the smaller mammals of the Creat Plains is the short-legged, slender-bodied, agile and aggressive weasel. The historic Indian tribes of this region did not eat the weasel, but the northern tribes snared these animals in winter to obtain their handsome white pelts. Winter weasel pelts were coveted items in both intratribal and intertribal trade and were used by many tribes to decorate war bonnets, and the finest men’s shirts and leggings. Whole weasels were sometimes tied to shields as war medicine, and some Siouan tribes carv, ed representations of the weasel at the ends of their wooden war clubs. Among the Plains Indians the association of the weasel with warriors’ clothing and weapons appears to have been derived from their recognition of the fighting qualities of the weasel.     

Ethnic differences in atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and lipid metabolism

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Comparison of risk factors and cardiovascular disease among racial and ethnic groups is a powerful approach to study genetics and lifestyle, or environmental interactions. RECENT FINDINGS: Most, mean or median, cardiovascular risk factor levels are similar among black and white people. There are much greater differences in the distribution of risk factor level within a specific race and ethnic group than between US populations. There are also very large differences in levels of risk factors for coronary heart disease between specific ethnic migrant populations such as comparing black people in Africa with those in the US, or Japanese people in Japan with those in Hawaii and California. Differences in distribution of risk factors and disease between race and ethnic group are a function of the frequency of specific genotypes and interaction with environmental factors. Several of the most important differences between racial groups are higher blood pressure, lower triglycerides and higher HDL cholesterol among blacks, higher prevalence of diabetes and insulin resistance among Mexican Americans and American Indians, and higher triglyceride levels among the Japanese. SUMMARY: Further studies of racial and ethnic differences should focus on unique phenotypes and genotypic differences, international and migrant studies and large enough sample sizes to provide robust results. The sprinkling of a percentage of minority participants in each study is worthless. The study of racial and ethnic differences in disease and detection of risk factor levels must be based on solid hypotheses that can evaluate the interaction of lifestyle and possible genetic attributes. Many of the reported ethnic differences in risk factors and disease in US populations are primarily a function of differences in education, socioeconomic variations, and utilization of preventive and clinical treatments.     

Reconstructing population history using JC virus: Amerinds, Spanish, and Africans in the ancestry of modern Puerto Ricans.

The roots of the Hispanic populations of the Caribbean Islands and Central and South America go back to three continents of the Old World. In Puerto Rico major genetic contributions have come from (1) Asians in the form of the aboriginal Taino population, an Arawak tribe, present when Columbus arrived on the Island, (2) Europeans, largely Spanish explorers, settlers, government administrators, and soldiers, and (3) Africans who came as part of the slave trade. Since JC virus (JCV) genotypes characteristic of Asia, Europe, and Africa have been identified, and excretion of JCV in urine has been proposed as a marker for human migrations, we sought to characterize the JCV strains present in a Caribbean Hispanic population. We found that the strains of JCV present today in Puerto Rico are those derived from the Old World populations represented there: Types 1B and 4 from Spain, Types 3A, 3B, and 6 from Africa, and Type 2A from Asia. The Type 2A genotype represents the indigenous Taino people. This JCV genotype was represented much more frequently (61%) than would be predicted by the trihybrid model of genetic admixture. This might be attributable to characteristics of JCV Type 2A itself, as well as to the nature of the early relationships between Spanish men and native women. These findings indicate that the JCV strains carried by the Taino Indians can be found in today's Puerto Rican population despite the apparent demise of these people more than two centuries ago. Therefore, molecular characterization of JCV provides a tool to supplement genetic techniques for reconstructing population histories including admixed populations.     

Genetic polymorphism of thyroxin-binding globulin (TBG) in the Pacific area.

Human plasma samples, radiolabeled with [125I]thyroxin, from the Asian, Pacific, and Australian area have been subjected to isoelectric focusing to reveal genetic variation in thyroxin-binding globulin (TBG). A genetically determined electrophoretic slow variant, TBG S, indistinguishable from the variant found in black Africans, has been observed with a frequency of 1%-10% in all Melanesian and Polynesian populations studied. The TBG S variant is present also with low frequency in Micronesians and in some Indonesian populations. However, East Asians, Indians, and Australian Aborigines were found to be monomorphic.     

Genome-wide analysis in brazilian xavante indians reveals low degree of admixture

Characterization of population genetic variation and structure can be used as tools for research in human genetics and population isolates are of great interest. The aim of the present study was to characterize the genetic structure of Xavante Indians and compare it with other populations. The Xavante, an indigenous population living in Brazilian Central Plateau, is one of the largest native groups in Brazil. A subset of 53 unrelated subjects was selected from the initial sample of 300 Xavante Indians. Using 86,197 markers, Xavante were compared with all populations of HapMap Phase III and HGDP-CEPH projects and with a Southeast Brazilian population sample to establish its population structure. Principal Components Analysis showed that the Xavante Indians are concentrated in the Amerindian axis near other populations of known Amerindian ancestry such as Karitiana, Pima, Surui and Maya and a low degree of genetic admixture was observed. This is consistent with the historical records of bottlenecks experience and cultural isolation. By calculating pair-wise F(st) statistics we characterized the genetic differentiation between Xavante Indians and representative populations of the HapMap and from HGDP-CEPH project. We found that the genetic differentiation between Xavante Indians and populations of Ameridian, Asian, European, and African ancestry increased progressively. Our results indicate that the Xavante is a population that remained genetically isolated over the past decades and can offer advantages for genome-wide mapping studies of inherited disorders.     

Prevalence of hypertension,obesity and smoking in three Indian communities in northwestern Ontario.

Hypertension is perceived to be an important problem among native people in Canada, but specific prevalence data have not been accumulated. A study was carried out to determine community levels of blood pressure and to document the prevalence of hypertension, obesity and cigarette smoking in nonurban Indians in three communities in northwestern Ontario. Of the 678 people present in the communities at the time of the survey 668 (98.5%) participated. Age- and sex-specific mean diastolic and systolic blood pressure readings are presented. The overall prevalence rate of hypertension was 13%; in 9.6% of those with hypertension the condition had previously been diagnosed. Blood pressure generally rose with increasing age, but diastolic pressure declined after age 50 in both sexes. The rate of obesity increased with increasing age; 70% of women aged 35 to 64 years and 50% of men aged 35 to 44 years were obese. Over half (56.4%) of the study population smoked, and most smokers were less than 35 years old.     

Craniometric Relationships of Plains Populations: Historical and Evolutionary Implications

Abstract

Large skeletal samples from cemeteries in the Northern Plains near Mobridge, South Dakota have made possible the accurate determination of craniometric relationships between populations ancestoral to the historic Arikara. There is considerable change throughout the approximately 200 years represented, due primarily to gene flow from adjacent Siouan speaking groups. Arikara crania from the Northern Plains are seen to be morphologically similar to earlier crania further south, in particular St. Helena materials in northeastern Nebraska. This offers Support for the archaeological hypothesis that Coalescent Tradition cultures grew out of the Central Plains Tradition. Early crania from the Northern Plains are markedly different from those in the Central Plains and more similar to historic Mandan. The craniometric evidence argues for biological continuity rather than replacement in the Plains area.     

Genetic data concerning the problem of differentiation of Northern Mongoloids, American Indians and Caucasoids in the northern territory of Eurasia

Basing on the frequencies of 28 alleles of 12 polymorphic loci of blood groups, serum proteins and red cell enzymes the matrix of genetic distances between 11 populations of Europe, Asia and America was calculated. This matrix and the dendrogram based on it permitted to suggest that the region of South Siberia and the neighbouring regions of Central Asia was the place, where the paleolithic populations were divided into the ancestors of the Northern Mongoloids, Caucasoids and American Indians. The published data concerning the human mtDNA polymorphisms support the hypothesis of the author.     

Aboriginal mortality in Canada, the United States and New Zealand

Indigenous populations in New World nations share the common experience of culture contact with outsiders and a prolonged history of prejudice and discrimination. This historical reality continues to have profound effects on their well-being, as demonstrated by their relative disadvantages in socioeconomic status on the one hand, and in their delayed demographic and epidemiological transitions on the other. In this study one aspect of aboriginals' epidemiological situation is examined: their mortality experience between the early 1980s and early 1990s. The groups studied are the Canadian Indians, the American Indians and the New Zealand Maori (data for Australian Aboriginals could not be obtained). Cause-specific death rates of these three minority groups are compared with those of their respective non-indigenous populations using multivariate log-linear competing risks models. The empirical results are consistent with the proposition that the contemporary mortality conditions of these three minorities reflect, in varying degrees, problems associated with poverty, marginalization and social disorganization. Of the three minority groups, the Canadian Indians appear to suffer more from these types of conditions, and the Maori the least.     

High prevalence of diabetes in an urban population in south India.

An urban population in a township in south India was screened for diabetes with an oral glucose tolerance test, every fifth person aged 20 and over registered at the local iron ore company''s hospital being screened. Of 678 people (346 men and 332 women) who were tested, 34 (5%; 20 men and 14 women) had diabetes and 14 (2%; 8 men and 7 women) had impaired glucose tolerance. Thirteen subjects were already known to be diabetic. Diabetes was present in 21% (37/179) of people aged over 40. The peak prevalence (41%; 7/17) was in the group aged 55-64. A family history of diabetes was present in 16 of the 34 subjects with diabetes and nine of the 15 with impaired glucose tolerance. Diabetes was significantly related to obesity in women but not in men (57% (8/14) v 5% (1/20)). The plasma glucose concentration two hours after glucose loading was correlated to body mass index, age, and income in both sexes. The prevalence of diabetes was significantly higher in subjects whose income was above the mean. When the overall prevalence of diabetes was adjusted to the age distribution of the Indians living in Southall, London, and in Fiji it increased to 10% and 9%, respectively. The prevalence of diabetes is high among urban Indians and is comparable with the high prevalence seen in migrant Indian populations.     

MICA polymorphism in South American Indians

We have studied the MICA alleles of 196 unrelated subjects from three South American Indian tribes (Toba, Wichi and Terena). They are members of isolated tribes located in the Gran Chaco area in northeastern Argentina and in Mato Grosso do Sul in South Central Brazil. Of 55 previously known alleles, nine were observed in South American Indians, compared with 16 that were found in North American Caucasians, suggesting a more restricted allelic distribution of MICA in these tribes. In South American Indians, MICA*00201 was the most frequent allele, with a gene frequency of 33% in Toba, 47% in Wichi and 44% in Terena. MICA*00201, MICA*027 (external domain sequence like MICA*008/TM allele A5) and MICA*010 accounted for more than 90% of all the MICA genes in South American Indians. In North American Caucasians, MICA*00801 (*008/A5.1) accounted for 42% of the genes and was the most common allele. We observed a high degree of linkage disequilibrium between certain alleles of MICA and of HLA-B in the South American Indian populations. Phylogenetic trees constructed using gene frequencies of the transmembrane short tandem repeats in the populations reported here, and in other populations taken from published reports, suggest that South American Indians are more closely related to Asians than to Europeans.     

Gm and Inv allotypes in French Guiana Indians.

Data from 302 individuals belonging to three populations of French Guiana Indians are reported. All the phenotypes except two can be explained by three haplotypes: Gm1,21, Gm1,2,21 and Gm1,10,11,25. The gene frequencies found in the present study are generally in accordance with those previously described among other South American Indians. For the Inv1,2 gene a high value has been found for the Wayanas and the Oyampis, but a difference appears for the Emerillons who possess a low frequency.     

Transferrin C subtyping in Malaysians and in Indonesians from North Sumatra

Summary Malays, Chinese, and Indians from Peninsular Malaysia; Ibans and Bidayuh from Sarawak State; Kadazans from Sabah State, Northern Borneo; and Bataks, Minangkabau, and Javanese from North Sumatra, Indonesia, were subtyped for transferrin C by polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing. All nine populations studied are polymorphic for two alleles, Tf^C1 and Tf^C2. Tf^C3 was polymorphic in six populations and present as a rare variant in the other three. The frequency of Tf^C1 ranged from 0.855 in Bidayuh to 0.711 in Javanese, that of Tf^C2 from 0.231 in Indians to 0.113 in Bidayuh, and that of Tf^C3 from 0.030 in Javanese and Chinese to 0.008 in Bidayuh. Tf^Dchi is polymorphic in all the populations that we studied except in Minangkabau, in whom it is present as a rare variant, and in Indians, in whom it is absent.     

Intestinal absorption in normal Indian and English people.

The absorption of glycine, glycylglycine, water, and electrolytes was studied by intestinal perfusion in normal Indian and English people. Compared with the English people the Indians showed impaired absorption of all four substances. In the Indians the absorption of glycine and glycylglycine was impaired to the same extent, so that the kinetic advantage of glycylglycine as compared with glycine was preserved. The reduced absorption in the Indians may be the functional counterpart of the minor morphological changes seen in the jejunal mucosa of people living in southern India.     

Blood group, serum protein and red cell enzyme groups of Amerindian populations in Colombia

Red cell samples from persons belonging to four Amerindian linguistic groups in Colombia were investigated for genetic variants in eight blood group systems: for three of the groups investigations were extended to ten red cell enzyme and four serum protein systems. The groups studied are the Noanama (including six Empera) of the Rio Siquirisua and Rio Docampado on the Pacific lowlands and the Cofan, Ingano and Siona Indians of the Upper Rio Putumayo and its tributaries to the east of the Andes. Only blood group O was present among two of the groups and the same groups were 100% Kp(b +), k in the Kell system. Di(a +) frequencies were high in three groups and there was marked variation between groups for the MNS, Rh, P, Lewis and Duffy systems. Polymorphism in all the three linguistic groups studied for serum proteins and red cell enzymes was present only in the red cell acid phosphatase, phosphoglucomutase (locus-1) and haptoglobin systems. 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase was polymorphic in the Noanama, and caeruloplasmin was polymorphic in the Ingano linguistic group. In addition two persons belonging to the Cofan linguistic group revealed the presence of an “atypical” component in the lactate dehydrogenase system. No variation was found in the other six red cell enzyme and two serum protein systems. Comparison with published data on red cell enzyme and serum protein groups for other South American Amerindian populations shows the Colombian populations studied here most closely resemble the Cayapo of Brazil.     

The 27-bp VNTR Polymorphism in Intron 4 of the Human eNOS Gene in Healthy Singaporean Chinese, Indians, and Malays

Human endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is one isoform of the nitric oxide synthases that are responsible for nitric oxide synthesis from L-arginine. The gene encoding eNOS contains a 27-bp VNTR polymorphism in intron 4. We report here for the first time the presence of a novel allele 3, which was absent in all other populations studied to date, in 1.7% each of Singaporean Indians and Malays. We also detected the presence of a novel genotype 3/5 in 3.4% each of Singaporean Indians and Malays. Allele 6, which was absent in Han Chinese from northern China and Taiwan and was also absent in Indians from the Indian subcontinent, was found in 2.1% of Singaporean Chinese and in 0.3% of Singaporean Indians.     

Evolutionarily independent genes and genomes and insights on genetic structure, evolution and conservation of the collis group of darters

Comparing variation across evolutionarily independent characters, notably nuclear and mitochondrial genes, yields a more robust estimate of diversification than is generally recovered from individual characters. Patterns of variation across multiple molecular markers from the mitochondrial ( 16SrRNA , cytochrome b ) and nuclear ( ldhA6 and aldB ) genomes were examined from six populations of Etheostoma collis and two populations of Etheostoma saludae , species aligned in the collis groups. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that sequence variation among individuals from the Roanoke, Tar and Neuse Rivers and the Catawba and Pee Dee Rivers, respectively, form highly supported, deeply divergent clades. Relationships of alleles sampled from Saluda River E. saludae and Cape Fear River E. collis to these lineages are unresolved, but all groups are reciprocally monophyletic for both nuclear and mtDNA loci. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that historical factors have had a strong influence on the distribution of genetic variation among populations. Genetic variation within the collis group is consistent with all previously proposed taxonomic hypotheses for the collis group, providing no taxonomic insights. From a conservation standpoint, each population of the collis group is an ESU, thereby warranting a drainage-specific management strategy.     

Population structure of blood groups in Central and South American Indians

The phenotype bioassay has been applied to samples of Indians from 12 countries of Central and South America. Using five blood group systems, more than 7,000 tested individuals were studied. The mean coefficient of kinship for pairs from the same place (a) is about 0.025, which is considerably higher than has been found for industrialized populations. The decline of kinship with distance (b) is moderate (0.003), indicating substantial migration. These results are similar to two other primitive populations.     

High prevalence of antiHTLV-1 antibodies in the Boni, an ethnic group of African origin isolated in French Guiana since the 18th century

Antibodies to HTLV-1 (ELISA test using disrupted virus) were studied in different ethnic groups in French Guiana, including 135 blood donors from Cayenne, 97 Boni Blacks and 57 Wayana Indians from Maripasoula area, and 57 Hmong from Cacao village. We observed significant differences between Boni Blacks and Wayana Indians, having respectively 10.3% versus 0% of high antibody titers. The Hmong, recent refugees from Kampuchea, exhibited an intermediate level (3.5%) of infection. These results favour an African origin of HTLV-1 and raise, for the Hmong, the question of an infection acquired in Guiana.