ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 7

Diversity and Heterogeneity in Mitochondrial DNA of North American Populations
Nasidze, I

Batzer, M
Biometry and Genetics, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, LA

Kayser, M

Stoneking, M

Clifford, S

Melton, T

(Received 3 December 1999; accepted 11 February 2000)

Abstract

Variation in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region as detected by sequence-specific oligonucleotide (SSO) probes is described for 2282 individuals from African-American, European-American, and Hispanic subpopulations from five broadly defined regions of North America (Northeast, Southeast, Central, Northwest, Southwest). Population diversity estimates were uniformly high for all subpopulations and for each major ethnic group. Only the Pennsylvania Hispanic group was remarkable with respect to its mitochondrial DNA types, having both six low frequency population specific types (ranging from 1.2–8.6%) and three high frequency shared types (10–20% each). There was no statistically significant subpopulation heterogeneity present within any of the three major groups at either the subpopulation level or the regional level (p > 0.01). However, statistically significant heterogeneity was measured when comparing the three major groups to each other, with the variance component attributable to this large division accounting for 18.60% of the total variance (p < 0.001). Overall mtDNA is a satisfactory forensic typing locus within broadly defined African-American, European-American, and Hispanic groups from North America, based on the high diversity estimates and absence of heterogeneity, as characterized by SSO typing.

Keywords:
forensic science, DNA typing, human mitochondrial DNA, sequence specific oligonucleotide typing, population genetics, North American populations, African-American, European-American, Hispanic

Paper ID: JFS14909J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS14909J
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