SUB-SAHARAN INFLUENCE ON THE CANARY-ISLANDS POPULATION DEDUCED FROM G6PD GENE SEQUENCE-ANALYSIS

In a screening of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) A variants in the Canary Islands and northwest African populations by electrophor esis and posterior gene sequencing, the common A+ 376G and A- 202A/376 G and the rare A- 376G/968C mutations were found. In addition, three n ew silent C --> T transitions have been detected at nucleotides 759 (e xon 7), 1338 (exon 11), and 1573 (exon 13). Canary Island and North Af rican samples share sub-Saharan haplotypes with Equatorial Guineans. T he slave trade seems the most probable origin of the African haplotype s found in the Canary Islands.