Genetic variation at the STR loci D12S391 and CSF1PO in four populations from Austria, Italy, Egypt and Yemen

The short tandem repeat systems (STRs) D12S391 and CSF1P0 were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on blood samples from 100 to 158 unrel ated Austrians, Italians, Yemenians and Egyptians. The samples were analyze d by both native and denaturing electrophoresis and two primer pairs were t ested for the CSF1PO locus. Except for the CSF1PO data on the Egyptians, no deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were detected. For D12S391, no significant differences were found between the two Arab populations and between the two European populations, but the differences between both Ara b populations and the Italians were significant. For CSF1PO, differences we re only observed between the Yemenians and all three other populations. No evidence of linkage disequilibrium between the two STRs was found. The obse rvation of a D12S391 allele consisting of only 14 repeats was confirmed by sequencing. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.