POLYMORPHISM OF MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA IN NORT HERN SELKUPS

The RFLPs detected by the AvaII, BamHI, EcoRV, KpnI, HaeIII, and RsaI restriction enzymes in the D-loop region of mitochondrial DNA of the N orthern Selkups were analyzed. Frequencies of the rare variants were e stimated for all polymorphic sites examined. A total of 16 mitotypes w ere described. Results were compared with the literature data on mitoc hondrial DNA polymorphism in Caucasoid and Mongoloid populations. High frequency of the KpnI bp 16129 site loss (28.14%) together with a rem arkably reduced number of mitotypes in the group of variants with the frequency of 2% compared to the Russians and Mongols, was considered t o be the most informative population feature of the Northern Selkups. All variants found in the Selkups, occurred more frequently in the Mon gols than in Russians. Four out of ten rare variants (frequency <2%) o bserved in the Selkups were detected in Mongols and Russians. The freq uency of three of these variants was higher in the Russian population. Six mitotypes were characterized as Selkup-specific. These observatio ns suggest a considerable reduction of mitochondrial gene pool diversi ty in Northern Selkups compared to larger ethnic groups of Mongoloids and Caucasoids. The structure of mitochondrial genome in Selkups is de fined by the presence of the major Mongoloid and minor Caucasoid compo nents, which suggests complex ethnogeny of the contemporary Selkup pop ulation.