GENETIC-VARIABILITY OF TRANSFERRIN SUBTYPES IN THE POPULATIONS OF INDIA

Five hundred fifteen samples from five populations of India (Brahmins, Marathas, Patels, and Parsees of western India and Hindus of Andhra P radesh) were analyzed for transferrin subtypes using the isoelectric f ocusing technique. The allele frequencies of 8444 samples belonging to 93 populations of India have been tabulated, and data were analyzed f or genetic diversity among geographic, regional, and sociocultural gro ups. Three relatively common alleles, TFC1, TF*C2, and TF*C3, showed wide variation in various populations of India. Compared with western India, a high frequency of the TFC2 allele was observed in eastern In dia. This variation of the TFC2 allele showed a geographic dine incre asing from west to east, giving a significant positive correlation bet ween the TFC2 allele frequency and longitude. Various genetic process es that possibly maintain TF polymorphism are selection, admixture, ge netic drift, and isolation by distance. The possible influence of vari ous genetic processes is discussed.