GENETIC DIVERSITY AT THE HUMTHO1 LOCUS

A World-wide population genetic study on the highly polymorphic DNA lo cus HUMTHO1, was performed using data collected from 48 studies. Also this study reports new allele frequency data of a Punjabi population ( n = 125) from North India. This population is in Hardy-Weinberg equili brium with 77.6% heterozygosity and power of exclusion at 0.538. Allel e frequency graphs were used to demonstrate that world populations sho w a distinguishable ethnic trend at the HUMTHO1 locus. Heterozygosity (H) and power of exclusion (PE) estimates differ with respect to ethni city. For example, Caucasian populations have the highest average H an d PE and tribal populations the lowest. Using correspondence analysis, it is demonstrated that there is an ethnic trend for this locus. Exam ination of this trend indicates that some alleles at this locus may be more frequent in specific ethnic populations. This study concludes th at the HUMTHO1 locus may be used as one of a number of STR loci for et hnic differentiation studies.