Synthetic maps of the Mari gene pool: Immunological and biochemical polymorphism

Models of geographic distribution of 33 alleles of 10 loci (ABO, TF, GC, PI , HP, AHS, AHS, ACP1, PGM1, and GLO1) in the indigenous population of five raions (districts) of Marii El Republic were analyzed by cartographic stati stical methods. Based on 33 maps for individual alleles, synthetic maps wer e constructed; they reflected the general characteristics of the spatial va riability of the Mari gene pool. A map of reliability of the synthetic maps was also obtained. This study was the first to use estimates of the reliab ility of the gene-geographic prognosis for constructing and interpreting th e maps of principal components. Synthetic maps of principal components reve al the geography of the main factors that determine the genetic diversity o f the Maris. In the map of the first principal component (accounting for 25 .5% of the total variation of the Mari gene pool), isolines clearly ran in the latitudinal direction; i.e., the variability exhibited a north-south gr adient. The direction of changes reflects the characteristic features of th e microevolution of the Mari gene pool, because it differs from the directi on of the principal components of in the total Ural gene pool. The second p rincipal component (24.3% of variation) also exhibited a latitudinal gradie nt in the western part of Mdi El. In the eastern part of the republic, isol ines drastically change their direction and display a marked west-east grad ient. This longitudinal orientation of principal components is characterist ic of the Maris in the synthetic maps of the Ural region. Contributions of individual genes in the variation of principal components were analyzed. In proceeding from the geographic space to the space of principal components, it was found that Highland Maris are separated from Meadow Maris not only geographically, but also genetically.