beta(A) globin gene haplotypes in Mexican Huichols: Genetic relatedness toother populations

The haplotypes of 97 beta(A) independent chromosomes fi om a Mexican Huicho l Native American group were analyzed. The analysis also included 87 beta(A ) chromosomes from a Mexican Mestizo population previously studied. Among H uichols, eight different 5' beta haplotypes (5Hps) were observed, with type s 1(+ - - - -), 13(+ + + - +) and 2(- + + - +) at frequencies of 0.794, 0.0 93, and 0.041, respectively. In Mestizos, 17 5Hps were found, types 1, 3(- + - + +), 2, 5(- + - - +) and 9(- - - - -) being the most common at frequen cies of 0.391, 0.172, 0.092, 0.069, and 0.046, respectively 3' haplotype (3 Hps) frequency distributions were 0.443(+ +), 0.083(+ -), and 0.474(- +) in Huichols and 0.563(+ +), 0.149(+ -), and 0.287(- +) in Mestizos. Pairwise comparison for both haplotype distributions between the two populations sho wed significant differences. Pairwise distributions of 3Hps for Huichols we re compared with nine worldwide populations, three African, two Asian, two Melanesian, one Caucasian, and one United States Native American. The distr ibutions of the Huichol were different (P < 0.05) fi om all populations exc ept the Native American. Nei's genetic distances showed the Huichols to be closer to the Native Americans, followed by Melanesians from Vanuatu and As ians; Africans were the farthest. The 5Hp distributions in Mexicans were al so compared with 23 worldwide populations (including African, Native Americ an, Asian, Caucasian, and Pacific Islanders). Huichol distributions were di fferent (P < 0.05) from all other populations except Koreans. The Mestizo d istribution was also different from the others, except three Caucasian grou ps. Nei's genetic distance between the same populations disclosed that the Huichols are in relatively close proximity to five out of six Asian populat ions considered. The same analysis with grouped worldwide populations showe d Native Americans as population closest to the Huichols, followed by Pacif ic Islanders and Asians. Present observations are consistent with an import ant Asian contribution to the Huichol genome in this chromosomal region. (C ) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.