Polymorphism of immunological and biochemical marker genes in rural populations of the Tuva Republic

This article continues the series of publications on the population generic structure of the Tuva Republic. The polymorphism of immunological (AB0, MN , and the Dd locus of Rhesus) and biochemical (TF, GC, HP, PGD, PGM1, ACP1, and ESD) marker systems was studied in three rural populations of the Tuva Republic: the Shinaanskii, Todzhinskii, and Bai-Taiginskii populations (th e Kungurtug, Toora-Khem, and Teeli villages, respectively). Genetic subdivi sion of the populations and genetic distances between the Tuvinian populati ons and the populations of neighboring regions were estimated. Tuvinians we re demonstrated to be genetically heterogeneous. Data on their population-g enetic structure with respect to several classical marker systems agree wit h the results obtained for quasi-genetic (family names) and molecular (mtDN A) markers. Prolonged isolation of individual populations in the republic p romoted formation of specific patterns of gene frequencies in some of them. These patterns account for differences between Tuvinians and other populat ions belonging to the Altaic language family. Tuvinians in general are gene tically closer to Mongolian populations inhabiting the regions bordering th e Tuva Republic than to southern Altaians.