Genetic variation at minisatellite loci D1S7, D4S139, D5S110 and D17S79 among three population groups of eastern India

Genetic variation at four minisatellite loci D1S7, D4S139, D5S110 and D17S7 9 in three predominant population groups of eastern India, namely Brahmin, Kayastha and Garo, are reported in this study. The Brahmin and Kayastha are of Indo-Caucasoid origin while the Garo community represents the Indo-Mong oloid ethnic group. The methodology employed comprised generation of HaeIII -restricted fragments of isolated DNA, Southern blotting, and hybridization using chemiluminescent probes MSI, pH30, LH1 and VI for the four loci. All four loci were highly polymorphic in the population groups. Heterozygosity values for the four loci ranged between 0.68 and 0.95. Neither departure f rom Hardy-Weinbcrg expectations nor evidence of any association across alle les among the selected loci was observed. The gene differentiation value am ong the loci is moderate (G(ST) = 0.027). A neighbour-joining tree construc ted on the basis of the generated data shows very low genetic distance betw een the Brahmin and Kayastha communities in relation to the Garo. Our resul ts based on genetic distance analysis are consistent with results of earlie r studies based on serological markers and linguistic as well as morphologi cal affiliations of these populations and their Indo-Caucasoid and Indo-Mon goloid origin. The minisatellite loci studied here were found to be not onl y useful in showing significant genetic variation between the populations b ut also to be suitable for human identity testing among eastern Indian popu lations.