Y-CHROMOSOME DNA POLYMORPHISM OF AZERBAIJAN POPULATION: PRELIMINARY STUDIES

AIM

Among various groups of molecular-genetic markers which have found their wide application for studying the structure and genealogy of human populations inhabited in different parts of our planet, for ethno-genetic haplotyping of various ethnic groups etc. high conservative Y-chromosome STR markers consisting of short tandem repeats (STR) and constituting a separate family of STR-markers have great importance. The aim of this research was to study the Y-DNA polymorphism of Azerbaijan population sample covering the whole republic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The object of the study was DNA samples isolated from 184 aborigine male Azerbaijanis living on the territory of the republic for several generations. DNA profiles obtained by PCR using multiplex AmpFLSTR™ Yfiler™ PCR Amplification Kit consisting of 16 Y-STR markers. Allele frequencies of SRT loci calculated by Power Stat software, haplogroups were identified by the help of haplogroup predictors NEVGEN (http://www.nevgen.org/) as main predictor, and Whit Athey’s haplogroup predictor as alternative predictor (http://www.hprg.com/ hapest5/ hapest5a/ hapest5.htm?order=num) etc.

RESULTS

Analysis showed that the allele frequencies of Y-STR loci vary over a wide range - 0.005-0.679. An allele 10 of the DYS391 locus had highest frequency (0.679). At the definition of haplogroups by different predictors revealed following haplogroup branches (frequencies in %): E (E1b1b – 10.32), G (G1 – 1.09; G2 – 7.61), J (J1 – 15.22; J2 – 25.54), I (I1 – 1.09; I2 – 3.26), H (0.54), L (3.80), N (1.63), Q (1.63), R (R1a – 8.70; R1b – 11.96; R2 – 0.54) and T (7.07). The possible times of origin of the main branches of Y-DNA tree vary within ~12,000¸48,500 years ago.

CONCLUSIONS

It is established that in formation of Y-DNA gene pool of the Azerbaijan population play a major role haplogroups concerning to North African, Caucasian, Mediterranean, European and Asian origin E, G, J, R and T branches, which make up about 90.0% of all observations.