Latitude-correlated genetic polymorphisms: selection or gene flow?

Latitude-correlated polymorphisms can be due to either selection-driven evolution or gene flow. To discriminate between them, we propose an approach that studies subpopulations springing from a single population that have lived for generations at different latitudes and have had a low genetic admixture. These requirements are fulfilled to a large extent by Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews. The original population lived at a latitude of 35 degrees N, where the Sephardis still live. The Ashkenazis, however, moved to a latitude of 50 degrees N, starting about 10 centuries ago. The present study examines 3 latitude-correlated polymorphisms: PGP, PGM1, and AHSG. We found that PGP*2 and AHSG*2 alleles most likely underwent selection-driven evolution, but that PGM1*ts allele was not similarly affected. Since temperature might have been considered a reasonable selective factor, we also studied a population living at >800 m above sea level from Aosta Valley (Italy).

[1]  E. Parra,et al.  Alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein gene frequencies in Galicia: further evidence for a cline in European populations. , 1993, Human heredity.

[2]  M. Rattazzi,et al.  Population genetics of haemoglobin variants, thalassaemia and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, with particular reference to the malaria hypothesis. , 1966, Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

[3]  O. Rickards,et al.  The Cayapa Indians of Ecuador: a population study of seven protein genetic polymorphisms. , 1994, Annals of human biology.

[4]  H. Cleve,et al.  Serum protein polymorphisms in Arab Moslems and Druze of Israel: BF, F13B, AHSG, GC, PLG, PI, and TF. , 1992, Human biology.

[5]  G. Modiano,et al.  Population genetic studies on Jews. I. The alpha 2HS serum glycoprotein, a polymorphism strongly correlated with latitude. , 1990, Gene geography : a computerized bulletin on human gene frequencies.

[6]  A. Torroni,et al.  The common, Near‐Eastern origin of Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews supported by Y‐chromosome similarity , 1993, Annals of human genetics.

[7]  H. Cleve,et al.  Genetic serum protein polymorphisms in Jordanian Arabs: a pilot study of the systems AHSG, BF, F XIII B, GC, PI, PLG and TF. , 1992, Gene geography : a computerized bulletin on human gene frequencies.

[8]  L. Cavalli-Sforza,et al.  The genetics of human populations. , 1972, Scientific American.

[9]  R. Chakraborty,et al.  A population genetic study in the Ochamchir region, Abkhazia, SSR. , 1985, American journal of physical anthropology.

[10]  R. Scozzari,et al.  Phosphoglycolate phosphatase polymorphism: gene frequencies in three Italian samples. , 1986, Human heredity.

[11]  M. Beretta,et al.  Genetic structure of the human population in the Po delta. , 1989, American journal of human genetics.

[12]  N. M. Blake,et al.  A population genetic study of phosphoglycolate phosphatase. , 1980, Annals of human biology.

[13]  H. Harris,et al.  Phosphoglucomutase Polymorphism in Man , 1964, Nature.

[14]  R. Scozzari,et al.  Population studies on human phosphoglucomutase-1 thermostability polymorphism , 2004, Human Genetics.

[15]  Wilhelm Lauer,et al.  CLIMATE AND WEATHER , 1989 .

[16]  P. Martus,et al.  Genetic polymorphism of alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein in northern Bavaria (Germany). Simplified AHSG-phenotyping by isoelectric focusing using dry gels. , 1995, Journal of Forensic Sciences.

[17]  R. Barker,et al.  Genetic polymorphism of human phosphoglycolate phosphatase (PGP) , 1978, Annals of human genetics.

[18]  H. Cleve,et al.  Genetic differentiation of Jordanian Moslems and Christians. , 1994, Human heredity.

[19]  V. Chopra,et al.  Genetic polymorphism of AHSG, FXIIIB, HP and PLG serum proteins in six Jewish groups in Israel. , 1997, Human heredity.

[20]  A. Szeinberg,et al.  Phosphoglycolate phosphatase in several population groups in Israel. , 1981, Human heredity.

[21]  K. Umetsu,et al.  Molecular evidence for human alpha2-HS glycoprotein (AHSG) polymorphism , 1996, Human Genetics.

[22]  H. Ritter,et al.  Polymorphism of AHS-Glycoprotein: Comparison of different IEF and detection techniques , 1988 .

[23]  H. Lattke,et al.  α 2 -HS-Glycoprotein ( A2HS): Improved Phenotyping by Focusing in an Immobilized pH-Gradient. Allele Frequencies in a South German Population Sample and Linkage Data from a Large Pedigree , 1988 .

[24]  P. Strejc,et al.  Gc, Tf, Pi, PLG, AHS and F13B in two Czech populations , 1993 .

[25]  M. Gilbert.  Jewish history atlas , 1969 .

[26]  Population structure of eastern Sicily. , 1986, Human heredity.

[27]  R. Sokal,et al.  Genetic affinities of Jewish populations. , 1991, American journal of human genetics.

[28]  D A Hopkinson,et al.  The classical human phosphoglucomutase (PGM1) isozyme polymorphism is generated by intragenic recombination. , 1993, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[29]  R. Scozzari,et al.  Further genetic heterogeneity of human red cell phosphoglucomutase‐1: a non‐electrophoretic polymorphism , 1981, Annals of human genetics.

[30]  N G Anderson,et al.  High resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis of human plasma proteins. , 1977, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.