Mitochondrial DNA variation in the Sindh population of Pakistan. Issue 2 (4th March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bhatti, Shahzad; Aslamkhan, Muhammad; Attimonelli, Marcella; Abbas, Sana; Aydin, Hikmet Hakan
• Is Part Of: Australian journal of forensic sciences. Volume 49:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 201
• Page End: 216
• Publication Date: 2017-03-04
• Subjects: mtDNA haplogroups -- control region -- Pakistan -- Sindh -- ethnicity; Law -- Australia -- Periodicals; Forensic sciences -- Periodicals; Forensic Medicine -- Periodicals; 363.2505
• DOI: 10.1080/00450618.2016.1144788
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-0618

Abstract

Abstract : The present study was undertaken to investigate the control region of mitochondrial DNA for forensic discrimination and to explore the ethno-linguistic affiliations among ethnic groups of Sindh province, Pakistan. A total of 115 individuals, from six major ethnic/isonym groups, namely, Bijarani, Chandio, Ghallu, Khoso, Nasrani and Solangi, have been studied. We identified 88 haplotypes, defined by the particular set of nucleotides; of these, 70 haplotypes were unique in the investigated population. In addition, 82% sequences were observed once, 12% twice and 5.2% thrice. The most common South Asian haplogroup in six ethnic groups of Sindh, are; M (42%) and R (6.9%), whereas West Eurasian haplogroups were N (6.9%), W (6.9%), J (1.7%), U (23.4%), H (9.5%) and T (0.86%). A random match probability between two unrelated individuals was found to be 0.06%, while genetic diversity varied from 0.991 to 0.998. The high nucleotide diversity and the low random match probability of the mtDNA control region make it a beneficial tool for forensic discrimination as well as useful to the evolutionary biologist. This work is an important contribution towards establishing a National Mitochondrial DNA Database in Pakistan. Currently, the Human Genetic department at the University of Health Sciences Lahore has the depository.