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Turkic speakers of the Caucasus: a comparative analysis of their gene pools from the Y-chromosomal perspective

Skhalyakho R.A. (1,2), Pocheshkova E.A. (2), Teuchezh I.E. (1,2), Dibirova K.D. (1,3), Agdzhoyan A.T. (1,3), Utevskaya O.M. (4), Yusupov Y.M. (3,5), Damba L.D. (1,6), Isakova J.T. (1,7), Momynaliev T.K. (8), Tagirly S.G. (1,3), Kuznetsova M.A. (1), Konkov

1) Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, Russia; 2) Ku-ban State Medical University, Krasnodar, Russia; 3) Vavilov Institute for General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia; 4) V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine; 5) Institute for Hu-manities Research of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Ufa, Russia; 6) Scientific-Practical Medical center of ministry of health of republic of Tuva, Kyzyl, Russia; 7) Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Re-public; 8) RSE «National Center for Biotechnology» under the Science Committee, Ministry of Education and Sci-ence of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana, Kazakhstan

Shalyaho R., e-mail: shalyaho.roza@yandex.ru; Pocheshkova E.A., e-mail: eapocheshkhova@mail.ru; Teuchezh I.E., e-mail: ira_teuchezh@mail.ru; Dibirova Kh., e-mail: hadizha-dibirova@mail.ru; Agdzhoyan Anastasiya T., Ph.D. in Biology, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8776-2934, e-mail: aagdzhoyan@gmail.com; Utevska O.M., e-mail: outevsk@yandex.ua; Yusupov Y., e-mail: ufa1980@yandex.ru; Damba Larissa D., Researcher, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1736-9210, e-mail: larissa_damba@mail.ru; Isakova J., e-mail: jainagul@mail.ru; Momynaliev T.K., e-mail: dhoroshun@gmail.com; Tagirly S.G., e-mail: shetahirli@inbox.ru; Kuznetsova M.A., e-mail: kirya7@list.ru; Konkov A.S., e-mail: andrey.s.konkov@gmail.com

Abstract

Object. This study aims to analyze the gene pool structure of the Turkic speaking populations from North Caucasus and Transcaucasia and reveal their genetic relations with other populations of the Caucasus and neighbor-ing regions of Eurasia. Materials and methods. We analyzed all Turkic-speaking ethnic groups from North Caucasus and Tran-scaucasia: Azeri (N=132), Balkars (N=193), Karanogays (N=153), Karachays (N=269), Kumiks (N=70), and Nogays (N=60). 56 SNP markers and 17 STR markers of the Y-chromosome (paternal inheritance) were genotyped for all 870 samples. Results and discussion. Four haplogroups are most frequent among Turkic-speaking populations of the Caucasus: R1a1a-M198 (24%), G2a-P15 (16%), R1b-M343 (14%), J2-M172 (13%). These four major haplogroups comprise altogether two-thirds of the Y-chromosomal pool, while the remaining one-third consists of 35 minor hap-logroups. For Azeri and Kumiks the major haplogroups are J1-M267 and J2-M172 which are typical also for other populations of East Caucasus. For Karachais and Balkars (geographically neighboring populations) the major hap-logroups are R1a1a-M198 and G2a-P15. The steppe populations (Nogais and Karanogais) despite their geographic remoteness from each other are genetically similar, as highlighted by presence of East Eurasian haplogroups N1-LLY22 and C-M130 in both populations. The genetic distance matrix between all populations was computed and used for creating the multidimensional scaling plot. Conclusions. The conditionally Caucasian haplogroups (G2a-P15, J2-M172, J1-M267) comprise one-half of the gene pool of Balkars, Karachays, Azeri and Kumiks thus confirming the hypothesis of the significant role of indigenous substrate in their gene pool. Presence of the East Eurasian haplogroups N1-LLY22 and C-M130 in Nogays and Karanogays supports hypothesis of the gene flow from Eurasian steppe populations to their gene pools, which is in agreement with data of physical anthropology. The genetic similarity of Nogays and Karanogays to the populations of the Eurasian steppe belt was confirmed by combining data of all 39 Y-chromosomal haplogroups identified. The genetic similarity between Balkars and Karachays, as well as between Kumiks and Azeri consisting with their geographic proximity. However, two geographically closest populations (Kumiks and Karanogais) exhibit the maximum genetic distance from each other. Among all subvariants of the haplogroup R1a (spanning from Europe to Siberia, Central Asia and India) the subvariant R1a1a1g-М458 (typical for East and West Slavs) is rare among Turkic speakers of the Caucasus: its average frequency is as low as 2%, and the only exception is population of Kuban Nogais where the frequency in-creases up to 18%. Therefore, the presence of the haplogroup R1a among Turkic speakers of the Caucasus (on aver-age, 12%) should be attributed to migrations from Eurasian steppe rather than to the influence of the East Slavonic populations. The ratio between subvariants of haplogroup G2a-P15 differs among (ethnogenetically related) Karachais and Balkars thus indicating the importance of geographic isolation in shaping their gene pools. High frequencies of G2a1a-P18 reveal genetic similarity of Karacha ys, Balkars and Ossets.

Keywords

Y-chromosome, SNP markers, STR markers, gene pool, gene geography, Turkic speakers of the Caucasus, Azeri, Balkars, Karanogays, Karachays, Kumiks, Nogays

Цит.: Skhalyakho R.A., Pocheshkova E.A., Teuchezh I.E., Dibirova K.D., Agdzhoyan A.T., Utevskaya O.M., Yusupov Y.M., Damba L.D., Isakova J.T., Momynaliev T.K., Tagirly S.G., Kuznetsova M.A., Konkov Turkic speakers of the Caucasus: a comparative analysis of their gene pools from the Y-chromosomal perspective // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2013; 2/2013; с. 34-48

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