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5. GENETIC DIVERSITY AND LINKAGE DISEQUILIBRIUM PATTERNS IN ROMA POPULATIONS LIVING IN CROATIA BASED ON X CHROMOSOME STR LOCI

GENETIC DIVERSITY AND LINKAGE DISEQUILIBRIUM PATTERNS IN ROMA POPULATIONS LIVING IN CROATIA BASED ON X CHROMOSOME STR LOCI

Barešić Ana, Peričić Salihović Marijana, Janićijević Branka

Institute for Anthropological Research, Zagreb, Croatia

Barešić Ana, e-mail: ana.baresic@inantro.hr.

Abstract

The aims of the study were to evaluate the genetic diversity and explore linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns in three Roma populations of different migration origin, socio-cultural and dialect category using seven microsatellite (STR) loci in the Xq13.3 region of the X chromosome. These loci (DXS983, DXS8037, DXS8092, DXS1225, DXS8082, DXS1066 and DXS986) were analyzed in 189 Roma males from three populations in Croatia (Međimurje, Baranja and Zagreb), who belong to different migration and dialect groups. Several diversity indices (e.g. gene diversity, expected heterozygosity, mean number of pairwise differences) were calculated and the level of LD was inferred using exact test and D’ statistics. Results suggest that Međimurje Roma population has the lowest genetic diversity ( = 4.756) and is significantly different from Baranja ( = 5.395) and Zagreb ( = 5.429) populations. Linkage disequilibrium analyses showed that Međimurje Roma population has the highest level of linkage disequilibrium while Zagreb population has the lowest. When compared to other isolates, Međimurje population shows highest similarity to small and stable isolated populations while Baranja and Zagreb Roma populations resemble large, more open isolated populations. In addition, results point to possible early separation of all the three populations despite the fact that Međimurje and Baranja populations belong to the same migration category and speak the same dialect. All three populations were most likely separated as early as the beginning of slavery in Romania, which was approximately 500 years ago.

Keywords

Vlax Roma, Balkan Roma, Bayash, microsatellites, X chromosome

Цит.: Barešić Ana, Peričić Salihović Marijana, Janićijević Branka GENETIC DIVERSITY AND LINKAGE DISEQUILIBRIUM PATTERNS IN ROMA POPULATIONS LIVING IN CROATIA BASED ON X CHROMOSOME STR LOCI // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2014; 3/2014; с. 65-65