Allelic diversity of selected human neurotransmitter genes in South African ethnic groups

[摘要] English: Inadequate information on the allelic frequency of neurotransmitter genes exist among South African ethnic groups. The analyses of neurotransmitter genes with populations world-wide have benefited behaviour, population and medical fields. Population genetic fields have benefited due to increased information on population differentiation, structure and variation.Neuropsychiatric and behavioural disorders are prevalent among South African populations. In addition, research on neurotransmitter genes is limited for South African populations. Information on South African populations is inadequately based on one or two population groups and a limited number of neurotransmitter genes. This lack of information prompted the analyses of the Khwe, Xhosa, Sotho and Afrikaner ethnic groups with the DRD4, MAO-A and 5-HTT (5-HTTLPR) in the current study.Volunteers from the mentioned South African populations provided saliva samples. In total, 349 individuals were successfully analysed for the DRD4 VNTR, MAO-A-uVNTR and 5-HTTLPR. Significant genetic diversity was determined among the different populations. The Xhosa and Sotho are the closest related populations in the study followed by the Xhosa and Khwe. The Afrikaner population, an African population with mostly European ancestral heritage is the most genetic divergent population. From the analysis of the South African populations a hypothesis was constructed that the DRD4 and 5-HTTLPR allele frequencies may be associated with historic migration distance due to novelty seeking.It was theorised that populations that have migrated the greatest distance from Africa would have the highest levels of novelty seeking alleles. With the use of the South African populations and world-wide populations from revised literature positive correlations were identified for the S allele of the 5-HTTLPR. Positive correlations were also determined for the 7-repeat, >5-repeat and the combined 2- and >5-repeat alleles of the DRD4 VNTR. The 4-repeat allele of the DRD4 VNTR was determined the greatest among the analysed Khwe, Xhosa, Sotho and Afrikaner ethnic groups. The Khwe population had the highest frequency (0.711) for the 4-repeat allele among the analysed populations. The Khwe, Xhosa and Sotho populations DRD4 frequencies were similar to other African populations. The Afrikaner population has similar frequencies to its ancestral populations for the DRD4 VNTR.A remarkable finding of the study is the high frequencies of the long 5-HTTLPR alleles (L, VL and XL) in the Khwe population. The Khwe 5-HTTLPR allele frequencies are similar to that of the pygmy Mbuti population from central Africa. The Khwe is the most genetically diverse population analysed in this study and is possibly associated with the first modern humans. In contrast to the Khwe, the Afrikaner population has reduced L allele frequencies and less genetic diversity.The 4.5- and 3.5-repeat MAO-A-uVNTR alleles were the most common among the analysed populations. A significant finding in this study was that the Khwe, Xhosa and Sotho 3.5-repeat allele frequencies were significantly reduced compared to African Americans. The analysis of the study populations with the MAO-A-uVNTR provided information to an area that is lacking. Few correlations were previously possible due to the MAO-A-VNTR not being analysed in African populations.This study proved that allele frequencies for neurotransmitter genes differ between South African ethnic groups. A high degree of genetic relation was determined among linguistically related groups (Xhosa and Sotho) compared to non-related groups (Afrikaner). Neurotransmitter genes were determined significant factors in past human migrations. Novelty seeking alleles were associated with populations that migrated great distances.

[发布机构] University of the Free State