Highlights
- •A high-quality mtDNA control region dataset from 407 Romanian samples were generated.
- •The Romanian gene pool is mainly composed of West Eurasian lineages.
- •The variations show a high molecular diversity and low random match probability.
- •This dataset provides a useful forensic database in routine forensic mtDNA analysis.
Abstract
To evaluate the pattern of Romanian population from a mitochondrial perspective and
to establish an appropriate mtDNA forensic database, we generated a high-quality mtDNA
control region dataset from 407 Romanian subjects belonging to four major historical
regions: Moldavia, Transylvania, Wallachia and Dobruja. The entire control region
(CR) was analyzed by Sanger-type sequencing assays and the resulting 306 different
haplotypes were classified into haplogroups according to the most updated mtDNA phylogeny.
The Romanian gene pool is mainly composed of West Eurasian lineages H (31.7%), U (12.8%),
J (10.8%), R (10.1%), T (9.1%), N (8.1%), HV (5.4%),K (3.7%), HV0 (4.2%), with exceptions
of East Asian haplogroup M (3.4%) and African haplogroup L (0.7%).
The pattern of mtDNA variation observed in this study indicates that the mitochondrial
DNA pool is geographically homogeneous across Romania and that the haplogroup composition
reveals signals of admixture of populations of different origin. The PCA scatterplot
supported this scenario, with Romania located in southeastern Europe area, close to
Bulgaria and Hungary, and as a borderland with respect to east Mediterranean and other
eastern European countries.
High haplotype diversity (0.993) and nucleotide diversity indices (0.00838 ± 0.00426), together with low random match probability (0.0087) suggest the usefulness
of this control region dataset as a forensic database in routine forensic mtDNA analysis
and in the investigation of maternal genetic lineages in the Romanian population.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 30, 2016
Accepted:
June 18,
2016
Received in revised form:
May 26,
2016
Received:
January 19,
2016
Identification
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