Insights into the Middle Eastern paternal genetic pool in Tunisia: high prevalence of T-M70 haplogroup in an Arab population
Author | Elkamel, Sarra |
Author | Marques, Sofia L. |
Author | Alvarez, Luis |
Author | Gomes, Veronica |
Author | Boussetta, Sami |
Author | Mourali-Chebil, Soufia |
Author | Khodjet-El-Khil, Houssein |
Author | Cherni, Lotfi |
Author | Benammar-Elgaaied, Amel |
Author | Prata, Maria J. |
Available date | 2023-08-29T10:21:47Z |
Publication Date | 2021 |
Publication Name | Scientific Reports |
Resource | Scopus |
ISSN | 20452322 |
Abstract | To obtain refreshed insights into the paternal lineages of Tunisian populations, Y-chromosome diversity was assessed in two populations belonging to an Arab genealogical lineage, Kairouan and Wesletia, as well as in four Tunisian Andalusian populations, Testour, Slouguia, Qalaat-El-Andalous and El Alia. The Arabs from Kairouan revealed 73.47% of E-M81 and close affinities with Berber groups, indicating they are likely arabized Berbers, clearly differentiated from the Arabs from Wesletia, who harbored the highest frequency (71.8%) of the Middle Eastern component ever observed in North Africa. In the Tunisian Andalusians, the North African component largely prevailed, followed by the Middle Eastern contribution. Global comparative analysis highlighted the heterogeneity of Tunisian populations, among which, as a whole, dominated a set of lineages ascribed to be of autochthonous Berber origin (71.67%), beside a component of essentially Middle Eastern extraction (18.35%), and signatures of Sub-Saharan (5.2%), European (3.45%) and Asiatic (1.33%) contributions. The remarkable frequency of T-M70 in Wesletia (17.4%) prompted to refine its phylogeographic analysis, allowing to confirm its Middle Eastern origin, though signs of local evolution in Northern Africa were also detected. Evidence was clear on the ancient introduction of T lineages into the region, probably since Neolithic times associated to spread of agriculture. |
Sponsor | This work was partially financed by FEDER-Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds through the COMPETE 2020-Operacional Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação in the framework of the projects “Institute for Research and Innovation in Health Sciences (i3S)” (POCI-01-0145-FEDER007274). IPATIMUP integrates the i3S research unit. VG is supported by FCT under the program contract provided in Decree-Law no.57/2016 of August 29. |
Language | en |
Publisher | Nature Research |
Subject | Genetics Population genetics |
Type | Article |
Issue Number | 1 |
Volume Number | 11 |
Files in this item
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
-
Biomedical Sciences [692 items ]