Genetic polymorphism of both 29 Y-STRs and 213 Y-SNPs in Han populations from Shandong Province,China

Genetic markers on the Y chromosome, including short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (Y-SNPs), are used widely in forensic genetics. Both Y-STR-based haplotypes and Y-SNP-based haplogroups provide information on a population’s genetic structure, which is useful for the identification of individuals. However, there are few studies on these two types of genetic markers in the various Chinese populations. In this study, 284 Han individuals from four prefecture-level cities in Shandong Province (Binzhou, Dezhou, Heze, and Weihai) were genotyped by 29 Y-STRs (from our previous study) and 213 Y-SNPs (self-designed for the Haplogroup O2 Y-SNP panel). Haplogroup O was the most predominant among the four cities. The highest haplogroup diversity (0.9745) was observed in the Heze population, with a discrimination capacity (DC) value of 0.5625. The haplotype diversity and DC values of the Binzhou and Heze populations were 1.0000. Furthermore, genetic differences were observed between the coastal and inland cities; the results of their statistical analysis are presented herein.     

Analyzing genetic polymorphism and mutation of 44 Y-STRs in a Chinese Han population of Southern China

Short tandem repeat on the non-recombining part of chromosome Y with paternally inheritable capability is a valuable tool in the studies of forensic genetics, population genetics and anthropology. The mutation rate of Y-STR is an important parameter in the applications. A total of 629 haplotypes at 44 Y-STR markers were found in 629 unrelated males of our population. Mutation rates at 44 Y-STR loci ranged from 0 (CI: 0–5.70 × 10⁻³) to 40.63 × 10⁻³ (25.90 × 10⁻³–57.2 × 10⁻³) in our population. A higher mutation rate was noted at DYS612, DYS449, DYS547, DYS518, DYS576, DYS627, DYF403S1b, DYF387S1, DYS385a/b, DYS527a/b, DYF404S1, DYF403S1a and DYF399S1 in this population. The Y-STR set showed a higher discrimination capacity in forensic applications, and the present study provided reference data for the application of forensic and population genetics.     

Forensic characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the Chinese Han population from Chongqing Municipality,Southwest China

Chongqing Han is an important southern Han group, but investigations on its paternal genetic structure are still limited. Here, we analyzed the forensic and phylogenetic characteristics of the Chongqing Han population based on 27 Y-STR and predicted Y-SNP markers. Based on AMOVA, haplogroup distribution and network analysis, we explored the genetic relationship between Chongqing Han, other Chinese groups and some southern indigenous groups (speaking Kra-Dai, Austronesian, etc).     

Genetic substructure and forensic characteristics of Chinese Hui populations using 157 Y-SNPs and 27 Y-STRs

The Hui group is the second largest ethnic minority and one of the most widespread ethnic groups in China. However, the genetic architecture of the Hui population remains largely unexplored, particularly with respect to the male-specific region of the Y chromosome. Here, we studied nine Hui populations (Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Henan, Shandong, Sichuan, Yunnan) using 157 Y-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphisms (Y-SNPs) and 27 short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) to unravel their genetic substructure and forensic characteristics. A total of 650 unrelated male samples from the Hui populations were genotyped by SNaPshot^®, a single base extension (SBE) assay. Finally, 95 terminal haplogroups and high haplotype diversity (0.9999) were observed in Hui populations. Frequency heat map matrices, genetic distance (F_ST) and network analysis within Hui populations indicated that these nine Hui populations can be divided into three groups: Hui populations from the northwest (NWH), Hui populations from Sichuan and Shandong (SSH), and Hui populations from Yunnan (YNH). Our results suggested that we should use different databases for different Hui samples in forensic cases. Comparison with other populations that used different population genetic analysis revealed that the Hui populations had close relationships with East Asian populations, especially Chinese Han population. Overall, the high-resolution panel with Y-SNPs and Y-STRs gives new and complete insight into Hui populations, which can be used to interpret the genetic substructure of Hui populations and affect the utility of forensic databases.     

Forensic characterization and genetic evaluation in the Central Indian population using 27 Y-STRs

International Journal of Legal Medicine - Forensic characterization and genetic evaluation study in the 539 randomly selected unrelated adult healthy individuals belonging to the Central Indian...     

Forensic characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of Hubei Han population in central China using 17 Y-STR loci

Currently, the largest national database within the Y chromosome haplotype reference database (YHRD, https://yhrd.org, release 53) is China, which has approximately 38000 Y chromosomal 17-marker (Yfiler) haplotypes. These haplotype profiles derived from the vast majority of Chinese administrative divisions, but no haplotype data was available for Hubei province, which is located in the Central China region. Herein, 429 unrelated male Chinese Han individuals residing in Hubei province were recruited and genotyped with 17 Y-STR loci. 115 alleles were identified with corresponding allele frequencies spanned from 0.0023 to 07506. The gene diversity (GD) values ranged from 0.3988 at DYS438 to 0.9573 at DYS385a/b. A total of 410 distinct haplotypes were obtained with the overall haplotype diversity (HD) and discrimination capacity (DC) was 0.9995 and 0.9557, respectively. Additionally, genetic relationships along administrative (Han Chinese from different provinces) and ethnic divisions (minority ethnic groups) were analyzed using analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) tests and visualized by multidimensional scaling plots (MDS). The Han ethnicity including the Hubei Han shows a high genetic homogeneity all across China and significant genetic differences existed between the Hubei Han and some ethnic groups, most prominently for the Kazakhs and the Tibetans.     

Forensic genetic study of 29 Y-STRs in Korean population

In this study, we compared two recently released commercial Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (Y-STR) kits: the PowerPlex Y23 System (PPY23) and Yfiler® Plus PCR amplification kit (YPlus). We performed validation studies, including sensitivity, tolerance to PCR inhibitors, and mixture analysis, and a population genetics study using 306 unrelated South Korean males. PPY23 and YPlus showed similar sensitivity, but PPY23 showed higher tolerance to humic acid than YPlus. Furthermore, the detection rate of unique minor alleles called from male/male mixtures was higher for PPY23 than for YPlus. Comparing the newly added loci, the mean values of gene diversity for PPY23 and YPlus were 0.6715 and 0.8158, respectively. The discrimination capacity in the 306 unrelated South Korean males for PPY23 was 0.9837, and that for YPlus was 0.9935. These results will inform the selection of suitable Y-STR kits based on the purpose of forensic DNA analysis.     

DNA commission of the International Society of Forensic Genetics: recommendations on forensic analysis using Y-chromosome STRs

During the past few years the DNA commission of the International Society of Forensic Genetics has published a series of documents providing guidelines and recommendations concerning the application of DNA polymorphisms to the problems of human identification. This latest report addresses a relatively new area, namely Y-chromosome polymorphisms, with particular emphasis on short tandem repeats (STRs). This report addresses nomenclature, use of allelic ladders, population genetics and reporting methods. Received: 19 April 2001     

Forensic features and genetic structure revealed by 47 individual identification InDels in the Shaanxi Han population

Insertion/deletion (InDel) polymorphism genetic marker is a powerful and prospective tool for human identification and population genetic studies. Considering that the genetic polymorphisms and ethnic background of the Shaanxi Han population have not been fully explored to this day, herein, the novel developed AGCU InDel 50 kit which included 47 autosomal InDels was applied in the 556 unrelated healthy Han individuals from Shaanxi province for the first time. There were no significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and linkage equilibrium at the 47 InDels after Bonferroni correction. In the Shaanxi Han population, the values of combined discrimination power and cumulative exclusion probability for the 47 InDels were 0.999999999999999999891 and 0.99966, respectively. Furthermore, the interpopulation comparisons and population genetic structure analyses based on the 47 InDels were performed among the Shaanxi Han population and 43 reference populations, and the results showed that the Shaanxi Han population exhibited similar genetic structure and closer genetic affinities with the East Asian populations.     

Forensic characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of both Y-STR and Y-SNP in the Li and Han ethnic groups from Hainan Island of China

Hainan Island is the southernmost and smallest Chinese province, isolated from the mainland. The Li and Han ethnic groups account for over 98% of the population on the island. However, the Li ethnic group is an indigenous community of Hainan Island, with great differences in culture, language and origin with respect to the Han, the largest ethnic group. Here, we studied these two ethnic groups from the perspective of the Y-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphisms (Y-SNPs) and short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) to unravel their forensic and phylogenetic characteristics. A total of 302 unrelated male samples from the Li and Han ethnic groups in Hainan Island were genotyped by a combination of three separate typing systems (next-generation sequencing and pyrosequencing for the Y-SNPs and capillary electrophoresis for the Y-STRs), a previously developed high-resolution panel containing 141 Y-SNPs and 27 Y-STRs. The haplotype diversity of the Li ethnic group reached 0.9997, and 49 terminal haplogroups were observed in the Li and Han ethnic groups. Haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1a1b-CTS5854 was the most predominant haplogroup, including 44.12% of Li individuals. Median-joining trees showed little gene flow between the Li and Han individuals, as well as between the Li and other ethnic groups in Hainan Island. Our results indicated that 1) in contrast with the Han ethnic group, a low degree of genetic diversity was observed in the Li ethnic group; 2) there was limited gene flow between the Li and Han ethnic groups; and 3) founder effect was identified in the Li ethnic group in Hainan Island.     

Multiplex assay development and mutation rate analysis for 13 RM Y-STRs in Chinese Han population

International Journal of Legal Medicine - In this study, a novel multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed for amplifying the newly introduced 13 rapidly mutating Y-STR markers...     

Characterization of eight Y-STR loci and haplotypes in a Chinese Han population

In this study we analyzed the eight Y-STR loci, DYS443, DYS444, DYS448, DYS453, DYS455, DYS456, DYS457 (DYS437) and DYS458, investigated haplotype distributions of these Y-STR loci in a Chinese Han population, and sequenced alleles of the eight loci for clarifying the structure. Extracted DNA was amplified by PCR and the PCR products were analyzed by non-denaturing horizontal polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a discontinuous buffer system. Alleles were sequenced on an ABI 3700 using a Dye Terminator Cycle sequencing kit. DYS443, DYS453, DYS455 and DYS456 were found to be simple repeat systems, while DYS444, DYS448, DYS457 (DYS437) and DYS458 were complex repeat systems. The gene diversities of DYS443, DYS444, DYS448, DYS453, DYS455, DYS456, DYS457 (DYS437) and DYS458 were 0.7742, 0.7671, 0.7453, 0.3545, 0.0549, 0.6988, 0.6148 and 0.8213, respectively. The haplotype diversity for 8 Y-STR loci was 0.9996, and the discrimination capacity was 0.9815. The results indicate that these eight loci are useful Y-linked markers for forensic applications.     

Genetic polymorphism of 22 autosomal STR markers in a Han population of Southern China

Population genetic data and forensic statistics of 22 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci (D1S1656, D2S1338, D3S3045, D4S2366, D5S2500, D6S477, D7S3048, D8S1132, D9S925, D10S1435, D11S2368, D12S391, D13S325, D14S608, D15S659, D16S539, D17S1290, D18S535, D19S253, D20S470, D21S1270 and GATA198B05) were determined for a sample of 515 unrelated individuals from Han population in Southern China. The expected heterozygosity and the discrimination power varied from 0.7358 to 0.8733 and 0.8915 to 0.9702, respectively. The probability of excluding an unrelated man as the true father (assuming no background relatedness in the population) for trios and for duos ranged from 0.5126 to 0.7415 and 0.3331 to 0.5864, respectively. The studied STRs appear to provide a significant improvement in the statistical power of kinship analysis.     

Population genetics of 30 insertion/deletion polymorphisms in Han Chinese population from Zhejiang Province

Insertion/deletion (InDels) markers can serve as a useful supporting tool to short tandem repeat (STR) typing systems for human identification. The Qiagen DIPplex Investigator kit, which contains 30 biallelic autosomal InDels and amelogenin, has been developed for forensic use. To estimate the genetic diversity of the 30 markers in Han Chinese individuals living in Zhejiang and to further evaluate their applicability in forensic science, 246 unrelated Han Chinese from Zhejiang were genotyped at these loci. No significant departures from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were observed at these loci in these participants. The combined power of discrimination was over 0.99999999 and the combined probability of exclusion was over 0.9901. Results demonstrated that the 30 InDel markers could be used as a supporting tool for the human identification of specific Han Chinese individuals from Zhejiang. The genetic differences and phylogenetic relationships among Han Chinese from Zhejiang, Han Chinese from five other areas, nine minority ethnic groups, as well as two other East Asian populations were also investigated. Two InDel markers, HLD39 and HLD40, showed significant allele-frequency differences between Han Chinese from Zhejiang and ethnic minorities. Further analysis can be used to evaluate their role in forensic science.     

Population genetic data for 12 X-STR loci in the Northern Han Chinese and StatsX package as tools for population statistics on X-STR

The X-chromosomal short tandem repeat (X-STR) has the advantage in female traces identification against male contamination and in complex kinship cases. In this study, a total of 516 Northern Han Chinese were genotyped using the Investigator^® Argus X-12 QS Kit and pairwise genetic distances (F_ST) were measured between Northern Han Chinese and 35 published populations using the same 12 X-STR loci in four presumed linkage groups (LG). Meanwhile, the StatsX package was compiled to aid the analysis of population statistics on X-STR. Off-ladder alleles were investigated by Sanger sequencing or next generation sequencing (NGS). The results showed that high combined PD_M, PD_F, MEC_Krüger, MEC_Kishida, MEC_Desmarais and MEC_{Desmarais Duo} based on allele frequencies were achieved as 0.999999998, >0.999999999, 0.999996425, 0.999999993, 0.999999993 and 0.999998732, respectively, so did they based on haplotype frequencies. Averaged F_ST and multidimensional scaling (MDS) plot generally mirrored with the biogeography distribution of the studied populations and their historical relationships. A total of 16 unique off-ladder alleles were observed in this experiment, four of which have not been reported yet. The StatsX package could obtain full concordance with established software. Overall, the Investigator^® Argus X-12 QS Kit may provide high polymorphic information for forensic identification and kinship analysis in the Northern Han Chinese population, and the StatsX package can make the workflow smoother for researchers to do population statistical analysis on X-STR.     

Genetic polymorphisms of 20 autosomal STR loci in the Han population of Zhangzhou City,Southeastern China

China harbors 56 ethnic groups and Han is the largest population. It is informative and useful to explore the available population genetic characteristics of Chinese Han population from Fujian Province, Southeast China. In our study, we explored the genetic characteristics of 20 autosomal Short tandem repeat (STR) loci in 1555 unrelated Chinese Han individuals from Zhangzhou City, Southeastern China using the SureID® 21G Human STR Identification Kit. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis was performed between the Zhangzhou Han population and other relevant populations based on the shared autosomal STR genotyping. The neighbor-joining tree and multidimensional scaling analysis were analyzed based on the Nei’s standard genetic distance. We found 262 alleles among 1555 unrelated individuals and the corresponding allele frequencies ranged from 0.5521 to 0.0003. The combined power of discrimination and exclusion of the 20 autosomal STR loci were 0.99999999999999999999999943 and 0.999999996166537, respectively. Population comparison revealed that the Zhangzhou Han population were lining up together with the southern Han populations in China while showed significant differences from other China populations. Our results found that the 20 autosomal STR loci in Zhangzhou Han population are meaningful for forensic medicine and human genetic. The genetics characteristic of Zhangzhou Han population is similar with the southern Han population in China.     

Population genetic analysis of Xiamen Han population on 21 short tandem repeat loci

GlobalFiler™ Express amplification kit incorporates 21 commonly used autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci and three gender determination loci. In this study, we analyzed GlobalFiler STR loci on 1006 unrelated individuals sampled of the Han population from Xiamen city, Fujian province, China. No deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium were observed. The combined probability of exclusion (CPE) for all 21 STR loci were >0.99999999771. A comparison of the allele frequencies in the population under study has been performed with other published from East Asian population for the same loci. Multiple STR loci showed significant differences between Han population from Xiamen and Korea, as well as Japan.     

Population structure of Han nationality in Central-Southern China

Knowledge of population structure is very important for forensic genetics. However, the population substructure in Central-Southern China Han nationality has still not been fully described. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity of 15 forensic autosomal STR loci from 6879 individuals in 12 Han populations subdivided by administrative provinces in Central-Southern China. The statistical analysis of genetic variation showed that genetic differentiation among these populations was very small with a F_st value of 0.0009. The Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components (DAPC) showed that there were no obvious population clusters in Central-Southern China Han population. In practice, the population structure effect in Central-Southern China Han population can be negligible in forensic identification and paternity testing.