Further sequence and length variation at the STR loci HumFES/FPS, HumVWA, HumFGA and D12S391

This paper reports population data and statistics for the HumFES/FPS, HumVWA, HumFGA and D12S391 loci in Austria. The sequences of some rare and new variant alleles which have been identified in the course of the present population study and other investigations are described. Sequence variation occurred in a HumFES/FPS allele revealing an (ATTT)₉ structure and an A to C transversion in the 5′ flanking region. At the HumVWA locus the structural type of the common allele 14 has been found in one allele 13 and in three examples of allele 15. Additionally the TCTA (TCTG)₃(TCTA)_n structure has been observed in three examples of allele 13 and one allele 14, which is very uncommon. Another allele 14 showed a C to T transition in the third of nine TCTA repeats. The sequences of three length variations at the HumFGA locus, namely the alleles 16, 19.2 and 21.2 are reported. At the D12S391 locus a novel 19.1 allele was found in this study. An extended nomenclature is proposed for the HumVWA locus to denominate sequence variants in a precise but simple way. Received: 14 October 1998 / Received in revised form: 18 February 1999