HLA-DPA1 promoter haplotypes are differently distributed in southern Chinese ethnic groups

DPA1 gene is one of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II genes and its promoter is highly polymorphic. From comparative studies among five southern Chinese populations, Jing, Li, Bai, Lahu, and Meizhou Han, we describe their single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)/haplotype frequency data of HLA-DPA1 gene promoter in this study. Within the 760-bp promoter region, we have identified 21 SNPs and nine possible haplotypes. Pair-wise comparisons show similar frequencies distribution of the HLA-DPA1 promoter haplotypes among Jing, Li, and Bai, whereas all pair-wise comparisons involved with Lahu or Meizhou Han and other ethnic groups show remarkable difference. The differences in frequencies of HLA-DPA1 promoter alleles may reveal different ethnic origins and demographic histories of the five populations. Our study may help distinguishing each of these populations by sequence variations of HLA-DPA1 promoter, which may be served as functional molecular markers for clinical and immunological studies involving the DPA1 locus.