Genetic variation of recent Alu insertions in human populations

Mark A. Batzer, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Santosh S. Arcot, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Joshua W. Phinney, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Michelle Alegria-Hartman, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
David H. Kass, University Medical Center New Orleans
Stephen M. Milligan, DNA Unit
Colin Kimpton, Forensic Science Service, Birmingham
Peter Gill, Forensic Science Service, Birmingham
Manfred Hochmeister, University of Bern
Panayiotis A. Ioannou, Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics
Rene J. Herrera, Florida International University
Donald A. Boudreau, University Medical Center New Orleans
W. Douglas Scheer, University Medical Center New Orleans
Bronya J.B. Keats, University Medical Center New Orleans
Prescott L. Deininger, University Medical Center New Orleans
Mark Stoneking, Pennsylvania State University

Abstract

The Alu family of interspersed repeats is comprised of over 500,000 members which may be divided into discrete subfamilies based upon mutations held in common between members. Distinct subfamilies of Alu sequences have amplified within the human genome in recent evolutionary history. Several individual Alu family members have amplified so recently in human evolution that they are variable as to presence and absence at specific loci within different human populations. Here, we report on the distribution of six polymorphic Alu insertions in a survey of 563 individuals from 14 human population groups across several continents. Our results indicate that these polymorphic Alu insertions probably have an African origin and that there is a much smaller amount of genetic variation between European populations than that found between other population groups.