Worldwide Population Clustering Based on 23 Y STR Loci
Short tandem repeats (STRs) located on the Y- chromosome are a useful tool for the study of population structure and history. In this study, 23 Y-STR loci from 50 populations were compared (DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385a/b, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS448, DYS456, DYS458, DYS635, GATAH4, DYS481, DYS533, DYS549, DYS570, DYS576, and DYS643). The allele frequencies were calculated using Arlequin v3.5.1.2, while the haplotype data for these calculations were gathered from previously published articles. Furthermore, a worldwide phylogenetic tree was generated, and genetic distance values were calculated using POPTREE2 and MEGA 5.1 software. The results illustrate formation of several distinct clusters and sub clusters within them and indicate that this was mostly due to geographical proximity, which in turn resulted in neighboring populations becoming part of the same cluster. While the obtained results were in accordance with previously published research on autosomal STR analysis, the Y-STRs analyzed in the current study were more informative since they enabled regional clustering in addition to the continental one. Lastly, the use of a larger number of loci yielded clustering that is more specific than what has been calculated to date.