Overview of European population clustering based on 23 Y-STR loci

Short tandem repeats (STRs) located on the Y-chromosome are a useful tool for various scientific fields, such as forensic investigation, but also for the investigation of population structure and molecular history. In this study, population data based on 23 Y-STR loci (DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385a/b, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS448, DYS456, DYS458, DYS635, GATAH4, DYS481, DYS533, DYS549, DYS570, DYS576, and DYS643) from 23 European human populations were compared. All haplotype data for this research were gathered from previously published articles. Arlequin v3.5.1.2, POPTREE2, and MEGA 5.1 software packages were used for the calculation of allelic frequencies and genetic distance, and the construction of the European, as well as worldwide phylogenetic trees. Obtained results indicate a formation of several distinct sub-clusters within European population cluster. Observed sub-clusters were mostly recognized within geographically closer populations, meaning that neighboring populations were a part of the same sub-cluster in most of the cases. Compared with the previously published results obtained using autosomal STR markers, a significant level of concordance was detected. However, it seems that Y-STRs analyzed in this study are more informative since they enabled regional clustering in addition to continental clustering. Also, the use of a larger number of loci yielded clustering that is more specific than what has been calculated to date. Finally, it can be concluded that this study has shown that the application of a larger number of loci enables the more detailed insight into the relationships between European populations, compared to what has been published before.