Genetic variation and recent positive selection in worldwide human populations: evidence from nearly 1 million SNPs.

<h4>Background</h4>Genome-wide scans of hundreds of thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have resulted in the identification of new susceptibility variants to common diseases and are providing new insights into the genetic structure and relationships of human populations....

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: David López Herráez, Marc Bauchet, Kun Tang, Christoph Theunert, Irina Pugach, Jing Li, Madhusudan R Nandineni, Arnd Gross, Markus Scholz, Mark Stoneking
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2009-11-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/19924308/?tool=EBI
_version_ 1818836385634713600
author David López Herráez
Marc Bauchet
Kun Tang
Christoph Theunert
Irina Pugach
Jing Li
Madhusudan R Nandineni
Arnd Gross
Markus Scholz
Mark Stoneking
author_facet David López Herráez
Marc Bauchet
Kun Tang
Christoph Theunert
Irina Pugach
Jing Li
Madhusudan R Nandineni
Arnd Gross
Markus Scholz
Mark Stoneking
author_sort David López Herráez
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>Genome-wide scans of hundreds of thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have resulted in the identification of new susceptibility variants to common diseases and are providing new insights into the genetic structure and relationships of human populations. Moreover, genome-wide data can be used to search for signals of recent positive selection, thereby providing new insights into the genetic adaptations that occurred as modern humans spread out of Africa and around the world.<h4>Methodology</h4>We genotyped approximately 500,000 SNPs in 255 individuals (5 individuals from each of 51 worldwide populations) from the Human Genome Diversity Panel (HGDP-CEPH). When merged with non-overlapping SNPs typed previously in 250 of these same individuals, the resulting data consist of over 950,000 SNPs. We then analyzed the genetic relationships and ancestry of individuals without assigning them to populations, and we also identified candidate regions of recent positive selection at both the population and regional (continental) level.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Our analyses both confirm and extend previous studies; in particular, we highlight the impact of various dispersals, and the role of substructure in Africa, on human genetic diversity. We also identified several novel candidate regions for recent positive selection, and a gene ontology (GO) analysis identified several GO groups that were significantly enriched for such candidate genes, including immunity and defense related genes, sensory perception genes, membrane proteins, signal receptors, lipid binding/metabolism genes, and genes involved in the nervous system. Among the novel candidate genes identified are two genes involved in the thyroid hormone pathway that show signals of selection in African Pygmies that may be related to their short stature.
first_indexed 2024-12-19T03:05:46Z
format Article
id doaj.art-edf281097efe4810bcfb5faa2e3619e6
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1932-6203
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-19T03:05:46Z
publishDate 2009-11-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj.art-edf281097efe4810bcfb5faa2e3619e62022-12-21T20:38:07ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032009-11-01411e788810.1371/journal.pone.0007888Genetic variation and recent positive selection in worldwide human populations: evidence from nearly 1 million SNPs.David López HerráezMarc BauchetKun TangChristoph TheunertIrina PugachJing LiMadhusudan R NandineniArnd GrossMarkus ScholzMark Stoneking<h4>Background</h4>Genome-wide scans of hundreds of thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have resulted in the identification of new susceptibility variants to common diseases and are providing new insights into the genetic structure and relationships of human populations. Moreover, genome-wide data can be used to search for signals of recent positive selection, thereby providing new insights into the genetic adaptations that occurred as modern humans spread out of Africa and around the world.<h4>Methodology</h4>We genotyped approximately 500,000 SNPs in 255 individuals (5 individuals from each of 51 worldwide populations) from the Human Genome Diversity Panel (HGDP-CEPH). When merged with non-overlapping SNPs typed previously in 250 of these same individuals, the resulting data consist of over 950,000 SNPs. We then analyzed the genetic relationships and ancestry of individuals without assigning them to populations, and we also identified candidate regions of recent positive selection at both the population and regional (continental) level.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Our analyses both confirm and extend previous studies; in particular, we highlight the impact of various dispersals, and the role of substructure in Africa, on human genetic diversity. We also identified several novel candidate regions for recent positive selection, and a gene ontology (GO) analysis identified several GO groups that were significantly enriched for such candidate genes, including immunity and defense related genes, sensory perception genes, membrane proteins, signal receptors, lipid binding/metabolism genes, and genes involved in the nervous system. Among the novel candidate genes identified are two genes involved in the thyroid hormone pathway that show signals of selection in African Pygmies that may be related to their short stature.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/19924308/?tool=EBI
spellingShingle David López Herráez
Marc Bauchet
Kun Tang
Christoph Theunert
Irina Pugach
Jing Li
Madhusudan R Nandineni
Arnd Gross
Markus Scholz
Mark Stoneking
Genetic variation and recent positive selection in worldwide human populations: evidence from nearly 1 million SNPs.
PLoS ONE
title Genetic variation and recent positive selection in worldwide human populations: evidence from nearly 1 million SNPs.
title_full Genetic variation and recent positive selection in worldwide human populations: evidence from nearly 1 million SNPs.
title_fullStr Genetic variation and recent positive selection in worldwide human populations: evidence from nearly 1 million SNPs.
title_full_unstemmed Genetic variation and recent positive selection in worldwide human populations: evidence from nearly 1 million SNPs.
title_short Genetic variation and recent positive selection in worldwide human populations: evidence from nearly 1 million SNPs.
title_sort genetic variation and recent positive selection in worldwide human populations evidence from nearly 1 million snps
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/19924308/?tool=EBI
work_keys_str_mv AT davidlopezherraez geneticvariationandrecentpositiveselectioninworldwidehumanpopulationsevidencefromnearly1millionsnps
AT marcbauchet geneticvariationandrecentpositiveselectioninworldwidehumanpopulationsevidencefromnearly1millionsnps
AT kuntang geneticvariationandrecentpositiveselectioninworldwidehumanpopulationsevidencefromnearly1millionsnps
AT christophtheunert geneticvariationandrecentpositiveselectioninworldwidehumanpopulationsevidencefromnearly1millionsnps
AT irinapugach geneticvariationandrecentpositiveselectioninworldwidehumanpopulationsevidencefromnearly1millionsnps
AT jingli geneticvariationandrecentpositiveselectioninworldwidehumanpopulationsevidencefromnearly1millionsnps
AT madhusudanrnandineni geneticvariationandrecentpositiveselectioninworldwidehumanpopulationsevidencefromnearly1millionsnps
AT arndgross geneticvariationandrecentpositiveselectioninworldwidehumanpopulationsevidencefromnearly1millionsnps
AT markusscholz geneticvariationandrecentpositiveselectioninworldwidehumanpopulationsevidencefromnearly1millionsnps
AT markstoneking geneticvariationandrecentpositiveselectioninworldwidehumanpopulationsevidencefromnearly1millionsnps