Preliminary results of mitochondrial DNA sequence variation in Spanish Pyrenean populations

Received 13 August 2009; accepted 14 August 2009. published online 22 September 2009.

Abstract

Mitochondrial DNA sequences of the two hypervariable regions HVS-I and HVS-II were determined for 233 unrelated autochthonous individuals from East, Central and West Pyrenees. Resulting haplogroups were confirmed with RFLPs. Although the distribution of mitochondrial DNA haplogroups in the Pyrenees presents differences between populations, the results obtained may well support the hypothesis that the mountain chain did not act as a barrier to gene flow among Pyrenean populations. These preliminary data could be helpful for the understanding of the present distribution of mitochondrial DNA haplogroups in Iberian Peninsula and its phylogeny.

Keywords: mtDNA, Pyrenean population, Haplogroups

a Toxicology and Health Legislation Department, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid 28024, Spain

b IPATIMUP, Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia da Universidade do Porto, Portugal

c Zoology and Physical Anthropology Department, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain

Corresponding author. Tel.: +34 91 3941576; fax: +34 91 3941576.

PII: S1875-1768(09)00096-1

doi:10.1016/j.fsigss.2009.08.061

151 of 253