Assessing population substructure in the Lebanese population: A population study using data on 23 autosomal short tandem repeats.

Background: Understanding the genetic substructure of a population is essential for proper forensic genetic analysis. The Lebanese population has a high rate of endogamous and consanguineous marriages and is segregated based on religious belongings. However, no genetic population studies have been performed up to date to estimate the degree of genetic substructure and inbreeding coefficients.

Genetic variations and population data on five supplementary STR markers in Lebanon.

Population representative short tandem repeat (STR) allele frequencies are crucial for proper probabilistic interpretation of DNA forensic evidence. STR allele frequencies also provide information about the genetic diversity of a given population. The Lebanese population is characterized by the presence of more than 18 religious communities that have high recorded rates of endogamous and consanguineous marriages, where the choice of marriages is mainly influenced by their respective geographical distributions and religious affiliation.

Autosomal short tandem repeat variations and population genetic data on 23 systems in seven major subpopulations from Lebanon.

Population allele frequency is an indicator of population genetic diversity and plays significant roles in DNA profiling interpretation in human identification, kinship, and forensic testing. The Lebanese population is a mosaic of 18 religious communities with high rates of consanguinity and endogamy. Allele frequencies for 23 STR loci were estimated and analyzed in the seven major Lebanese religious subcommunities (Muslims Shiaa, Sunni, and Druze, and Christians Orthodox, Maronite, and Catholics), to assess possible significant differences among their STR allele frequencies.

A global analysis of Y-chromosomal haplotype diversity for 23 STR loci.

In a worldwide collaborative effort, 19,630 Y-chromosomes were sampled from 129 different populations in 51 countries. These chromosomes were typed for 23 short-tandem repeat (STR) loci (DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385ab, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS448, DYS456, DYS458, DYS635, GATAH4, DYS481, DYS533, DYS549, DYS570, DYS576, and DYS643) and using the PowerPlex Y23 System (PPY23, Promega Corporation, Madison, WI). Locus-specific allelic spectra of these markers were determined and a consistently high level of allelic diversity was observed.