Detection and quantification of the age-related point mutation A189G in the human mitochondrial DNA.

Mutation analysis in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region is widely used in population genetic studies as well as in forensic medicine. Among the difficulties linked to the mtDNA analysis, one can find the detection of heteroplasmy, which can be inherited or somatic. Recently, age-related point mutation A189G was described in mtDNA and shown to accumulate with age in muscles.

Population origins in Mongolia: genetic structure analysis of ancient and modern DNA.

In the present study, nuclear (autosomal and Y-chromosome short tandem repeats) and mitochondrial (hypervariable region I) ancient DNA data previously obtained from a 2,300-year-old Xiongnu population of the Egyin Gol Valley (south of Lake Baikal in northern Mongolia) (Keyser-Tracqui et al. 2003 Am. J.

Population genetic data of 15 tetrameric short tandem repeats (STRs) in Berbers from Morocco.

The allele frequency distribution of 15 short tandem repeats (STR) loci contained in the AmpFlSTR Identifiler PCR Amplification Kit (Applied Biosystems), was determined in two Berber populations from Asni and Bouhria, in Central and Eastern Morocco, respectively. A total of 209 individuals were typed. No deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were observed for Asni at the 15 STRs loci whereas for the Bouhria samples, two loci (D5S818 and TH01) showed significant departures from Hardy-Weinberg expectations (after Bonferroni's correction).

Molecular genetic analysis of 400-year-old human remains found in two Yakut burial sites.

The excavation of five frozen graves at the Sytygane Syhe and Istekh-Myrane burial sites (dated at 400 years old) in central Yakutia revealed five human skeletons belonging to the Yakut population. To investigate the origin and evolution of the Yakut population as well as the kinship system between individuals buried in these two sites, DNA was extracted from bone samples and analyzed by autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) and by sequencing hypervariable region I (HV1) of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region. The results showed a diversity of sepulchral organizations linked probably to the social or genetic background of the subjects.

STR-genotyping from human medieval tooth and bone samples.

We extracted the DNA contained in samples of bones and teeth from 10 skeletons excavated from the Gravette site (400-1000 AD, south of France). Ancient DNA was analysed by autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs). The DNA present in these ancient remains appeared very degraded, but nevertheless, better conserved in tooth than in bone samples.