Mitochondrial DNA control region in native population from the province of Jujuy

S CARDOSO, M MERINO, L GOMEZ, MA ALFONSO-SANCHEZ, JE DIPIERRI, E ALFARO, L VALVERDE, A ODRIOZOLA, CM BRAVI, JA. PEÑA, MM DE PANCORBO

FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL.

Año: 2009 p. 340 - 341

0379-0738

The province of Jujuy is located in northwestern Argentina. We analyzed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup composition in 100 autochthonous individuals living at altitudes between 1200 and 3500 m above sea level, in San Salvador de Jujuy, Quebrada de Humahuaca and Puna. The purpose was to explore the influence of non-Native American maternal lineages. Additionally, we evaluated the efficacy of analyzing the entire mtDNA control region to increase its power of discrimination with forensic purposes. Results showed that the population sample was entirely composed by Native American haplogroups, with haplotypes belonging to haplogroup B as the most common lineages. Analysis of the entiremtDNA D-loop region proved to be useful to increase the power of discrimination provided by the analysis of HVS-I and HVS-II segments and to refine haplogroup assignment.