Identifying genetic loci related to the unique phenotypes and immune system of the Negrito populations in Southeast Asia

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K18622
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Physical anthropology
• Research Institution: National Institute of Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Jinam TimothyA 国立遺伝学研究所, 集団遺伝研究系, 助教 (20648258)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: population genetics / admixture / negrito / Southeast Asia

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I performed analysis of approximately 800,000 genome-wide SNPs in several Southeast Asian populations, including negritos who show unique phenotypes.
Some genes that are shared among negritos, but are differentiated in other groups are related to height, facial morphology and malarial resitance. The negritos also are phylogenetically basal to other SEA populations, but they also received substantial gene flow from these other groups. I also found relatively higher traces of archaic human ancestry in Philippine negritos, but not in Andamanese or Malaysian negritos. This results were published in Genome Biology and Evolution. I also performed sequencing of immune-related HLA genes in four Malaysian groups and found differences in HLA allele distribution that might reflect their ancestry and response to various pathogens in the region. Manuscript preparation for this result is ongoing.

Free Research Field

Population genetics