Polymorphisms associated with skin pigmentation in Oceaniac populations

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26440256
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Physical anthropology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: NAKA IZUMI 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 特任研究員 (10723778)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 木村 亮介 琉球大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (00453712)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): OHASHI Jun 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 准教授 (80301141) ; YAMAGUCHI Kyoko 琉球大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 研究員 (60724755)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: オセアニア / 皮膚色素 / 多型

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In Oceania, people living in Melanesia have the darkest skin color, which is comparable to that of people living in Sub-Saharan Africa. To understand the genetic basis of skin pigmentation in Oceanian people, we investigated eight SNPs previously reported to be associated with self-reported tanning ability in European ancestry in five Oceanian populations. We calculated the tanning ability associated allele count and the tanning ability score (Σβixij) for each individual. The number of allele counts was the highest in YRI (African) and the lowest in CEU (European ancestry). Of particular interest is that the mean of the tanning ability score is lower (i.e., lighter skin color) in Tongan (Polynesian) and Rawaki (Micronesia) populations than in HapMap-JPT and CHB (East Asian) populations. A multiple regression analysis for Thai and Okinawa populations revealed that SNPs associated with melanin Index were different between populations.

Free Research Field

人類学