Population genetics of 19 Y-STR loci in Yanbian Korean samples from China

Abstract

Background: China harbors 56 ethnic groups, including Korean, with a population size of approximately 1.92 million at the 2010 census. Most of the Koreans live in Northeastern parts of China, including Jilin (59.64%), Heilongjiang (20.21%), and Liaoning (12.55%) provinces, and the rest are spread to other parts of China. Koreans across China share a common culture, which is similar to Korea. Methods: We have explored the genetic characteristics of 20 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (Y-STR) loci in 252 unrelated Chinese Korean male individuals from Jilin Province, using a Goldeneye 20Y amplification kit. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis was performed between the Korean population and other relevant populations based on the Y-STR haplotypes. Results: We have found 237 different haplotypes among 252 unrelated individuals. The haplotype frequencies ranged from 0.0238 to 0.0040, while gene diversity ranged from 0.9666 (DYS385a/b) to 0.2260 (DYS391). The random match probability was 0.0048, the haplotype diversity was 0.9992 ± 0.0006 and discrimination capacity was 0.9405. Population comparison revealed that Korean populations are lining up together with other Korean populations from East Asia. Conclusion: Our results showed that the 20 Y-STR loci in the Yanbian Korean population are valuable for forensic application and human genetics. The Yanbian Koreans have lined up with other Korean population from China and Korea while showing significant differences from other East Asian populations.