Distribution of Gm and Km allotypes among ten populations of Assam, India

Abstract

Serum samples from ten endogamous populations of Assam, India-Brahmins, Kalitas, Kaibartas, Muslims, Ahoms, Karbis, Kacharis, Sonowals, Chutiyas, and Rajbanshis-were typed for G1m (1, 2, 3, 17), G3m (5, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 26), and Km (1). Among Brahmins, Kalitas, Kaibartas, Muslims, Ahoms, Sonowals, Chutiyas, and Rajbanshis, five different Gm haplotypes were found: Gm1,17;21,26; Gm1,17;10,11,13,15,16; Gm1,2,17;21,26; Gm1,3;5,10,11,13,14,26; and Gm3;5,10,11,13,14,26. Kacharis and Karbis show only four of these haplotypes: Gm3;5,10,11,13,14,26 is absent among them. The intergroup variability in the distribution of these haplotypes is considerable, which can be explained by the ethnohistory of these populations. Genetic distance analysis, in which five Chinese population samples were included, revealed the existence of three main clusters: 1) North and Central Chinese; 2) Kalitas, Kaibartas, Chutiyas, Rajbanshis, Muslims, and Brahmins; and 3) Ahoms, Sonowals, Kacharis, South Chinese, and Karbis. The clusters suggest some genetic relation between these four Assamese populations and South Chinese, which is again understandable considering the ethnohistory of the populations of Northeast India. In the Km system, too, a remarkable variability is seen in distribution of phenotype and allele frequency.