Haptoglobin and acid phosphatase gene distributions in the Dhangars of Maharashtra, India

Abstract

A total of 1241 blood samples from 15 Dhangar groups - a semi-nomadic population, were studied by starch gel electrophoresis for haptoglobin and acid phosphatase types. The gene frequencies for Hp¹ in 12 of the 15 groups studied are between 0.0715 - U. 1913 and they are homogeneous-among themselves, but significantly differ from the remaining three. The latter three groups show higher Hp¹ gene frequencies, in the range of 0.2727 - 0.3462, and suggest that they are also quite homogeneous. A, AB and B phenotypes of acid phosphatase were seen among all the groups. Frequencies of the PAS^A gene ranges from 0. 1016 to 0.2143 in the ten groups tested tor this enzyme.