Angela Cristina Estalote, Rodrigo Proto-Siqueira, Wilson Araújo Da Silva Jr. Marco Antonio Zago
Marcos Palatnik
Published April 29, 2005
Genet. Mol. Res. 4 (2): 166-173 (2005)

About the Authors
Angela Cristina Estalote, Rodrigo Proto-Siqueira, Wilson Araújo Da Silva Jr. Marco Antonio Zago
Marcos Palatnik

Corresponding author
M. Palatnik
Email: palatos@infolink.com.br

ABSTRACT

Ala100Thr has been suggested to be a Caucasian genetic marker on the FY*B allele. As the Brazilian population has arisen from miscegenation among Portuguese, Africans, and Indians, this mutation could possibly be found in Euro- and Afro-Brazilians, or in Brazilian Indians. Fifty-three related individuals and a random sample of 100 subjects from the Brazilian population were investigated using the polymerase chain reaction and four restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Confirming the working hypothesis, among the related individuals three Afro-Brazilians (two of them a mother and daughter) and a woman of Amerindian descent had the Ala100Thr mutation on the FY*B allele. Five non-related Euro-Brazilians also carried the mutation. All nine individuals presented the Fy(a-b+) phenotype. We conclude that the Ala100Thr mutation can occur in populations other than Caucasians and that this mutation does not affect Duffy expression on red blood cells. Gene frequencies for this allele in the non-related individuals were in agreement with those of other populations. The Duffy frequencies of two Amerindian tribes were also investigated.

Key words: Duffy blood group, DARC, DNA polymorphisms, Genetic polymorphisms, Amerindians, Brazilian population.