SHORT REPORT Genetic structure of Kuwaiti population revealed by Y-STR diversity SOUMAYA TRIKI-FENDRI 1 *, SUAD ALFADHLI 2 *, IMEN AYADI 1 , NAJLA KHARRAT 1 , HAMMADI AYADI 3 & AHMED REBAI 1 1 Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, Bioinformatics Research Group, Sfax, Tunisia, 2 Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kuwait University, Sulaibekhat, Kuwait, and 3 Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, Targets for Diagnosis and Therapy Unit, Sfax, Tunisia (Received 24 June 2009; accepted 22 February 2010) Abstract In this study, a sample of 126 Kuwaiti was analysed using 12 Y-chromosome short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphisms. A total of 101 different haplotypes were identified, among which 87 were individual specific. The high haplotype diversity (0.994) supports the usefulness of Y-STR markers in Kuwaiti population diversity investigation. Our results suggest a close genetic relationship between Kuwait and other populations of the Arabian Peninsula, and an even more pronounced similarity of Kuwaiti populations and Yemenis and Saudi Arabians. Keywords: Haplotype, Y chromosome, population structure, Kuwait, Arabian Peninsula Introduction The Y chromosome, excluding the pseudoautosomal region, is transmitted down the paternal line from generation to generation with few modifications due to mutation and gene conversion (Rozen et al. 2003; Trombetta et al. 2010). These inheritance properties have encouraged the use of genetic polymorphisms on the Y chromosome in several areas of research. Short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphisms are commonly used in population evolutionary genetic studies, providing an alternative or complement to the single nucleotide polymorphism approach (Jobling and Tyler-Smith 2000). In fact, Y-STR haplotypes were found to be informative in discerning recent events of human migration (Pereira et al. 2002). ISSN 0301-4460 print/ISSN 1464-5033 online q 2010 Informa UK, Ltd. DOI: 10.3109/03014461003720296 Correspondence: Ahmed Rebai, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, Bioinformatics Research Group, PO Box 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia. E-mail: ahmed.rebai@cbs.rnrt.tn *The first two authors contributed equally to this work. Annals of Human Biology, November – December 2010; 37(6): 827–835 Ann Hum Biol Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by INSERM on 12/07/10 For personal use only.