Lactase persistence in Tunisia as a result of admixture with other Mediterranean populations.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The ability to digest lactose after weaning, namely, lactase persistence (LP), is encoded by polymorphisms in the MCM6 gene and varies widely in frequency among different human populations. Although, evolution of LP-related genetic variants was investigated in many groups of Sub-Saharan African, Middle Eastern, and European ancestry, only few studies have focused on populations from North Africa and no data are especially available from the Tunisian one. For this reason, there is an urgent need to investigate the frequency patterns at these loci in Tunisia since this adaptive trait is implicated in health.

Methods

Forty SNPs covering the LCT/MCM6 genes and including the two functional variants - 13,910 C > T and - 22,018 G > A were genotyped in 117 T

SUBMITTER: Ben Halima Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5571577 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature