Population genetic evidence for positive and purifying selection acting at the human IFN-γ locus in Africa.

ABSTRACT: Despite its critical role in the defense against microbial infection and tumor development, little is known about the range of nucleotide and haplotype variation at IFN-γ, or the evolutionary forces that have shaped patterns of diversity at this locus. To address this gap in knowledge, we examined sequence data from the IFN-γ gene in 1461 individuals from 15 worldwide populations. Our analyses uncovered novel patterns of variation in distinct African populations, including an excess of high frequency-derived alleles, unusually long haplotype structure surrounding the IFN-γ gene, and a "star-like" genealogy of African-specific haplotypes carrying variants previously associated with infectious disease. We also inferred a deep time to coalescence of variation at IFN-γ (~ 0.8 million years ago

SUBMITTER: Campbell MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7089600 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature