20090

Investigation of the mitochondrial haplogroups M, BM, N, J, K and their frequencies in five regions in Iran

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The frequencies of the Asian (M, BM) and European (N, J, K) mtDNA haplogroups in five major regions of Iran was investigated. Unexpectedly, the frequencies of the Asian haplogroups M and BM were low in Iran (2.34% for haplogroup M; 17.6% for haplogroup BM and 80.06% for haplogroup N). Almost identical frequencies for haplogroups J and K were found in the present study (10.81% and 10.14% for haplogroups J and K, respectively). On the other hand, the frequencies of haplogroups M and BM in Eastern regions were more than their frequencies in Western regions of the country. In contrast, the frequencies of haplogroups J and K in Western regions were more than their frequencies in Eastern regions of Iran. As a result, this study gives evidence for similarity between Iranian population ethnic groups and people from Northwest Asia and Southeast Europe. Our data suggest that Iranian tribes probably played a remarkable role in the formation of these ethnic groups. It gives the indication that the haplogroup J may be older than 6000-10000 years, and probably developed in Iran, and then expanded to different regions in Europe and Northwest Asia. On the other hand, it seems that the super-haplogroup M has developed after the inhabitants of Iran moved to Eastern Asia or this group migrated from Southern Iran/North of Arabian halve O to Pakistan and then to Asia.

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