Genetic analysis based on 15 autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) in the Chaouia population, western center Morocco, and genetic relationships with worldwide populations.

Abstract

The complex demographic history of human populations in North Africa has resulted in a high degree of genetic heterogeneity across the region. However, little is known about the pattern of these genetic variations in its current populations. The present study provides new data on the genetic background of Chaouia, an Arabic-speaking North African population in the western center of Morocco. A random sample of 150 unrelated healthy individuals from Chaouia was assessed using the AmpFLSTR Identifiler kit. The most polymorphic markers were D21S11 and D18S51, with 23 and 22 alleles, respectively. After Bonferroni's correction, two loci (TH01 and D18S51) deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The phylogeny analysis separated North African populations into northeastern and northwestern groups. The Chaouia population was clustered with northwestern Africans. It was the closest to the Berbers of Azrou. The Chaouia shared close genetic affinities with populations from North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, particularly Iberians, and to a lesser extent with sub-Saharan populations. The pattern of genetic admixture varied across North African populations without a clear correlation between their geographic (northeastern or northwestern) or linguistic identities (Arab or Berber), however, genetic heterogeneity among Berbers was observed. These findings suggest that the diversity observed in North African populations extends geographical and linguistic boundaries. It is further linked to each population's unique and complex demographic history. Human North African population genetics seems to present an intriguing landscape for future studies in the region and its surrounding populations to trace the origins of the genetic heterogeneity observed in these populations.