Screening of Three Different Alleles of mtDNA (G709A, G3496T, A3537G) in Subpopulation of UKM Students

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Human DNA consists of nucleus DNA (nDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Both are valuable in medicine and forensic genetics but in this project, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in mtDNA are used to trace the mutation occurred. Mutations in the sequence of alleles can lead to haplogroup variation and also certain diseases. The purpose of this study is to screen of mutations on alleles G709A, G3496T, and A3537G in Malay population of The National University of Malaysia (UKM) students. These SNPs lie in the ND1 (nitrogen dehydrogenase subunit 1) coding region, and the reports state that these three alleles are prone to mutate. From MitoMap Web site, the mutations of these alleles are reported to have potential in causing several diseases with the collaboration of other SNPs mutation. Allele G709A is reported to have an association with hearing loss and Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) while allele G3496T is associated to LHON only. Allele A3537G is related to diabetes. A total of 100 DNA samples were collected from Malay students of UKM and preserved on FTA card to be purified later. The concentration of the DNA on the purified FTA card was between 10μM to 20μM. An attempt was made by amplifying those three loci from the genomic DNA. The amplified product was detected and separated using 1% gel electrophoresis. Before sequencing, the PCR products were visualized under UV light using gel documentation system. All PCR products were sequenced to detect the mutation on every single position chosen. From the alignment of sequencing results, allele G709A and allele G3496T showed no mutation. Meanwhile four samples from alleles A3537G has the mutation. From the results obtained, it seems that mutations are rare in all selected alleles. It is recommended to increase the sample size and alleles selected in the future to increase the strength of the study. This study also should be applied to other populations in Malaysia such as Chinese and Indian.