Mitochondrial DNA Polymorphisms Research Articles

Genetic characteristics and migration history of a bronze culture population in the West Liao-River valley revealed by ancient DNA

In order to study the genetic characteristics of the Lower Xiajiadian culture (LXC) population, a main bronze culture branch in northern China dated 4500-3500 years ago, two uniparentally inherited markers, mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome single-nucleotide polymorphisms (Y-SNPs), were analyzed on 14 human remains excavated from the Dadianzi site. The 14 sequences, which contained 13 haplotypes, were assigned to 9 haplogroups, and Y-SNP typing of 5 male individuals assigned them to haplogroups N (M231) and O3 (M122). The results indicate that the LXC population mainly included people carrying haplogroups from northern Asia who had lived in this region since the Neolithic period, as well as genetic evidence of immigration from the Central Plain. Later in the Bronze Age, part of the population migrated to the south away from a cooler climate, which ultimately influenced the gene pool in the Central Plain. Thus, climate change is an important factor, which drove the population migration during the Bronze Age in northern China. Based on these results, the local genetic continuity did not seem to be affected by outward migration, although more data are needed especially from other ancient populations to determine the influence of return migration on genetic continuity.

Neuroinflammation and Ageing: Current Theories and an Overview of the Data

The increase in the average lifespan and the consequent proportional growth of the elderly segment of society has furthered the interest in studying ageing processes. Ageing may be considered a multifactorial process derived from the interaction between genetic and environmental factors including lifestyle. There is ample evidence in many species that the maximum age attainable (maximum lifespan potential, MLSP) is genetically determined and several mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms are associated with longevity. This review will address the current understanding of the relationship between ageing and several factors both genetics and life style related. Firstly we focused on the most reliable and commonly shared theories which attempt to explain the phenomenon of ageing as the genetic, cellular, neuroendocrine, immunological and free-radicals related theories. Many studies have shown that most of the phenotypic characteristics observed in the aging process are the result of the occurrence, with age, of a low grade chronic pro-inflammatory status called "inflammaging", partially under genetic control. The term indicate that aging is accompanied by a low degree of chronic inflammatory, an up-regulation of inflammatory response and that inflammatory changes are common to many age-related diseases. In this review special attention was dedicated to diseases related to age as atherosclerosis, cancer and Alzheimer disease. Despite the fact that in recent years many theories about ageing have been developed, we are still far from a full understanding of the mechanisms underlying the ageing process.

Mitochondria DNA polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to endometriosis

Because energy production involves oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondria are a major source of reactive oxygen species in the cell. Recent findings indicate that mitochondrial DNA variants may play a role in the etiology of certain autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible association between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms and endometriosis.

European mitochondrial DNA haplogroups and liver fibrosis in HIV and hepatitis C virus coinfected patients

HIV infection, hepatitis C virus (HCV) liver disease, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms are three possibly interrelated factors that might be associated with progression of liver disease. The aim of this study was to investigate whether mtDNA haplogroups had any influence on liver fibrosis progression in HIV/HCV coinfected patients. We carried out a cross-sectional study in 231 patients who were genotyped via Sequenom's MassARRAY platform (San Diego, California, USA). Liver fibrosis was estimated based on the METAVIR score. In each patient, fibrosis progression rate (FPR) was calculated by dividing the fibrosis stage (0-4) by the estimated duration of HCV infection in years. The cluster or major haplogroup HV was significantly associated with reduced odds ratios (OR) for advanced fibrosis [OR 0.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.16-0.77, P = 0.009], cirrhosis (OR 0.16, 95% CI 0.04-0.60, P = 0.007), or high FPR (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.21-0.84, P = 0.015). Within the major haplogroup HV, haplogroup H was significantly associated with an absence of advanced fibrosis (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.18-0.91, P = 0.029), cirrhosis (OR 0.14, 95% CI 0.03-0.67, P = 0.014), or high FPR (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.23-0.95, P = 0.035). We also found a significant association with increased odds of cirrhosis (OR 5.25, 95% CI 1.76-15.64, P = 0.003) in the closely related major haplogroup U. The mtDNA haplogroups HV and H were associated with slower fibrosis progression, and the haplogroup U was associated with faster fibrosis progression in HIV/HCV coinfected patients. These data suggest that mtDNA haplogroup may play a significant role in liver fibrogenesis during HCV infection.

A Twin Study of Mitochondrial DNA Polymorphisms Shows that Heteroplasmy at Multiple Sites Is Associated with mtDNA Variant 16093 but Not with Zygosity

The mitochondrial theory of ageing proposes that damage to mitochondria and diminished mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) repair are major contributors to cellular dysfunction and age-related diseases. We investigate the prevalence of heteroplasmy in the mtDNA control region in buccal swab and blood derived samples for 178 women from the TwinsUK cohort (41 DZ pair 39 MZ pairs, 18 singletons, mean age 57.5 range 28–82) and its relationship to age, BMI and fasting insulin and glucose serum levels. The overall estimated prevalence of heteroplasmy for both tissues in the control region measured for 37 sites was 17%. The prevalence of heteroplasmy was higher among the older half of the study subjects than in the younger half (23% vs 10% p<0.03), primarily reflecting the increase in the prevalence of a heteroplasmic dinucleotide CA repeat in variable region II (VRII) with age. The VRII 523–524 heteroplasmic site (heteroplasmic in 25 subjects) was also associated with a decrease in BMI. In addition, concordance rates for common heteroplasmy were observed to be near complete for both dizygotic (DZ = 94%) and monozygotic twin pairs (MZ = 100%), consistent with previous reports that suggest variation in heteroplasmy rates between generations are determined by bottlenecks in maternal transmission of mitochondria. Differences in the prevalence of heteroplasmy were observed overall between samples derived from buccal swabs (19%) and blood (15%, p<0.04). These were particularly marked at position 16093 of hypervariable region I (HVI, 7% vs 0%, respectively, p<4×10−11). The presence of the C allele at position 16093 in blood was associated with the presence of heteroplasmy in buccal swabs at this position (p = 3.5×10−14) and also at VRII (p = 2×10−4) suggesting a possible predisposing role for this site in the accumulation of heteroplasmy. Our data indicate that BMI is potentially associated with control region heteroplasmy.

Maternally inherited aminoglycoside-induced and nonsyndromic hearing loss in five Han Chinese pedigrees

To study the effect of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA mutations on aminoglycoside-induced and nonsyndromic hearing loss, to carry out the clinical and molecular characterization of five Han Chinese pedigrees with maternally transmitted aminoglycoside-induced and nonsyndromic hearing loss. Five pedigrees of maternally transmitted aminoglycoside-induced and nonsyndromic hearing loss were collected, genomic DNA was extracted, and complete mitochondrial genomes and the gap junction protein beta 2 (GJB2) gene were amplified and sequenced. Clinical evaluation revealed a wide range of severity, age-at-onset and audiometric configuration of hearing impairment in the matrilineal relatives in these families. The penetrance rates of hearing loss in these pedigrees were 17.6%, 50.0%, 66.7%, 31.3% and 23.1%, with an average of 37.7%, when aminoglycoside-induced deafness was included. Sequence analysis of the complete mitochondrial genomes in these pedigrees identified the known 1555A>G mutation and distinct sets of mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA) polymorphisms belonging to Eastern Asian haplogroups D4b2b, B4c1b1, F3, C1 and D5a, respectively. Of these variants, ND1 L89T and CO3 A200T mutations resided at the highly conservative regions. However, there were no functionally significant mutations in tRNAs and rRNAs or secondary known mutations. No hearing loss related GJB2 gene mutation was observed. The lack of significant mutation in the ruled out the possible involvement of GJB2 in the phenotypic expression of the 1555A>G mutation in those affected subjects. However, aminoglycosides, mtDNA variations and other nuclear modifier genes may play an important role in the phenotypic manifestation of the 1555A>G mutation in these Chinese families.

Genetic structure of the Mon-Khmer speaking groups and their affinity to the neighbouring Tai populations in Northern Thailand

BackgroundThe Mon-Khmer speaking peoples inhabited northern Thailand before the arrival of the Tai speaking people from southern China in the thirteenth century A.D. Historical and anthropological evidence suggests a close relationship between the Mon-Khmer groups and the present day majority northern Thai groups. In this study, mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal DNA polymorphisms in more than 800 volunteers from eight Mon-Khmer and ten Tai speaking populations were investigated to estimate the degree of genetic divergence between these major linguistic groups and their internal structure.ResultsA large fraction of genetic variation is observed within populations (about 80% and 90% for mtDNA and the Y-chromosome, respectively). The genetic divergence between populations is much higher in Mon-Khmer than in Tai speaking groups, especially at the paternally inherited markers. The two major linguistic groups are genetically distinct, but only for a marginal fraction (1 to 2%) of the total genetic variation. Genetic distances between populations correlate with their linguistic differences, whereas the geographic distance does not explain the genetic divergence pattern.ConclusionsThe Mon-Khmer speaking populations in northern Thailand exhibited the genetic divergence among each other and also when compared to Tai speaking peoples. The different drift effects and the post-marital residence patterns between the two linguistic groups are the explanation for a small but significant fraction of the genetic variation pattern within and between them.

Mitochondrial DNA Polymorphisms Associated with Elite Kenyan Endurance Runners

We recently reported an association between mitochondrial haplogroups (i.e., a set of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms) and elite Kenyan athlete status (Scott et al, MSSE, 2009). PURPOSE: To identify by direct mtDNA sequencing the polymorphisms that may significantly associate with elite Kenyan endurance athlete status. METHOD: Complete mtDNA sequences were analyzed by direct sequencing in 74 elite Kenyan endurance runners (including world and Olympic champions and world record holders) and compared to 893 African controls (http://www.mitomap.org/MITOMAP). Frequency differences in mtDNA polymorphisms between athletes and controls were examined by permutation tests. RESULTS: 15 polymorphisms were significantly different between athletes and controls: 4 polymorphisms in the L0 clade (3808A>G, 5581A>G, 15317A>G, and 16184C>T) and 11 polymorphisms in the L3 clade (489T>C, 813A>G, 6446G>A, 6671T>C, 10400C>T, 12403C>T, 12950A>C, 14110T>C,14783T>C, 15043G>A, and 16249T>C). Among these polymorphisms, two in haplogroup L0 and three in haplogroup L3 (12403C>T, 12950A>C, and 14110T>C) were nonsynonymous substitutions. In the L0 clade, an enrichment in endurance runners was found for Thr168Ala replacement in NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (ND1) gene and Ala191Thr replacement in Cytochrome b gene. In the L3 clade, an enrichment in endurance runners was found for Leu23Phe, Asn205Thr, and Phe592Leu replacements in the ND5 gene. These polymorphisms with amino acid replacements can potentially influence mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. One SNP (813A>G) in the L3 clade was located in mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene and may function by changing the rRNA secondary structure. CONCLUSIONS: Two polymorphisms related to haplogroup L0 and four polymorphisms related to haplogroup L3 with the potential to influence mitochondrial function were found to associate with elite Kenyan endurance status.

The analysis of the genetic structure of the Kazakh population as estimated from mitochondrial DNA polymorphism

The analysis of the genetic structure of the Kazakh population as estimated from mitochondrial DNA polymorphism

Detection of Somatic Mutations and Germline Polymorphisms in Mitochondrial DNA of Uterine Fibroids Patients

To identify the role of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in uterine fibroids patients, genomic DNA isolated from paired myometrium and fibroid tissues was screened for mutations. The present study represents the first investigation to report that 10.4% of uterine fibroids cases had either mtDNA mutations or polymorphisms or both. Among the 14 mitochondrial sequence variants identified, seven are somatic mutations (A3327C, G3352A, G3376A, G3380A, G3421A, T15312G, and C15493G) and the remaining (G3316A, C3342A, C3442T, T10205A, A10188G, A10229C, and A10301T) are gene polymorphisms. Somatic mutations were both homo- and heteroplasmic in nature. Of the seven somatic mutations located in the MTND1 and MTCYB genes, five (71.42%) are nonsynonymous in nature, whereas four (57.14%) of the polymorphisms located in MTND1 and MTND3 genes are found to be nonsynonymous. Sequence variants such as G3380A, G3421A, T15312G, G3376A, and G3316A have been earlier described in different human pathologies, but the remaining are novel ones. Mitochondrial somatic mutations and polymorphisms may predispose women to an earlier onset of degenerative cellular processes, which impair oxidative phosphorylation capacity and thereby promote tumorigenesis in uterine smooth muscle cells. Detection of mtDNA sequence variations in fibroid patients raises the need for larger case-control studies to screen the whole mitochondrial genome and evaluate as a future diagnostic biomarker in fibroid patients.

Mitochondrial DNA polymorphism in Moroccan goats

The present study characterizes the mitochondrial DNA diversity of Moroccan goats. 150 goats of different phenotypic entities were sampled over four geographic regions covering most of the Moroccan territory and the HVI segment of their mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region was sequenced. The 150 Moroccan goats represented 97 haplotypes for this mtDNA fragment. Most of this diversity was present within phenotypic entities and within geographic regions. This weak genetic structure may result from the fact that all haplotypes were already mixed in the populations that colonized Morocco and/or the existence of recurrent gene flows from Mediterranean routes. Comparing the Moroccan haplotype diversity to that of 21 haplotypes representative of the worldwide diversity showed that all the Moroccan goats studied belonged to the A haplogroup that is preponderant in the world. The haplotypes of the Northern region appeared to be less diverse, what would probably reflect a stronger founder effect in this region.

Connectivity between mitochondrial functions and psychiatric disorders

Mitochondria provide most of the energy production in cells. They are involved in the regulation of free radicals, calcium buffering, and redox signaling and take part in the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Mutations or polymorphisms of mitochondrial DNA, mitochondria-mediated oxidative stress, decrease of adenosine triphosphate production, changes of intracellular calcium and oxidative stress are concerned in various diseases. There is increasing evidence that impaired functions of mitochondria are associated with mood disorders. It is suggested that disturbed energetic metabolism and/or reactive oxygen species production take part in the pathophysiology of mood disorders and could participate in the therapeutic effects or side-effects of antidepressants and mood stabilizers.

Do old HLA and mitochondrial DNA variants associate with demyelination types in young patients?

Predicting disease progression with biomarkers can enhance care. Two articles from the Canadian Pediatric Demyelinating Disease Network in the current issue of Neurology ® consider the frequency of 2 different putative biomarkers. The investigators assessed nuclear (DRB1*1501)1 and mitochondrial (various)2 genetic variants in pediatric patients who present with acquired demyelinating syndromes. DRB1*1501 association with multiple sclerosis (MS) is confirmed, whereas associations of mitochondrial (mt)DNA polymorphisms are more ambiguous. In the present studies, samples were prospectively collected from all patients with acquired demyelinating syndromes and the genetic data were analyzed for association with conversion to MS. The results provide incremental evidence for association of these genetic variants with MS. Further, the unique ascertainment and design of these studies raise several issues, such as the putative differences between acquired demyelinating syndromes and MS, between pediatric and adult MS, and between genetic associations with susceptibility to MS (cases vs controls) vs early course of demyelinating disease (conversion to MS vs not). The first article deals with a genetic variant, DRB1*1501, that is undoubtedly associated with MS.1 Conversion to MS occurred in 64 of 266 children with acquired demyelinating syndrome, more commonly in those with 1 or 2 DRB1*1501 alleles, as previously reported in adults with isolated demyelinating events.3 …

Single nucleotide polymorphisms from cytochrome b gene as a useful protocol in forensic genetics against the illegal hunting of manatees: Trichechus manatus, Trichechus inunguis, Trichechus senegalensis, and Dugong dugon (Eutheria: Sirenia)

The identification of mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms is one of the most efficient methods for species differentiation. Genotyping of molecular markers using PCR/RFLP is a reliable, sensitive and inexpensive method for the detection of species specific mutations. The major causes of decline in Sirenia populations are accidental and intentional catches, collisions with boats and habitat loss. The goal of the present study was to identify, in silico, nucleotide mutations in the cytochrome b gene that can be used for the future development of forensic tools capable of using small tissue fragments to discriminate manatee meat from domesticated species meat commonly used as food sources (bovine, ovine, caprine and swine). DNA sequence alignments revealed two polymorphic sites distinguishing the manatee species from domestic species. The present study reinforced the power of cytochrome polymorphisms as powerful markers for species identification, which may be particularly useful for identifying vulnerable/endangered species. The data provided herein also suggest such mtDNA markers as important conservation tools for combating predatory manatee hunting for illegal meat trade in the Americas

Genetic affinities between the Yami tribe people of Orchid Island and the Philippine Islanders of the Batanes archipelago

BackgroundYami and Ivatan islanders are Austronesian speakers from Orchid Island and the Batanes archipelago that are located between Taiwan and the Philippines. The paternal genealogies of the Yami tribe from 1962 monograph of Wei and Liu were compared with our dataset of non-recombining Y (NRY) chromosomes from the corresponding families. Then mitochondrial DNA polymorphism was also analyzed to determine the matrilineal relationships between Yami, Ivatan, and other East Asian populations.ResultsThe family relationships inferred from the NRY Phylogeny suggested a low number of paternal founders and agreed with the genealogy of Wei and Liu (P < 0.01). Except for one Y short tandem repeat lineage (Y-STR), seen in two unrelated Yami families, no other Y-STR lineages were shared between villages, whereas mtDNA haplotypes were indiscriminately distributed throughout Orchid Island.The genetic affinity seen between Yami and Taiwanese aborigines or between Ivatan and the Philippine people was closer than that between Yami and Ivatan, suggesting that the Orchid islanders were colonized separately by their nearest neighbors and bred in isolation. However a northward gene flow to Orchid Island from the Philippines was suspected as Yami and Ivatan peoples both speak Western Malayo-Polynesian languages which are not spoken in Taiwan. Actually, only very little gene flow was observed between Yami and Ivatan or between Yami and the Philippines as indicated by the sharing of mtDNA haplogroup B4a1a4 and one O1a1* Y-STR lineage.ConclusionsThe NRY and mtDNA genetic information among Yami tribe peoples fitted well the patrilocal society model proposed by Wei and Liu. In this proposal, there were likely few genetic exchanges among Yami and the Philippine people. Trading activities may have contributed to the diffusion of Malayo-Polynesian languages among them.Finally, artifacts dating 4,000 YBP, found on Orchid Island and indicating association with the Out of Taiwan hypothesis might be related to a pioneering stage of settlement, as most dating estimates inferred from DNA variation in our data set ranged between 100-3,000 YBP.

Genetic Diversity of Sheep Breeds from Albania, Greece, and Italy Assessed by Mitochondrial DNA and Nuclear Polymorphisms (SNPs)

We employed mtDNA and nuclear SNPs to investigate the genetic diversity of sheep breeds of three countries of the Mediterranean basin: Albania, Greece, and Italy. In total, 154 unique mtDNA haplotypes were detected by means of D-loop sequence analysis. The major nucleotide diversity was observed in Albania. We identified haplogroups, A, B, and C in Albanian and Greek samples, while Italian individuals clustered in groups A and B. In general, the data show a pattern reflecting old migrations that occurred in postneolithic and historical times. PCA analysis on SNP data differentiated breeds with good correspondence to geographical locations. This could reflect geographical isolation, selection operated by local sheep farmers, and different flock management and breed admixture that occurred in the last centuries.

The role of the mitochondrial genome in ageing and carcinogenesis.

Mitochondrial DNA mutations and polymorphisms have been the focus of intensive investigations for well over a decade in an attempt to understand how they affect fundamental processes such as cancer and aging. Initial interest in mutations occurring in mitochondrial DNA of cancer cells diminished when most were found to be the same mutations which occurred during the evolution of human mitochondrial haplogroups. However, increasingly correlations are being found between various mitochondrial haplogroups and susceptibility to cancer or diseases in some cases and successful aging in others.

Cells with dendritic cell morphology and immunophenotype, binuclear morphology, and immunosuppressive function in dendritic cell cultures

Culturing of human peripheral blood CD14 positive monocytes is a method for generation of dendritic cells (DCs) for experimental purposes or for use in clinical grade vaccines. When culturing human DCs in this manner for clinical vaccine production, we noticed that 5–10% of cells within the bulk culture were binuclear or multiple nuclear, but had typical dendritic cell morphology and immunophenotype. We refer to the cells as binuclear cells in dendritic cell cultures (BNiDCs). By using single cell PCR analysis of mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms we demonstrated that approximately 20–25% of cells in DC culture undergo a fusion event. Flow sorted BNiDC express low HLA-DR and IL-12p70, but high levels of IL-10. In mixed lymphocyte reactions, purified BNiDC suppressed lymphocyte proliferation. Blockade of dendritic cell-specific transmembrane protein (DC-STAMP) decreased the number of binuclear cells in DC cultures. BNiDC represent a potentially tolerogenic population within DC preparations for clinical use.

Genetic structure of the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera along the southeastern Pacific

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 420:103-112 (2010) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08893 Genetic structure of the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera along the southeastern Pacific E. C. Macaya1,2,*, G. C. Zuccarello1 1School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand 2Present address: Departamento de Oceanografía, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile *Email: erasmomacaya@udec.cl ABSTRACT: We assessed the genetic structure of the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera across a broad latitudinal range along the southeastern Pacific coast (SEP). Specifically we analyzed the concordance of putative biogeographic breaks with genetic discontinuities and the effect of historical and contemporary events on the genetic pattern of this important seaweed. Mitochondrial DNA and single-strand DNA conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis for a total of 730 samples were carried out. Only 5 haplotypes were found among individuals collected along 4800 km of coastline, with very low haplotype diversity and a shallow genealogy compared with other macroalgal species. Some phylogeographic disjunctions in M. pyrifera were found to correspond roughly to established biogeographic breaks. On the southern coast we found a genetic break at 42°S (Chiloé Island) coincident with a well-known biogeographic boundary, while the genetic break found between samples in central/northern Chile (33°S) does not correspond to any known biogeographic breaks in other brown algae, but does reflect a break associated with other marine taxa. The low genetic diversity in northern Chile may be related to contemporary events (e.g. El Niño Southern Oscillation) while in southern Chile the haplotype distribution may reflect the effect of historical events (Last Glacial Maximum; LGM). Additionally, we compared the SEP data with samples from some of the subantarctic islands and New Zealand. The results showed shared haplotypes among some of the subantarctic islands and southern-central Chile, suggesting a recent colonization of the subantarctic region. The high dispersal potential of kelp rafts may also help to explain the low genetic diversity observed. We conclude that both present and historic events are responsible for the genetic structure of M. pyrifera along the SEP. KEY WORDS: Dispersal · Biogeography · ENSO · Kelp · Macrocystis pyrifera · Mitochondrial DNA Phylogeography · Southeastern Pacific · Subantarctic Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Macaya EC, Zuccarello GC (2010) Genetic structure of the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera along the southeastern Pacific. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 420:103-112. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08893 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 420. Online publication date: December 16, 2010 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2010 Inter-Research.

Using RFLP-mtDNA for the rapid monitoring of the dominant inoculated yeast strain in industrial wine fermentations

The analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphism of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA-RFLP) has been applied as a test to monitor the abundance of the starter yeast strain during industrial wine fermentations without previous isolation of yeast colonies. For white wine fermentations, we performed a rapid assay consisting in taking a sample of fermenting must, purifying the DNA from harvested cells, and obtaining the restriction patterns by digestion with the endonuclease HinfI. The same protocol, but adding an overnight cultivation step before DNA purification, was also applied to red wine fermentations. The results were compared with those obtained from the subsequent characterisation of strains, for the same samples, by analysis of the electrophoretic karyotype of isolated yeast colonies. In all cases, when the inoculated strain was dominant within the yeast population, the rapid assay anticipated the result by showing the coincidence between the restriction profiles obtained from both total cells and the inoculated strain. The results were obtained at 11 or 23 h after sampling for white- or red-wine fermentations respectively. This method allows a rapid intervention of the wine-producer if the presence of the inoculated yeasts has suffered a sudden decrease in any phase of the fermentation process.