Haplotype Diversity and Linkage Disequilibrium at Human G6PD: Recent Origin of Alleles That Confer Malarial Resistance

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 293; no. 5529; pp. 455 - 462
• Main Authors: Tishkoff, Sarah A., Varkonyi, Robert, Cahinhinan, Nelie, Abbes, Salem, Argyropoulos, George, Destro-Bisol, Giovanni, Drousiotou, Anthi, Dangerfield, Bruce, Lefranc, Gerard, Loiselet, Jacques, Piro, Anna, Stoneking, Mark, Tagarelli, Antonio, Tagarelli, Giuseppe, Touma, Elias H., Williams, Scott M., Clark, Andrew G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 20.07.2001; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Africa - epidemiology; Agriculture; Alleles; Allelochemicals; Allelopathic agents; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Chromosomes; Death; Electrons; Endemic Diseases; Evolution; Evolution, Molecular; Female; Genes; Genetic loci; Genetic mutation; Genetic Variation; Geographic regions; Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase - genetics; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency - epidemiology; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency - genetics; Haplotypes; Human protozoal diseases; Humans; Immune system; Immunity, Innate - genetics; Infectious diseases; Linkage Disequilibrium; Malaria; Malaria - enzymology; Malaria - epidemiology; Malaria - genetics; Malaria, Falciparum - enzymology; Malaria, Falciparum - epidemiology; Malaria, Falciparum - genetics; Male; Medical sciences; Mediterranean Region - epidemiology; Microsatellites; Mutation; Observation; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium falciparum - genetics; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Protozoal diseases; Selection, Genetic; Statistical Data; Statistical variance; Time; Tropical medicine; Africa; Mediterranean Region; Human; Protozoal disease; Glucose-6-phosphate 1-dehydrogenase; Malaria; Enzyme; Biological evolution; Genetic diversity; Parasitosis; Linkage equilibrium; Mechanism; Infection; Gene frequency; Gene; Oxidoreductases; Mutation; Haplotype; Protection; Geographical variation
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1061573
• ISSN: 0036-8075

The frequencies of low-activity alleles of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in humans are highly correlated with the prevalence of malaria. These "deficiency" alleles are thought to provide reduced risk from infection by the Plasmodium parasite and are maintained at high frequency despite the hemopathologies that they cause. Haplotype analysis of "A-" and "Med" mutations at this locus indicates that they have evolved independently and have increased in frequency at a rate that is too rapid to be explained by random genetic drift. Statistical modeling indicates that the A- allele arose within the past 3840 to 11,760 years and the Med allele arose within the past 1600 to 6640 years. These results support the hypothesis that malaria has had a major impact on humans only since the introduction of agriculture within the past 10,000 years and provide a striking example of the signature of selection on the human genome.