1. ¹Genetics Laboratory, Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Far-East Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Magadan, Russia
2. ²Forensic Medicine Institute, Ludwik Rydygier Medical College, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
3. ³Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty Hospital, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
4. ⁴Department of Laboratory Medicine, LABMED, Kosice, Slovakia

Correspondence: Dr BA Malyarchuk, Genetics Laboratory, Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Far-East Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Portovaya street, 18, Magadan 685000, Russia. Tel: +7 4132 631164; Fax: +7 4132 634463; E-mail: malyarchuk@ibpn.ru

Received 27 November 2007; Revised 7 February 2008; Accepted 28 February 2008; Published online 9 April 2008.

Abstract

To elucidate the origin of African-specific mtDNA lineages, revealed previously in Slavonic populations (at frequency of about 0.4%), we completely sequenced eight African genomes belonging to haplogroups L1b, L2a, L3b, L3d and M1 gathered from Russians, Czechs, Slovaks and Poles. Results of phylogeographic analysis suggest that at least part of the African mtDNA lineages found in Slavs (such as L1b, L3b1, L3d) appears to be of West African origin, testifying to an opportunity of their occurrence as a result of migrations to Eastern Europe through Iberia. However, a prehistoric introgression of African mtDNA lineages into Eastern Europe (approximately 10 000 years ago) seems to be probable only for European-specific subclade L2a1a, defined by coding region mutations at positions 6722 and 12903 and detected in Czechs and Slovaks. Further studies of the nature of African admixture in gene pools of Europeans require the essential enlargement of databases of African complete mitochondrial genomes.