GENETIC DIVERSITY IN TUNISIAN POPULATION: A COMPARISON STUDY BASED ON Y-CHROMOSOME STR MARKERS

To investigate genetic structure within Tunisian populations, we analysed 546 haplotypes based on six and eleven short tandem repeat (STR) loci on the Y chromosome. Results show a high degree of heterogeneity in the Tunisian gene pool. When all populations are considered, based on six Y-STRs, results demonstrate that Jerbians of sub-Saharan origin exhibit a high level of heterogeneity. Lower haplotype diversity values were observed in samples from Zriba and Qalaat El Andalous. Drift acts strongly and particularly on the Y chromosome and this is what seemed to happen in these populations. This feature reduces intra-population diversity. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) of Rst values indicates a mosaic structure of Tunisian populations. These results exclude ethnic, geographic, and linguistic effects in Tunisia. Every population has its own structure.