Genetic Analysis of Y-Chromosome 17 STR in Four Indigenous Populations from Bandarban

Despite rapidly growing understandings and dependency on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), highly variable autosomal 17 Y-chromosome short tandem repeats (STR) are still regarded as the most established method to differentiate individuals. Ethnic and cultural diversity of Bandarban area throughout the Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) suggests that this hilly range play vital role in genetic evolution of the region. Our previous study suggests that this mountain area acted as a corridor to gene flow across the Indian midland to CHT of Bangladesh. In the present study, we analyzed 17 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (Y-STR) haplotypes to investigate the Y-STR diversity of four indigenous populations from Bandarban. This study included 55 unrelated male samples from four ethnic populations (Tanchangya, Khumi, Khyang and Mro) were analyzed, among which 41 were unique and 14 Y-STR profiles are shared across the four populations. Khumi and Khyang exhibit relatively high degree of genetic homogeneity lower than 0.5, whereas Tanchangya and Mro represent the other extreme with all loci registering values above 0.5 for the same parameter.