Genetic structure and admixture in urban populations of the Argentine North-West

Background: From the ethnic point of view, the Argentine North-West (ANW) constitutes one of the most noticeable areas in the country due to the cultural peculiarities that integrate it to the Andean world and the ethno-historical and demographic characteristics of how it became populated. Aim: The study analysed the genetic structure and diversity of the ANW urban populations, and the contribution of parental populations to its genetic pool. Subjects and methods: Previously reported data on allele frequencies of HLA-A and HLA-B loci of 1293 individuals from Jujuy, Salta, Tucumin, Santiago del Estero, Catamarca and La Rioja were used. Our estimates include: (a) genetic intra-population diversity; (b) genetic distances between populations; (c) linkage disequilibrium (LD); (d) admixture rates and genetic distances with respect to three parental populations (European, American Indian and African). Results: Low intra-population genetic differentiation and low genetic distances between populations were found. Differential LD distribution varied according to province, with 60% variance due to intra-population differences. The Spanish contribution (50%) predominated in ANW, followed by the American Indian (40%) and African (10%) contributions, and a marked inter-population heterogeneity of genetic admixture rates was observed. The shortest genetic distance was found in the American Indian parental population, and the longest in the African parental population. Conclusion: Five hundred years after the Spanish conquest, urban populations at ANW that have probably been subject to the same evolutionary forces present low genetic diversity and a similar genetic structure. Genetic distances and admixture percentages observed agree with census and ethno-historical data on settlement in the region.