scholarly journals Limited evidence for selection at the FADS locus in Native American populations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iain Mathieson

AbstractThe FADS locus contains the genes FADS1 and FADS2 that encode enzymes involved in the synthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA). This locus appears to have been a repeated target of selection in human evolution, likely because dietary input of LC-PUFA varied over time depending on environment and subsistence strategy. Several recent studies have identified selection at the FADS locus in Native American populations, interpreted as evidence for adaptation during or subsequent to the passage through Beringia. Here, we show that these signals of selection are confounded by the presence of parallel adaptation–postdating their split from Native Americans–in the European and East Asian populations used in the population branch statistic (PBS) test. This is supported by direct evidence from ancient DNA that one of the putatively selected haplotypes was already common in Northern Eurasia at the time of the separation of Native American ancestors. A more parsimonious explanation for the present-day distribution of the haplotype is that Native Americans retain the ancestral state of Paleolithic Eurasians. Another haplotype at the locus may reflect a secondary selection signal, although its functional impact is unknown.

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (7) ◽  
pp. 2029-2033 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iain Mathieson

Abstract The FADS locus contains the genes FADS1 and FADS2 that encode enzymes involved in the synthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. This locus appears to have been a repeated target of selection in human evolution, likely because dietary input of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids varied over time depending on environment and subsistence strategy. Several recent studies have identified selection at the FADS locus in Native American populations, interpreted as evidence for adaptation during or subsequent to the passage through Beringia. Here, we show that these signals are confounded by independent selection—postdating the split from Native Americans—in the European and, possibly, the East Asian populations used in the population branch statistic test. This is supported by direct evidence from ancient DNA that one of the putatively selected haplotypes was already common in Northern Eurasia at the time of the separation of Native American ancestors. An explanation for the present-day distribution of the haplotype that is more consistent with the data is that Native Americans retain the ancestral state of Paleolithic Eurasians. Another haplotype at the locus may reflect a secondary selection signal, although its functional impact is unknown.


Stroke ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raul Guisado ◽  
Linda Catalli ◽  
Karen de la Cuesta

INTRODUCTION: Santa Clara County, California is a multi-racial community with a large Asian and Hispanic representation (30.6% Asian, 31.8% White and 31.9% Hispanics). The annual incidence of non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in our population is higher than the national average (29.2% vs. 13%) and the proportion of Asian patients with ICH is higher than expected (46.5% vs. 30.6% ). The reasons for the higher incidence of ICH in Asian populations are not known. We conducted a retrospective review of all cases of ICH in two Primary Stroke Centers in Santa Clara County, California to test the hypothesis that certain co-morbidities may explain the higher incidence of ICH in our community. METHODS: All cases of ICH admitted to two PSCs were abstracted from the Get With The Guidelines database. Data abstracted included racial and ethnic distribution (White, African American, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American and Hispanic), age, sex, and selected co-morbidities (diabetes mellitus, hypertension and warfarin use. FINDINGS: There were a total of 260 patients. The total number of Pacific Islanders (4), Native Americans (1) and African Americans (13) was too small for further analysis and was not included. The age and sex distribution was similar between White, Asian and Hispanic patients but White women were significantly older (p = 0.018) than males. The rate of warfarin use was similar in all three groups. There was a higher incidence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in Asian and Hispanics compared to White subjects ( Table ). Asian and Hispanic patients with hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus were at higher risk for ICH compared to White ( Table ). CONCLUSION: In our population, the incidence of ICH is disproportionately high in Asian subjects compared to Whites and Hispanics. This increase is only partially explained by higher incidence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in Asians. Other factors, not included in the available databases, may include the geographic origin of Asian and Hispanic subjects (East vs. South Asian, North, Central or South American) and a generational effect on co-morbidities. Future epidemiological studies should include geographic and generational, as well as racial and ethnic data.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1459-1470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas Vicuña ◽  
Olga Klimenkova ◽  
Tomás Norambuena ◽  
Felipe I Martinez ◽  
Mario I Fernandez ◽  
...  

Abstract Detection of positive selection signatures in populations around the world is helping to uncover recent human evolutionary history as well as the genetic basis of diseases. Most human evolutionary genomic studies have been performed in European, African, and Asian populations. However, populations with Native American ancestry have been largely underrepresented. Here, we used a genome-wide local ancestry enrichment approach complemented with neutral simulations to identify postadmixture adaptations underwent by admixed Chileans through gene flow from Europeans into local Native Americans. The top significant hits (P = 2.4×10−7) are variants in a region on chromosome 12 comprising multiple regulatory elements. This region includes rs12821256, which regulates the expression of KITLG, a well-known gene involved in lighter hair and skin pigmentation in Europeans as well as in thermogenesis. Another variant from that region is associated with the long noncoding RNA RP11-13A1.1, which has been specifically involved in the innate immune response against infectious pathogens. Our results suggest that these genes were relevant for adaptation in Chileans following the Columbian exchange.


2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Focella ◽  
Jessica Whitehead ◽  
Jeff Stone ◽  
Stephanie Fryberg ◽  
Rebecca Covarrubias

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 32-39
Author(s):  
LaNada War Jack

The author reflects on her personal experience as a Native American at UC Berkeley in the 1960s as well as on her activism and important leadership roles in the 1969 Third World Liberation Front student strike, which had as its goal the creation of an interdisciplinary Third World College at the university.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Poonam Chourey

The research expounded the turmoil, uproar, anguish, pain, and agony faced by native Indians and Native Americans in the South Dakota region.  To explain the grief, pain and lamentation, this research studies the works of Elizabeth Cook-Lyn.  She laments for the people who died and also survived in the Wounded Knee Massacre.  The people at that time went through huge exploitation and tolerated the cruelty of American Federal government. This research brings out the unchangeable scenario of the Native Americans and Native Indians.  Mr. Padmanaban shed light on the works of Elizabeth Cook-Lynn who was activist.  Mr. Padmanaban is very influenced with Elizabeth Cook-Lynn’s thoughts and works. She hails from Sioux Community, a Native American.  She was an outstanding and exceptional scholar.  She experienced the agony and pain faced by the native people.  The researcher, Mr. Padmanaban is concerned the sufferings, agony, pain faced by the South Dakota people at that time.  The researcher also is acknowledging the Indian freedom fighters who got India independence after over 200 years of sufferings.  The foreign nationals entered our country with the sole purpose of business.  Slowly and steadily the took over the reign of the country and ruled us for years, made all of us suffer a lot.


Genetics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 158 (3) ◽  
pp. 941-948
Author(s):  
Linda Burhansstipanov ◽  
Lynne Bemis ◽  
Mark Dignan ◽  
Frank Dukepoo

Abstract The long-term goal of Genetic Education for Native Americans (GENA), a project funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), is to provide a balance of scientific and cultural information about genetics and genetic research to Native Americans and thereby to improve informed decision making. The project provides culturally sensitive education about genetic research to Native American medical students and college and university students. Curriculum development included focus groups, extensive review of available curricula, and collection of information about career opportunities in genetics. Special attention was focused on genetic research to identify key concepts, instructional methods, and issues that are potentially troublesome or sensitive for Native Americans. Content on genetic research and careers in genetics was adapted from a wide variety of sources for use in the curriculum. The resulting GENA curriculum is based on 24 objectives arranged into modules customized for selected science-related conference participants. The curriculum was pretested with Native American students, medical and general university, health care professionals, and basic scientists. Implementation of the curriculum is ongoing. This article describes the development and pretesting of the genetics curriculum for the project with the expectation that the curriculum will be useful for genetics educators working in diverse settings.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Raymond Foxworth ◽  
Laura E. Evans ◽  
Gabriel R. Sanchez ◽  
Cheryl Ellenwood ◽  
Carmela M. Roybal

We draw on new and original data to examine both partisan and systemic inequities that have fueled the spread of COVID-19 in Native America. We show how continued political marginalization of Native Americans has compounded longstanding inequalities and endangered the lives of Native peoples. Native nations have experienced disproportionate effects from prior health epidemics and pandemics, and in 2020, Native communities have seen greater rates of infection, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. We find that Native nations have more COVID-19 cases if they are located in states with a higher ratio of Trump supporters and reside in states with Republican governors. Where there is longstanding marginalization, measured by lack of clean water on tribal lands and health information in Native languages, we find more COVID-19 cases. Federal law enables non-members to flout tribal health regulations while on tribal lands, and correspondingly, we find that COVID-19 cases rise when non-members travel onto tribal lands. Our findings engage the literatures on Native American politics, health policy within U.S. federalism, and structural health inequalities, and should be of interest to both scholars and practitioners interested in understanding COVID-19 outcomes across Tribes in the United States.


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