Forensic characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of Hubei Han population in central China using 17 Y-STR loci

- We investigated the Y-STR haplotype distribution in Hubei province, Central China.
- We submitted the first batch of Y-STR haplotype data of Hubei Han population to the YHRD.
- Significant genetic differences existed between the Hubei Han and ethnic minorities in China, particularly the Kazakhs and the Tibetans.

Currently, the largest national database within the Y chromosome haplotype reference database (YHRD, https://yhrd.org, release 53) is China, which has approximately 38000 Y chromosomal 17-marker (Yfiler) haplotypes. These haplotype profiles derived from the vast majority of Chinese administrative divisions, but no haplotype data was available for Hubei province, which is located in the Central China region. Herein, 429 unrelated male Chinese Han individuals residing in Hubei province were recruited and genotyped with 17 Y-STR loci. 115 alleles were identified with corresponding allele frequencies spanned from 0.0023 to 07506. The gene diversity (GD) values ranged from 0.3988 at DYS438 to 0.9573 at DYS385a/b. A total of 410 distinct haplotypes were obtained with the overall haplotype diversity (HD) and discrimination capacity (DC) was 0.9995 and 0.9557, respectively. Additionally, genetic relationships along administrative (Han Chinese from different provinces) and ethnic divisions (minority ethnic groups) were analyzed using analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) tests and visualized by multidimensional scaling plots (MDS). The Han ethnicity including the Hubei Han shows a high genetic homogeneity all across China and significant genetic differences existed between the Hubei Han and some ethnic groups, most prominently for the Kazakhs and the Tibetans.