Y-chromosomal analysis of Greek Cypriots reveals a primarily common pre-Ottoman paternal ancestry with Turkish Cypriots

Genetics can provide invaluable information on the ancestry of the current inhabitants of Cyprus. A Y-chromosome analysis was performed to (i) determine paternal ancestry among the Greek Cypriot (GCy) community in the context of the Central and Eastern Mediterranean and the Near East; and (ii) identify genetic similarities and differences between Greek Cypriots (GCy) and Turkish Cypriots (TCy). Our haplotype-based analysis has revealed that GCy and TCy patrilineages derive primarily from a single gene pool and show very close genetic affinity (low genetic differentiation) to Calabrian Italian and Lebanese patrilineages. In terms of more recent (past millennium) ancestry, as indicated by Y-haplotype sharing, GCy and TCy share much more haplotypes between them than with any surrounding population (7–8% of total haplotypes shared), while TCy also share around 3% of haplotypes with mainland Turks, and to a lesser extent with North Africans. In terms of Y-haplogroup frequencies, again GCy and TCy show very similar distributions, with the predominant haplogroups in both being J2a-M410, E-M78, and G2-P287. Overall, GCy also have a similar Y-haplogroup distribution to non-Turkic Anatolian and Southwest Caucasian populations, as well as Cretan Greeks. TCy show a slight shift towards Turkish populations, due to the presence of Eastern Eurasian (some of which of possible Ottoman origin) Y-haplogroups. Overall, the Y-chromosome analysis performed, using both Y-STR haplotype and binary Y-haplogroup data puts Cypriot in the middle of a genetic continuum stretching from the Levant to Southeast Europe and reveals that despite some differences in haplotype sharing and haplogroup structure, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots share primarily a common pre-Ottoman paternal ancestry

Comprehensive statistical analysis between Cyprus and countries of interest.

The genetic distances were calculated between Cypriots and countries of interest using the Arlequin software, providing information regarding their genetic differentiation. (XLSX)</p

Primer sequences which were used for Sanger Sequencing.

A combination of a forward and reverse primers from the table were used for a targeted sequencing for each hypervariable segment. (XLSX)</p

Y-haplogroup frequencies among Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Greeks and Turks.

<p>Population codes as in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0179474#pone.0179474.s012" target="_blank">S5 Table</a>.</p

Pairwise genetic distance (Rst) between Cypriots and populations from Southeast Europe, the Near East and North Africa.

<p>Pairwise genetic distance (Rst) between Cypriots and populations from Southeast Europe, the Near East and North Africa.</p

PCA plots based on Y-haplogroup frequencies showing relative genetic distances between Cypriots and surrounding populations.

<p>PCA plots based on Y-Haplogroup frequencies showing relative genetic distances between Cypriots, Greeks, Turks and other populations and sub-populations from the Central and Eastern Mediterranean and Near East regions (a), and after predicting the pre-Ottoman Y-haplogroup distribution of Cypriots, assuming no possible proto-Turkic admixture into Cyprus (b). Population codes as in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0179474#pone.0179474.s012" target="_blank">S5 Table</a>.</p

Number and percentage of individuals from Southeast Europe, the Near East and North Africa that share haplotypes^a with Cypriots.

<p>Number and percentage of individuals from Southeast Europe, the Near East and North Africa that share haplotypes<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0179474#t001fn001" target="_blank">^a</a> with Cypriots.</p