Worldwide distribution of NAT2 diversity: Implications for NAT2 evolutionary history

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The N-acetyltransferase 2 (<it>NAT2</it>) gene plays a crucial role in the metabolism of many drugs and xenobiotics. As it represents a likely target of population-specific selection pressures, we fully sequenced the <it>NAT2 </it>coding region in 97 Mandenka individuals from Senegal, and compared these sequences to extant data on other African populations. The Mandenka data were further included in a worldwide dataset composed of 41 published population samples (6,727 individuals) from four continental regions that were adequately genotyped for all common <it>NAT2 </it>variants so as to provide further insights into the worldwide haplotype diversity and population structure at <it>NAT2</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The sequencing analysis of the <it>NAT2 </it>gene in the Mandenka sample revealed twelve polymorphic sites in the coding exon (two of which are newly identified mutations, C345T and C638T), defining 16 haplotypes. High diversity and no molecular signal of departure from neutrality were observed in this West African sample. On the basis of the worldwide genotyping survey dataset, we found a strong genetic structure differentiating East Asians from both Europeans and sub-Saharan Africans. This pattern could result from region- or population-specific selective pressures acting at this locus, as further suggested in the HapMap data by extremely high values of <it>F</it>_STfor a few SNPs positions in the <it>NAT2 </it>coding exon (T341C, C481T and A803G) in comparison to the empirical distribution of <it>F</it>_STvalues accross the whole 400-kb region of the <it>NAT </it>gene family.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Patterns of sequence variation at <it>NAT2 </it>are consistent with selective neutrality in all sub-Saharan African populations investigated, whereas the high level of population differentiation between Europeans and East Asians inferred from SNPs could suggest population-specific selective pressures acting at this locus, probably caused by differences in diet or exposure to other environmental signals.</p

Le poids des mots, le choc des idées

Langaney André. Le poids des mots, le choc des idées. In: Mots, n°33, décembre 1992. «Sans distinction de ... race», sous la direction de Simone Bonnafous, Bernard Herszberg et Jean-Jacques Israel. pp. 165-171

Panmixie, « pangamie » et systèmes de croisement

La génétique de population, science qui a éprouvé des difficultés à se faire jour, a, dès le début de la revue Population, été présentée aux lecteurs, sous forme d'articles et de notes, en parti- culier du Dr. J. Sutter et de M. L. Tabah. Cette science de grand avenir est en train de préciser ses concepts et sa terminologie. Dans un article récent,M. A. Jacquard a fourni quelques précisions de langage concernant, entre autres, la panmixie. M. André Langaney, assistant agrégé au Centre de Recherches Anthropologiques, sous la direction du professeur Robert Gessain, directeur du Musée de l'Homme, analyse ici le contenu de la notion de panmixie, complétant le travail de M. Jacquard.Langaney André. Panmixie, « pangamie » et systèmes de croisement. In: Population, 24ᵉ année, n°2, 1969. pp. 301-308

Nécrologie - M. Jacques Gomila

Langaney André. Nécrologie - M. Jacques Gomila. In: Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d'anthropologie de Paris, XIII° Série. Tome 5 fascicule 2, 1978. pp. 103-105