Caracterización genético molecular de habitantes de Caleta Paposo, último reducto Chango en Chile / Molecular and genetic characterization of Changos descendants living in Paposo Cove

RESUMO

Background: There are geographic and ethno historic evidences that relate Paposo cove, located 150 km south of the city of Antofagasta, with old fishermen-collector populations known as Changos, that lived in that zone in the XVII and XVIII centuries. Aim: To perform a genetic and molecular characterization of current Paposo inhabitants, through mitochondrial DNA polymorphism analysis and molecular analysis of classical ABO and Duffy blood groups. Material and methods: Forty unrelated individuals were studied. The presence of restriction polymorphisms that define A, B, C, and D Amerindian founder mitochondrial haplogroups was studied and molecular determination of classical blood groups were done by PCR. Results: One individual had A haplogroup (2.5 percent), 19 had B haplogroup (47.5 percent), six had C haplogroup (15 percent) and 11 had D haplogroup (27.5 percent). Three subjects (7.5 percent) did not have any of these haplogroups. Among ABO blood groups, the frequency of O101 allele was 0.39, that of allele O201 was 0.53 and that of A allele was 0.08. Duffy blood group frequencies were 0.58 for FY*A and 0.42 for FY*B. FY null allele was not found. Conclusions: The frequency distribution of Amerindian mitochondrial haplogroups in Paposo inhabitants suggest that these individuals are related with Aymara and Atacameño Amerindians that can be considered culturally and geographically close populations. This proposal is supported by the results of the molecular determination of classical blood groups. Our findings in Paposo cove may represent the distribution of these markers in Chango Indians, of whom there is limited physical evidence and that became extinct near 1890 (Rev Méd Chile 2004; 132 663-72).