Uneven Influx of European-Specific Alleles of SLC45A2, SLC24A5, TYRP1, DRD2, EDAR, and OCA2 Genes into the Gene Pool of the Koryaks

Abstract The distribution of alleles highly specific to Europeans in the Koryak gene pool, which formed as a result of intensive interethnic admixture in the Northern Priokhotie, characterized by the prevailing genetic contribution from males of Eastern European origin, was analyzed. The loci rs16891982 ( SLC45A2 gene), rs1426654 ( SLC24A5 gene), rs1408799 ( TYRP1 gene), rs1076563 ( DRD2 gene), rs3827760 ( EDAR gene), and rs1448485 ( OCA2 gene), which are mainly associated with the pigmentation system, were selected for analysis. High heterogeneity was found in the frequency of European-specific alleles, ranging from 1.4% for the variant rs1076563-C of the DRD2 gene to 14.7% for the variant rs1426654-A of the SLC24A5 gene. The reasons for the uneven influx of European-specific alleles into the Koryak gene pool are discussed. It is possible that the formation of genetic structure of modern Koryaks under intensive interethnic admixture was accompanied by the influence of natural selection on some parts of the genome.