A genomic tale of inbreeding in western Mediterranean human populations

Consanguineous marriages are common in many worldwide human populations, and the biological consequences for offspring can be relevant at the biomedical level. The current genomic revolution displayed through genome-wide studies is challenging the paradigm in the analysis of consanguinity. Here, we analyzed genomic inbreeding patterns in human populations located at the western edge of the Mediterranean region (Iberia and Morocco). Runs of Homozygosity (ROH) (autozygosity fragments) were identified in 139 autochthonous individuals originating from southern Iberia and Morocco via microarray data. All individuals analyzed carried at least one ROH in their genomes. The genomic inbreeding coefficient (F_ROH) and the presence of ROH islands (ROHi) revealed interesting patterns in the target populations as well as in the rest of the Mediterranean basin. Moroccan Berbers presented signals of recent inbreeding, relying on high coverage of long ROH (> 5 Mb) and F_ROH. The location and structure of ROHi among people in the western Mediterranean could be interpreted as a signature of common genetic links across the Strait of Gibraltar. We found a significant enrichment of some relevant biological functions in the estimated ROHi hotspots associated with the immune system and chemosensation. Genomic inbreeding approaches allow us to understand past population histories and can be used as a proxy to scan the genome in search of selection signals.