Microhaplotype insights into the population structure of seven ethnic minorities in Guizhou, China

Aim: This study aimed to elucidate the population genetic structure of seven ethnic groups in Guizhou Province, China - namely the Bouyei, Dong, Gelao, Miao, Han, Tujia, and Yi - by employing microhaplotypes as highly informative genetic markers. Methods: Thirty-three microhaplotype loci were genotyped using multiplex PCR amplification combined with next-generation sequencing. Based on the genotype data, a phylogenetic tree was constructed, and multidimensional scaling, principal component analysis, and population structure analysis were performed to comprehensively assess genetic diversity, population differentiation, and interpopulation relationships. Results: The analyses revealed a high degree of genetic affinity and frequent gene flow among the Guizhou populations. However, the Miao group exhibited relatively greater genetic differentiation compared with the other groups (pairwise Fst values ranging from 0.0023 to 0.0054), although the extent of this differentiation was modest. Conclusion: This study provides new insights into the complex population genetic architecture of ethnic minorities in Guizhou and further contributes to the regional microhaplotype genetic database.