Mitochondrial DNA sequence variation in Greeks

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences were determined in 54 unrelated Greeks, coming from different regions in Greece, for both segments HVR-I and HVR-II. Fifty-two different mtDNA haplotypes were revealed, one of which was shared by three individuals. A very low heterogeneity was found among Greek regions. No one cluster of lineages was specific to individuals coming from a certain region. The average pairwise difference distribution showed a value of 7.599. The data were compared with that for other European or neighbor populations (British, French, Germans, Tuscans, Bulgarians, and Turks). The genetic trees that were constructed revealed homogeneity between Europeans. Median networks revealed that most of the Greek mtDNA haplotypes are clustered to the five known haplogroups and that a number of haplotypes are shared among Greeks and other European and Near Eastern populations.