Distribution of HLA haplotypes across Japanese Archipelago: similarity, difference and admixture

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region is the most polymorphic region in the human genome. The polymorphic nature of the HLA region is thought to have been shaped from balancing selection. The complex migration events during the Out-of-Africa expansion have influenced geographic patterns of HLA allele frequencies and diversities across present-day human populations. Differences in the HLA allele frequency may contribute geographic differences in the susceptibility to many diseases, such as infectious, autoimmune and metabolic diseases. Here we briefly reviewed characteristics of frequency distribution of HLA alleles and haplotypes in Japanese population. A large part of HLA alleles and haplotypes that are common in Japanese are shared with neighboring Asian populations. The differentiations in HLA alleles and haplotypes across Japanese regional populations may provide clues to model for peopling of Japanese Archipelago and for design of genetic association studies. Finally, we introduce recent topics that new HLA alleles derived from ancient admixtures with Neanderthals and Denisovans are thought to have played an important role in the adaptation of modern humans to local pathogens during Out-of-Africa expansion.