Red Cell Phosphoglucomutase Polymorphism in Finland-Swedes, Finns, Finnish Lapps, Maris (Cheremisses) and Greenland Eskimos, and Segregation Studies of PGM1 Types in Lapp Families

Abstract

The phosphoglucomutase (PGM) phenotypes were determined in red cell lysates from 398 Finland-Swedes (Swedo-Finns), 406 Finns, 946 Lapps and 220 half-breed Lapps in Finland, 316 Maris (Cheremisses) in the Volga region (USSR), and 152 Eskimos of NW Greenland. The Swedish-speaking populations in Finland and the Finns showed very much the same PGM₁ gene frequencies as other north-European populations. The frequency of the PGM₁ allele shows a tendency to increase from south to north. With the exception of the Nellim Skolts, all the Lapp populations examined had a high frequency of the PGM²₁ gene. Among 441 Inari Fisher and Mountain Lapps the frequency of the PGM²₁ allele was the highest (0.54) so far noted in Europe. The Maris (Cheremisses) had a higher frequency (0.33) of the PGM²₁ genet han either central and south European populations or the linguistically related Finns. The Greenland Eskimos had a frequency of 0.35 of the PGM²₁ gene, which is considerably higher than the frequency noted among the Alaskan Eskimos and other Mongolian populations. At the PGM₁ locus none of the rare phenotypes were found. The ‘Palmer’ phenotype or PGM₂1–3 variant was incidentally found in a Finnish family. The distribution of the PGM₁ types was studied in 151 Lapp families and in 81 additional mothers and their children. These studies are further evidence of the fact that phosphoglucomutase may be of use not only for anthropogenetical studies, but also for medico-legal purposes.