Genetic profile and ancestral polymorphism research of the Guizhou Shui and Dong ethnic groups using a novel self-developed AIM-InDel panel.

Insertion or deletion (InDel), a genetic marker with short insertion/deletion fragment length polymorphism, is widely used in the field of forensic biological research. The Guizhou Shui (Shui) ethnic group and Guizhou Dong (Dong) ethnic group are located in the southwestern region of China, with rich historical and cultural background. In this study, a self-developed panel included 56 ancestry informative marker (AIM)-InDel loci on the autosomes, three InDel loci on the Y chromosome, and one sex-determined Amelogenin locus. Firstly, we used the 56 autosomal loci to assess the forensic individual identification and paternity testing abilities in both the Shui and Dong groups. The cumulative probability of match and probability of exclusion for the Shui and Dong groups were 2.228×10 and 0.991518139; 7.604×10 and 0.992253273, respectively. In addition, we also conducted in-depth analyses for the genetic backgrounds and structures of the Shui and Dong groups based on 56 AIM-InDel loci. This research has found that the Shui and Dong groups have close genetic relationships with the East Asian populations. Meanwhile, we also found that the Shui group has a close genetic distance with Chinese Dai in Xishuangbanna (CDX). These insights provide vital information for the genetic structures of the Shui and Dong groups, as well as basic population data and molecular biological evidence support for individual identification and biogeographic ancestry inference in forensic genetic field.