Anneleen Van Geystelen

Seeing the wood for the trees: a minimal reference phylogeny for the human Y chromosome.

During the last few decades, a wealth of studies dedicated to the human Y chromosome and its DNA variation, in particular Y‐chromosome single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (Y‐SNPs), has led to the construction of a well‐established Y‐chromosome phylogeny. Since the recent advent of new sequencing technologies, the discovery of additional Y‐SNPs is exploding and their continuous incorporation in the phylogenetic tree is leading to an ever higher resolution. However, the large and increasing amount of information included in the “complete” Y‐chromosome phylogeny, which now already includes many thousands of identified Y‐SNPs, can be overwhelming and complicates its understanding as well as the task of selecting suitable markers for genotyping purposes in evolutionary, demographic, anthropological, genealogical, medical, and forensic studies. As a solution, we introduce a concise reference phylogeny whereby we do not aim to provide an exhaustive tree that includes all known Y‐SNPs but, rather, a quite stable reference tree aiming for optimal global discrimination capacity based on a strongly reduced set that includes only the most resolving Y‐SNPs. Furthermore, with this reference tree, we wish to propose a common standard for Y‐marker as well as Y‐haplogroup nomenclature. The current version of our tree is based on a core set of 417 branch‐defining Y‐SNPs and is available online at http://www.phylotree.org/Y.

The Y-Chromosome Tree Bursts into Leaf: 13,000 High-Confidence SNPs Covering the Majority of Known Clades

Many studies of human populations have used the male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) as a marker, but MSY sequence variants have traditionally been subject to ascertainment bias. Also, dating of haplogroups has relied on Y-specific short tandem repeats (STRs), involving problems of mutation rate choice, and possible long-term mutation saturation. Next-generation sequencing can ascertain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in an unbiased way, leading to phylogenies in which branch-lengths are proportional to time, and allowing the times-to-most-recent-common-ancestor (TMRCAs) of nodes to be estimated directly. Here we describe the sequencing of 3.7 Mb of MSY in each of 448 human males at a mean coverage of 51×, yielding 13,261 high-confidence SNPs, 65.9% of which are previously unreported. The resulting phylogeny covers the majority of the known clades, provides date estimates of nodes, and constitutes a robust evolutionary framework for analyzing the history of other classes of mutation. Different clades within the tree show subtle but significant differences in branch lengths to the root. We also apply a set of 23 Y-STRs to the same samples, allowing SNP- and STR-based diversity and TMRCA estimates to be systematically compared. Ongoing purifying selection is suggested by our analysis of the phylogenetic distribution of nonsynonymous variants in 15 MSY single-copy genes.

AMY-tree: an algorithm to use whole genome SNP calling for Y chromosomal phylogenetic applications

BackgroundDue to the rapid progress of next-generation sequencing (NGS) facilities, an explosion of human whole genome data will become available in the coming years. These data can be used to optimize and to increase the resolution of the phylogenetic Y chromosomal tree. Moreover, the exponential growth of known Y chromosomal lineages will require an automatic determination of the phylogenetic position of an individual based on whole genome SNP calling data and an up to date Y chromosomal tree.ResultsWe present an automated approach, ‘AMY-tree’, which is able to determine the phylogenetic position of a Y chromosome using a whole genome SNP profile, independently from the NGS platform and SNP calling program, whereby mistakes in the SNP calling or phylogenetic Y chromosomal tree are taken into account. Moreover, AMY-tree indicates ambiguities within the present phylogenetic tree and points out new Y-SNPs which may be phylogenetically relevant. The AMY-tree software package was validated successfully on 118 whole genome SNP profiles of 109 males with different origins. Moreover, support was found for an unknown recurrent mutation, wrong reported mutation conversions and a large amount of new interesting Y-SNPs.ConclusionsTherefore, AMY-tree is a useful tool to determine the Y lineage of a sample based on SNP calling, to identify Y-SNPs with yet unknown phylogenetic position and to optimize the Y chromosomal phylogenetic tree in the future. AMY-tree will not add lineages to the existing phylogenetic tree of the Y-chromosome but it is the first step to analyse whole genome SNP profiles in a phylogenetic framework.

Genetic genealogy comes of age: Perspectives on the use of deep-rooted pedigrees in human population genetics

In this article, we promote the implementation of extensive genealogical data in population genetic studies. Genealogical records can provide valuable information on the origin of DNA donors in a population genetic study, going beyond the commonly collected data such as residence, birthplace, language, and self-reported ethnicity. Recent studies demonstrated that extended genealogical data added to surname analysis can be crucial to detect signals of (past) population stratification and to interpret the population structure in a more objective manner. Moreover, when in-depth pedigree data are combined with haploid markers, it is even possible to disentangle signals of temporal differentiation within a population genetic structure during the last centuries. Obtaining genealogical data for all DNA donors in a population genetic study is a labor-intensive task but the vastly growing (genetic) genealogical databases, due to the broad interest of the public, are making this job more time-efficient if there is a guarantee for sufficient data quality. At the end, we discuss the advantages and pitfalls of using genealogy within sampling campaigns and we provide guidelines for future population genetic studies.

Recent radiation within Y-chromosomal haplogroup R-M269 resulted in high Y-STR haplotype resemblance.

Y‐chromosomal short tandem repeats (Y‐STRs) are often used in addition to Y‐chromosomal single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (Y‐SNP) to detect subtle patterns in a population genetic structure. There are, however, indications for Y‐STR haplotype resemblance across different subhaplogroups within haplogroup R1b1b2 (R‐M269) which may lead to erosion in the observation of the population genetic pattern. Hence the question arises whether Y‐STR haplotypes are still informative beyond high‐resolution Y‐SNP genotyping for population genetic studies. To address this question, we genotyped the Y chromosomes of more than 1000 males originating from the West‐European regions of Flanders (Belgium), North‐Brabant and Limburg (the Netherlands) at the highest resolution of the current Y‐SNP tree together with 38 commonly used Y‐STRs. We observed high resemblance of Y‐STR haplotypes between males belonging to different subhaplogroups of haplogroup R‐M269. Several subhaplogroups within R‐M269 could not be distinguished from each other based on differences in Y‐STR haplotype variation. The most likely hypothesis to explain this similarity of Y‐STR haplotypes within the population of R‐M269 members is a recent radiation where various subhaplogroups originated within a relatively short time period. We conclude that high‐resolution Y‐SNP typing rather than Y‐STR typing might be more useful to study population genetic patterns in (Western) Europe.

Towards a consensus Y-chromosomal phylogeny and Y-SNP set in forensics in the next-generation sequencing era

Currently, several different Y-chromosomal phylogenies and haplogroup nomenclatures are presented in scientific literature and at conferences demonstrating the present diversity in Y-chromosomal phylogenetic trees and Y-SNP sets used within forensic and anthropological research. This situation can be ascribed to the exponential growth of the number of Y-SNPs discovered due to mostly next-generation sequencing (NGS) studies. As Y-SNPs and their respective phylogenetic positions are important in forensics, such as for male lineage characterization and paternal bio-geographic ancestry inference, there is a need for forensic geneticists to know how to deal with these newly identified Y-SNPs and phylogenies, especially since these phylogenies are often created with other aims than to carry out forensic genetic research. Therefore, we give here an overview of four categories of currently used Y-chromosomal phylogenies and the associated Y-SNP sets in scientific research in the current NGS era. We compare these categories based on the construction method, their advantages and disadvantages, the disciplines wherein the phylogenetic tree can be used, and their specific relevance for forensic geneticists. Based on this overview, it is clear that an up-to-date reduced tree with a consensus Y-SNP set and a stable nomenclature will be the most appropriate reference resource for forensic research. Initiatives to reach such an international consensus are therefore highly recommended.

Genetic genealogy reveals true Y haplogroup of House of Bourbon contradicting recent identification of the presumed remains of two French Kings

Genetic analysis strongly increases the opportunity to identify skeletal remains or other biological samples from historical figures. However, validation of this identification is essential and should be done by DNA typing of living relatives. Based on the similarity of a limited set of Y-STRs, a blood sample and a head were recently identified as those belonging respectively to King Louis XVI and his paternal ancestor King Henry IV. Here, we collected DNA samples from three living males of the House of Bourbon to validate the since then controversial identification of these remains. The three living relatives revealed the Bourbon’s Y-chromosomal variant on a high phylogenetic resolution for several members of the lineage between Henry IV and Louis XVI. This ‘true’ Bourbon’s variant is different from the published Y-STR profiles of the blood as well as of the head. The earlier identifications of these samples can therefore not be validated. Moreover, matrilineal genealogical data revealed that the published mtDNA sequence of the head was also different from the one of a series of relatives. This therefore leads to the conclusion that the analyzed samples were not from the French kings. Our study once again demonstrated that in order to realize an accurate genetic identification of historical remains DNA typing of living persons, who are paternally or maternally related with the presumed donor of the samples, is required.

Microarray Analysis of Copy Number Variants on the Human Y Chromosome Reveals Novel and Frequent Duplications Overrepresented in Specific Haplogroups

Background The human Y chromosome is almost always excluded from genome-wide investigations of copy number variants (CNVs) due to its highly repetitive structure. This chromosome should not be forgotten, not only for its well-known relevance in male fertility, but also for its involvement in clinical phenotypes such as cancers, heart failure and sex specific effects on brain and behaviour. Results We analysed Y chromosome data from Affymetrix 6.0 SNP arrays and found that the signal intensities for most of 8179 SNP/CN probes in the male specific region (MSY) discriminated between a male, background signals in a female and an isodicentric male containing a large deletion of the q-arm and a duplication of the p-arm of the Y chromosome. Therefore, this SNP/CN platform is suitable for identification of gain and loss of Y chromosome sequences. In a set of 1718 males, we found 25 different CNV patterns, many of which are novel. We confirmed some of these variants by PCR or qPCR. The total frequency of individuals with CNVs was 14.7%, including 9.5% with duplications, 4.5% with deletions and 0.7% exhibiting both. Hence, a novel observation is that the frequency of duplications was more than twice the frequency of deletions. Another striking result was that 10 of the 25 detected variants were significantly overrepresented in one or more haplogroups, demonstrating the importance to control for haplogroups in genome-wide investigations to avoid stratification. NO-M214(xM175) individuals presented the highest percentage (95%) of CNVs. If they were not counted, 12.4% of the rest included CNVs, and the difference between duplications (8.9%) and deletions (2.8%) was even larger. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that currently available genome-wide SNP platforms can be used to identify duplications and deletions in the human Y chromosome. Future association studies of the full spectrum of Y chromosome variants will demonstrate the potential involvement of gain or loss of Y chromosome sequence in different human phenotypes.

A substantially lower frequency of uninformative matches between 23 versus 17 Y-STR haplotypes in north Western Europe

The analysis of human short tandem repeats of the Y-chromosome (Y-STRs) provides a powerful tool in forensic cases for male sex identification, male lineage identification and identification of the geographical origin of male lineages. As the commonly used 12 and 17 Y-STR multiplexes do not discriminate between some unrelated males, additional Y-STRs were implemented in the PowerPlex(®) Y23 System to supplement the existing commercial Y-STR kits. Until today, the forensic value of a (near) 23 versus 17 Y-STR haplotype match between an unknown DNA donor and a certain biological sample in a database is not yet well studied. This will be of huge interest for cases where an autosomal DNA profile yields no match to a DNA database and the database is used for familial searching (male relative(s) of the offender) or for the estimation of the geographical origin of the offender. In order to value (near) 23 Y-STR haplotype matches in a local sample from Western Europe, we selected the region of Flanders (Belgium) due to the already present knowledge on its Y-chromosomal variants. Many Y-chromosomes of this region were previously genotyped with Y-SNPs at a high resolution of the most recently updated Y-chromosomal tree and the deep-rooted genealogy of each DNA donor was already established. By comparing (near) matches of 23 versus 17 Y-STR haplotypes between patrilineal-unrelated males, a substantial lower number of uninformative (near) 23 Y-STR haplotype matches has been observed compared to 17 Y-STR haplotypes. Furthermore, the use of SNP data was informative to discriminate >60% of unrelated males with an (near) identical 17 Y-STR match while SNP data was only necessary to discriminate about 10% of unrelated males with a 23 Y-STR haplotype that differed at only two Y-STRs. This shows the higher value of the Y23 haplotype within familial DNA searching and the estimation of the geographical origin of a DNA donor. Therefore, the use of the PowerPlex(®) Y23 System instead of the commonly used 12 and 17 Y-STRs by the forensic community is recommended as it will increase the efficiency of Y-STRs in forensic casework.

In silico detection of phylogenetic informative Y-chromosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms from whole genome sequencing data

A state‐of‐the‐art phylogeny of the human Y‐chromosome is an essential tool for forensic genetics. The explosion of whole genome sequencing (WGS) data due to the rapid progress of next‐generation sequencing facilities is useful to optimize and to increase the resolution of the phylogenetic Y‐chromosomal tree. The most interesting Y‐chromosomal variants to increase the phylogeny are SNPs (Y‐SNPs) especially since the software to call them in WGS data and to genotype them in forensic assays has been optimized over the past years. The PENNY software presented here detects potentially phylogenetic interesting Y‐SNPs in silico based on SNP calling data files and classifies them into different types according to their position in the currently used Y‐chromosomal tree. The software utilized 790 available male WGS samples of which 172 had a high SNP calling quality. In total, 1269 Y‐SNPs potentially capable of increasing the resolution of the Y‐chromosomal phylogenetic tree were detected based on a first run with PENNY. Based on a test panel of 57 high‐quality and 618 low‐quality WGS samples, we could prove that these newly added Y‐SNPs indeed increased the resolution of the phylogenetic Y‐chromosomal analysis substantially. Finally, we performed a second run with PENNY whereby all samples including those of the test panel are used and this resulted in 509 additional phylogenetic promising Y‐SNPs. By including these additional Y‐SNPs, a final update of the present phylogenetic Y‐chromosomal tree which is useful for forensic applications was generated. In order to find more convincing forensic interesting Y‐SNPs with this PENNY software, the number of samples and variety of the haplogroups to which these samples belong needs to increase. The PENNY software (inclusive the user manual) is freely available on the website http://bio.kuleuven.be/eeb/lbeg/software.