Comparative Genomic and Transcriptomic Analyses Reveal the Impacts of Genetic Admixture in Kazaks, Uyghurs, and Huis

Abstract

Population admixture results in the combinations of genetic components derived from distinct ancestral populations, which may impact diversity at the genetic, transcriptomic, and phenotypic levels, as well as postadmixture adaptive evolution. Here, we systematically investigated the genomic and transcriptomic diversity in Kazaks, Uyghurs, and Huis—three admixed populations of various Eurasian ancestries living in Xinjiang, China. All three populations showed elevated genetic diversity and closer genetic distance compared with the reference populations across the Eurasian continent. However, we also observed differentiated genomic diversity and inferred different demographic histories among the three populations. Varying ancestry proportions observed in both the global and local aspects corresponded to the population-differentiated genomic diversity, with the most representative signals observed in the genes EDAR, SULT1C4, and SLC24A5. The varying local ancestry partly resulted from the postadmixture local adaptation, with the most significant signals observed in immunity- and metabolism-related pathways. Admixture-shaped genomic diversity further influenced the transcriptomic diversity in the admixed populations; in particular, population-specific regulatory effects were associated with immunity- and metabolism-involved genes such as MTHFR, FCER1G, SDHC, and BDH2. Furthermore, differentially expressed genes between the populations were identified, many of which could be explained by the population-specific regulatory properties, including genes related to health concerns (e.g., AHI1 between Kazak and Uyghurs [P < 6.92 × 10-5] and CTRC between Huis and Uyghurs [P < 2.32 × 10-4]). Our results demonstrate genetic admixture as a driving force in shaping the genomic and transcriptomic diversity of human populations.