Peopling of Myanmar as Demonstrated by Genotyping of Urinary JC Virus DNA

Abstract

The genotyping of urinary JC virus (JCV) DNAs is a novel means of elucidating the origin of ethnic populations. We adopted this method to gain insights into the peopling of Myanmar. JCV genotype profiles at two sites of Myanmar, Yangon facing the Andaman Sea and Peinnebeen located in the central part of Myanmar, were reported previously. In this study, we elucidated JCV genotype profiles at three other sites of Myanmar: Chaungtha Beach facing the Bay of Bengal, Myitkyina located near China and Tiddim located near India. From the JCV genotype profiles at the five sites elucidated here and previously, it is suggested that SC, the southeastern-Asian/southern-Chinese subtype, mainly occurrs throughout Myanmar, and that a few minor subtypes occur at southern and northern sites (Yangon, Chaungtha Beach and Myitkyina). Furthermore, using the whole-genome approach, we evaluated the phylogenetic relationships among various SC isolates detected in Myanmar and other countries. The results of this analysis revealed that SC diverged into various subgroups. Most were unique to Myanmar, while one was widespread in South China and southeastern Asia, including Myanmar. The present findings are consistent with the view that Myanmar was established by waves of human migration from neighboring regions.