Phylogenetic Analysis of JC Virus DNAs Detected in Ainus:

An Attempt to Elucidate the Origin and Diversity of the Ainu

Abstract

To elucidate the origin and diversity of the Ainu people, an indigenous population living on a northern island (Hokkaido) of Japan, we collected urine samples from 30 Ainus at three sites (Urakawa, Shiraoi, and Asahikawa), Hokkaido, Japan. We detected five genotypes of JCV: two (MX and MY-x) first identified in the Ainu and related to those prevalent in Japanese and Native Americans, two (EU-a/Arc and EU-c) previously identified in northeastern Siberians and an Arctic tribe, and one (MY-b) widespread among Hondo-Japanese (i.e. contemporary Japanese excluding Ainus). The following inference was made based on the present findings. (1) Multiple populations that migrated from the Asian Continent established the modern Ainu. (2) An ancestral population of the native northeastern Siberians who are closely related to Europeans formed the core of the modern Ainu. (3) Populations that formed Jomonese and novel northeastern populations also contributed to the formation of modern Ainu.