Remanescente de quilombolas de Alagoas: caracterização de linhagens mitocondriais da comunidade quilombola Tabuleiro dos Negros

Abstract

There are currently 65 communities of remnants of quilombolas in Alagoas already recognized by the Ministry of Culture. They are distributed throughout the state and are part of the historical and cultural heritage of Alagoas. In the present study, a genetic characterization of the population of Tabuleiro dos Negros (municipality of Penedo) was performed through the analysis of mtDNA polymorphisms (mitochondrial DNA) in order to contribute to the elucidation of aspects related to the history and demographic influences of population formation. of Quilombola communities in Alagoas. 59 individuals from the Tabuleiro dos Negros community were analyzed. DNA was obtained from cells of the oral mucosa. Genotyping was performed using the minisequencing technique with the SNAPshot kit. Eight polymorphisms that define haplogroups of African, Amerindian and European origin were analyzed. Five different haplogroups were observed, two of Amerindian origin (B and C), two of African origin (L3 and L(xL3) and the haplogroup R(xB) of European origin. The proportions of lineages by origin were: Amerindians, 25 .4%; Africans, 72.9%; and Europeans, 1.7%. Comparisons were made with two other Quilombola populations, Pau D'Arco and Bom Despacho, and with the non-Quilombola population of Alagoas, with significant genetic differentiation being observed in all comparisons. The results obtained show the existence of genetic heterogeneity among quilombola populations for mtDNA polymorphisms. This heterogeneity may be a reflection of the degree of isolation between these communities and the formation history of each. The proportion of African lineages in Tabuleiro dos Negros (72.9%) is higher than in non-quilombolas from Alagoas (44.8%), which supports the self-definition as an Afro-descendant population.