Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The mitochondrial DNA with multiple copy number, maternal inheritance, high mutation rate, restructuring and other rare features, has important significance at levels of molecular ecology, molecular genetics, forensic and anthropological research.
OBJECTIVE: To comprehensively analyze mitochondrial DNA in the development of research methods, and to explore the application of anthropological research.
METHODS: With the key words of mitochondrial DNA, polymorphism, and haplogroup in English, a computer-based online search was conducted in Pubmed database from January 1999 to April 2009. Anthropology relevant articles were included, but animal experiments were excluded.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Among the first inspection of 235 documents, 33 met the inclusion criteria. Mitochondrial DNA characterized by multiple copy number, maternal inheritance, high mutation rate, and very few re-occurring features, thus by analyzing the scope and frequency of information, it could be used to infer the relationship between the different populations, as well as the reconstruction of mass incidents. Mitochondrial DNA variation information extraction method had experienced low RFLP, high-resolution RFLP, sequencing and RFLP and sequencing of hypervariable region. Mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms played an important role in interfering phylogenetic relationships, different groups of national origin and migration routes. Mitochondrial DNA database of various groups around the world did not restrict the full application in anthropology. Mathematical statistical model which was used to improve existing, build and enrich various groups of mitochondrial DNA database all over the world is the main direction for future research. Mitochondrial DNA is significance in molecular ecology, molecular genetics, forensic science and anthropology, as well as the study of tissue engineering, especially in the study of human origins and comparative phylogenetic relationships of different populations.