Studying polymorphic variants of the NAT2 gene (NAT2*5 and NAT2*7) in Nenets populations of Northern Siberia

BackgroundN-acetyltransferase 2 plays a crucial role in the metabolism of a wide range of xenobiotics, including many drugs, carcinogens, and other chemicals in the human environment. The article presents for the first time data on the frequency of two important “slow” variants ofNAT2gene(NAT2*5, rs1801280 andNAT2*7, rs1799931),which significantly affect the rate of xenobiotics acetylation, among representatives of indigenous populations of Forest and Tundra Nenets in Northern Siberia. The aim of this study was to identify the frequencies of these variants and compare them with frequencies in other ethnic populations.ResultsNAT2*5(T341C) genotyping revealed frequencies of 28,0% and 38,6% for Tundra and Forest Nenets, respectively. The frequencies ofNAT2*7(G857A) variant were 9,8% and 8,2% for Tundra and Forest Nenets, respectively. Polymorphic variants frequencies for Nenets are intermediate between those in populations of Europeans and Asians. These results can probably be explained by the presence of both European and Asian components in Nenets gene pools.ConclusionsThe results of this study expand the knowledge ofNAT2polymorphism in world populations. These data may also help assess the genetic predisposition of Nenets to multifactorial diseases associated with polymorphism in theNAT2gene and, in general, contribute to the development of personalized medicine in reference to native people of Siberia.