RETRACTED ARTICLE: Genetic Characterization of Wakhi People from Hunza Valley of Pakistan by employing Mitochondrial DNA Control Region

Marriam Jaffer, Muhammad Saqib Shahzad, Zia Ur Rahman, Azam Ali, Saeeda Kalsoom, Javed Iqbal Bajwa, Muhammad Farooq Sabar, Alamgir Alvi

Abstract


Background: Study of populations at genetic level marks high importance in terms of determination of population specific patterns. The study and analysis of population specific genetic patterns have wide ranging applications from medicine to forensic science. The study of mtDNA control regions gives the insight of maternal lineages of particular ethnic group and their evolutionary as well emigrational history. 

Methods: This research gives information of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes data of CR (control region) covering the area from 16024bp to 576bp of mitochondrial DNA of Wakhi population of Hunza valley from Pakistan. Samples of 40 unrelated Wakhi from upper Hunza were sequenced and their sequences encapsulating mtDNA control region was compared to rCRSs (revised Cambridge reference sequence) to see maternally inherited DNA variation at genetic level in this population.

Results: The results showed that all forty (40) haplotypes are unique. The haplotypes corresponded to 67.9% West Eurasian haplogroups followed by the Middle East and variety of Asian haplogroups exhibiting admixed maternal genetics of this population. Wakhi population comes with high genetic diversity (0.998) in turn lowest random match probability (0.026) and high power of discrimination (0.974).

Conclusion: This study gives interesting highlights important aspect of uni-parental genetics of Wakhi population and is also a contribution to mtDNA control region data of Pakistani populations for applications in criminal investigations.

Keywords: Forensic Science; Control region; Haplogroup; Genetic diversity 

Editorial Expression of Concern

20 June 2025: Following publication of this paper, the internal audit (consequent to concerns on quality raised by Web of Science) notified Advancements in Life Sciences about suspected plagiarism. By this Editorial Expression of Concern, we alert the scientific community of the errors as we reconcile the records.

Editorial Note

25 June 2025: While rerunning the Turnitin originality analysis, a similarity index of 28% was found for this article (7% from a single source). Editorial board of Advancements in Life Sciences has started the process of retracting this article due to the above post-publication findings. The process shall be concluded after registering responses from the authors. Meanwhile, full text of the article shall remain unavailable for citations (this notice has been updated following insights derived from relevant COPE cases and the industry standards). Show of cause notice has also been issued to the concerned editorial team member.

Retraction Note

22 July 2025: The Editor-in-Chief, upon the recommendation of the Inquiry Team, has retracted this article due to plagiarism. An internal audit revealed that several articles, including this one, exhibited a high similarity index without proper disclosure or attribution by the authors. This constitutes a breach of the journal’s editorial policy, and the article is therefore being retracted.

The authors have not responded to correspondence regarding this retraction.


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.62940/als.v9i1.887

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