Insight of the mitochondrial genomes of the Orang Asli and Malays: The heterogeneity and the disease-associated variants

Orang Asli are the oldest inhabitants in Peninsular Malaysia that forms as a national minority while the Malays are the majority. The study aimed to screen the mitochondrial genomes of the Orang Asli and the Malays to discover the disease-associated variants. A total of 99 Orang Asli from six tribes (Bateq, Cheq Wong, Orang Kanaq, Kensiu, Lanoh, and Semai) were recruited. Mitochondrial genome sequencing was conducted using a next-generation sequencing platform. Furthermore, we retrieved mitochondrial DNA sequences from the Malays for comparison. The clinical significance, pathogenicity prediction and frequency of variants were determined using online tools. Variants associated with mitochondrial diseases were detected in the 2 populations. A high frequency of variants associated with mitochondrial diseases, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and cervical cancer were detected in the Orang Asli and modern Malays. As medicine evolves to adopt prediction and prevention of diseases, this study highlights the need for intervention to adopt genomics medicine to strategise better healthcare management as a way forward for Precision Health.