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Korolija M, Sukser V, Vlahoviček K. Mitochondrial point heteroplasmy: insights from deep-sequencing of human replicate samples. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:48. [PMID: 38200446 PMCID: PMC10782721 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-09963-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human mitochondrial heteroplasmy is an extensively investigated phenomenon in the context of medical diagnostics, forensic identification and molecular evolution. However, technical limitations of high-throughput sequencing hinder reliable determination of point heteroplasmies (PHPs) with minor allele frequencies (MAFs) within the noise threshold. RESULTS To investigate the PHP landscape at an MAF threshold down to 0.1%, we sequenced whole mitochondrial genomes at approximately 7.700x coverage, in multiple technical and biological replicates of longitudinal blood and buccal swab samples from 11 human donors (159 libraries in total). The results obtained by two independent sequencing platforms and bioinformatics pipelines indicate distinctive PHP patterns below and above the 1% MAF cut-off. We found a high inter-individual prevalence of low-level PHPs (MAF < 1%) at polymorphic positions of the mitochondrial DNA control region (CR), their tissue preference, and a tissue-specific minor allele linkage. We also established the position-dependent potential of minor allele expansion in PHPs, and short-term PHP instability in a mitotically active tissue. We demonstrate that the increase in sensitivity of PHP detection to minor allele frequencies below 1% within a robust experimental and analytical pipeline, provides new information with potential applicative value. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reliably show different mutational loads between tissues at sub-1% allele frequencies, which may serve as an informative medical biomarker of time-dependent, tissue-specific mutational burden, or help discriminate forensically relevant tissues in a single person, close maternal relatives or unrelated individuals of similar phylogenetic background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Korolija
- Biology and Fibres Department, Forensic Science Centre "Ivan Vučetić", Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia, Ilica 335, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Viktorija Sukser
- Biology and Fibres Department, Forensic Science Centre "Ivan Vučetić", Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia, Ilica 335, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Kristian Vlahoviček
- Bioinformatics group, Division of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac 102a, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
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Havaš Auguštin D, Šarac J, Reidla M, Tamm E, Grahovac B, Kapović M, Novokmet N, Rudan P, Missoni S, Marjanović D, Korolija M. Refining the Global Phylogeny of Mitochondrial N1a, X, and HV2 Haplogroups Based on Rare Mitogenomes from Croatian Isolates. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1614. [PMID: 37628665 PMCID: PMC10454736 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been used for decades as a predominant tool in population genetics and as a valuable addition to forensic genetic research, owing to its unique maternal inheritance pattern that enables the tracing of individuals along the maternal lineage across numerous generations. The dynamic interplay between evolutionary forces, primarily genetic drift, bottlenecks, and the founder effect, can exert significant influence on genetic profiles. Consequently, the Adriatic islands have accumulated a subset of lineages that exhibits remarkable absence or rarity within other European populations. This distinctive genetic composition underscores the islands' potential as a significant resource in phylogenetic research, with implications reaching beyond regional boundaries to contribute to a global understanding. In the initial attempt to expand the mitochondrial forensic database of the Croatian population with haplotypes from small isolated communities, we sequenced mitogenomes of rare haplogroups from different Croatian island and mainland populations using next-generation sequencing (NGS). In the next step and based on the obtained results, we refined the global phylogeny of haplogroup N1a, HV2, and X by analyzing rare haplotypes, which are absent from the current phylogenetic tree. The trees were based on 16 novel and 52 previously published samples, revealing completely novel branches in the X and HV2 haplogroups and a new European cluster in the ancestral N1a variant, previously believed to be an exclusively African-Asian haplogroup. The research emphasizes the importance of investigating geographically isolated populations and their unique characteristics within a global context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dubravka Havaš Auguštin
- Centre for Applied Bioanthropology, Institute for Anthropological Research, Ljudevita Gaja 32, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (D.H.A.)
- Institute for Anthropological Research, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Jelena Šarac
- Centre for Applied Bioanthropology, Institute for Anthropological Research, Ljudevita Gaja 32, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (D.H.A.)
- Institute for Anthropological Research, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Maere Reidla
- Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, 50090 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Erika Tamm
- Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, 50090 Tartu, Estonia
| | | | | | | | - Pavao Rudan
- Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Saša Missoni
- Institute for Anthropological Research, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, J. J. Strossmayer University, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
| | - Damir Marjanović
- Centre for Applied Bioanthropology, Institute for Anthropological Research, Ljudevita Gaja 32, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (D.H.A.)
- Institute for Anthropological Research, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Genetics and Bioengineering Department, International Burch University, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Marina Korolija
- Forensic Science Centre “Ivan Vučetić”, Ministry of the Interior, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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Abstract
This review paper covers the forensic-relevant literature in biological sciences from 2019 to 2022 as a part of the 20th INTERPOL International Forensic Science Managers Symposium. Topics reviewed include rapid DNA testing, using law enforcement DNA databases plus investigative genetic genealogy DNA databases along with privacy/ethical issues, forensic biology and body fluid identification, DNA extraction and typing methods, mixture interpretation involving probabilistic genotyping software (PGS), DNA transfer and activity-level evaluations, next-generation sequencing (NGS), DNA phenotyping, lineage markers (Y-chromosome, mitochondrial DNA, X-chromosome), new markers and approaches (microhaplotypes, proteomics, and microbial DNA), kinship analysis and human identification with disaster victim identification (DVI), and non-human DNA testing including wildlife forensics. Available books and review articles are summarized as well as 70 guidance documents to assist in quality control that were published in the past three years by various groups within the United States and around the world.
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Emery MV, Bolhofner K, Ghafoor S, Winingear S, Buikstra JE, Fulginiti LC, Stone AC. Whole mitochondrial genomes assembled from thermally altered forensic bones and teeth. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2021; 56:102610. [PMID: 34735939 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The recovery and analysis of genetic material obtained from thermally altered human bones and teeth are increasingly important to forensic investigations, especially in cases where soft-tissue identification is no longer possible. Although little is known about how these fire-related processes affect DNA degradation over time, next-generation sequencing technology in combination with traditional osteobiographical applications may provide us clues to these questions. In this study, we compare whole mitochondrial genome data generated using two different DNA extraction methods from 27 thermally altered samples obtained from fire victims (Maricopa County, Arizona) . DNA extracts were converted to double-stranded DNA libraries and enriched for whole mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) using synthetic biotinylated RNA baits, then sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq. We processed the mitochondrial data using an in-house computational pipeline (MitoPipe1.0) composed of ancient DNA and modern genomics applications, then compared the resulting information across the two extraction types and five burn categories. Our analysis shows that DNA fragmentation increases with temperature, but that the acute insult from fire combined with the lack of water is insufficient to produce 5' and 3' terminal deamination characteristic of ancient DNA. Our data also suggest an acute and significant point of DNA degradation between 350 °C and 550 °C, and that the likelihood of generating high quality mtDNA haplogroup calls decreases significantly at temperatures > 550 °C. This research is part of a concerted effort to understand how fire affects our ability to generate genetic profiles suitable for forensic identification purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M V Emery
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, United States; Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, United States.
| | - K Bolhofner
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, United States; Center for Bioarchaeology, Arizona State University, United States; Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner, Phoenix, AZ, United States; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, United States; School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University, United States
| | - S Ghafoor
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, United States; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, United States
| | - S Winingear
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, United States; Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, United States; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, United States
| | - J E Buikstra
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, United States; Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, United States; Center for Bioarchaeology, Arizona State University, United States; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, United States
| | - L C Fulginiti
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, United States; Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner, Phoenix, AZ, United States; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, United States
| | - A C Stone
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, United States; Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, United States; Center for Bioarchaeology, Arizona State University, United States.
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