1
|
Jansson L, Aili Fagerholm S, Börkén E, Hedén Gynnå A, Sidstedt M, Forsberg C, Ansell R, Hedman J, Tillmar A. Assessment of DNA quality for whole genome library preparation. Anal Biochem 2024; 695:115636. [PMID: 39111682 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2024.115636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, more sophisticated DNA technologies for genotyping have enabled considerable progress in various fields such as clinical genetics, archaeogenetics and forensic genetics. DNA samples previously rejected as too challenging to analyze due to low amounts of degraded DNA can now provide useful information. To increase the chances of success with the new methodologies, it is crucial to know the fragment size of the template DNA molecules, and whether the DNA in a sample is mostly single or double stranded. With this knowledge, an appropriate library preparation method can be chosen, and the DNA shearing parameters of the protocol can be adjusted to the DNA fragment size in the sample. In this study, we first developed and evaluated a user-friendly fluorometry-based protocol for estimation of DNA strandedness. We also evaluated different capillary electrophoresis methods for estimation of DNA fragmentation levels. Next, we applied the developed methodologies to a broad variety of DNA samples processed with different DNA extraction protocols. Our findings show that both the applied DNA extraction method and the sample type affect the DNA strandedness and fragmentation. The established protocols and the gained knowledge will be applicable for future sequencing-based high-density SNP genotyping in various fields.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Jansson
- National Forensic Centre, Swedish Police Authority, Linköping, Sweden; Applied Microbiology, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Emelie Börkén
- Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Arvid Hedén Gynnå
- National Forensic Centre, Swedish Police Authority, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Maja Sidstedt
- National Forensic Centre, Swedish Police Authority, Linköping, Sweden
| | | | - Ricky Ansell
- National Forensic Centre, Swedish Police Authority, Linköping, Sweden; Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Johannes Hedman
- National Forensic Centre, Swedish Police Authority, Linköping, Sweden; Applied Microbiology, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Andreas Tillmar
- Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden; Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhou H, Hu W, Zhang J, Ma T, Liu X, Yan J. A Lateral Flow Biosensor Based on Isothermal Amplification for Visual Identification of Species and Sex from Bloodstain. Anal Chem 2024. [PMID: 39031059 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c01623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
The prompt species identification from biological samples at a crime scene can rapidly filter out truly valuable biometric information for subsequent personal identification. Meanwhile, early sex determination can assist in narrowing the pool of suspects. However, the current methods for forensic DNA analysis, particularly in point-of-care scenarios, are often limited by the intricate equipment for signal generation and the laborious procedure for DNA purification. The present study introduces a novel portable lateral flow biosensor that possesses extraction-free and anti-aerosol characteristics for on-site determination of species and sex. The bloodstain can be directly submitted to loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for the analysis of both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. The incorporation of a lateral flow device with gold magnetic nanoparticle probes allows for visual interpretation of results through colorimetric signals while also preventing interference on result judgment from pigments such as hemoglobin. Carryover contamination, which is a disharmonious factor in LAMP, especially as the inherent contradiction derived from uncapping in the lateral flow strategy, has been effectively addressed through the integration of uracil DNA glycosylase without compromising the isothermy throughout the process. As a proof-of-concept experiment, species and sex can be accurately identified within 40 min from trace bloodstains amidst significant background interference by targeting cytochrome b and Y-chromosomal amelogenin. Furthermore, the single-blind study revealed a concordance rate of up to 100% in both simulative degraded and true dated bloodstains. This suggests that this biosensor has the potential to be utilized in forensic DNA analysis at crime scenes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huyun Zhou
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Jinzhong 030600, China
| | - Wenjing Hu
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Jinzhong 030600, China
| | - Jiaxing Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Ting Ma
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an 710068, China
| | - Xiaonan Liu
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Jinzhong 030600, China
| | - Jiangwei Yan
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Jinzhong 030600, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sliskovic L, Milos I, Zecic A, Kuret S, Sutlovic D. Does Sunlight Affect the Quality for Purposes of DNA Analysis of Blood Stain Evidence Collected from Different Surfaces? Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:888. [PMID: 39062667 PMCID: PMC11276042 DOI: 10.3390/genes15070888] [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: 06/11/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of sunlight on the degradation of DNA samples taken from blood stains from different types of surfaces. A blood sample obtained from a single male donor was placed on seven different surfaces (galvanized sheet, iron rod, newspaper, white printer paper, glass, soil, and ceramic panel). Samples were kept, during a 4-week summer period, in a room, but next to an open window. Every 7 days, 1 mm2 of blood sample was collected from each substrate and stored in labeled tube for later analysis. DNA was extracted with the Chelex method, amplified using AmpFISTRTM MinifilerTM Plus Amplification Kit, and quantified using a QuantifilerTM Human DNA Quantification kit. After 7 days of sun exposure, the highest DNA concentration was determined to be from the sample from a galvanized sheet stain, followed by, in order of decreasing concentration, the ceramic panel, glass, newspaper, iron rod, and white printer paper surface. As expected, the DNA concentration from all samples decreased as the sunlight exposure time progressed. The results obtained after the amplification in the MiniFilerTM system were in correlation with the DNA concentrations measured by the qPCR method for all samples, except for the glass, soil, and white printer paper samples. The obtained data show that DNA degradation is correlated to the length of sunlight exposure and to the type of surface the samples are collected from. A negative qPCR result does not mean negative PCR amplification in the STR system; therefore, both methods should be applied when analyzing forensic samples collected from trace evidence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Livia Sliskovic
- Department for Forensic Sciences, University of Split, 21 000 Split, Croatia; (L.S.); (A.Z.)
| | - Ivana Milos
- Department of Integrative Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Split, 21 000 Split, Croatia;
| | - Antonia Zecic
- Department for Forensic Sciences, University of Split, 21 000 Split, Croatia; (L.S.); (A.Z.)
| | - Sendi Kuret
- Department of Health Studies, University of Split, 21 000 Split, Croatia;
| | - Davorka Sutlovic
- Department of Health Studies, University of Split, 21 000 Split, Croatia;
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacogenetics, School of Medicine, University of Split, 21 000 Split, Croatia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sahajpal V, Bhandari D. DNA profiling in India: Addressing issues of sample preservation, databasing, marker selection, & statistical approaches. Sci Justice 2024; 64:389-396. [PMID: 39025564 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2024.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
DNA technology is the gold standard with respect to the identification of individuals from biological evidence. The technology offers the convenience of a universally similar approach and methodology for analysis across the globe. However, the technology has not realised its full potential in India due to the lack of a DNA database and lacunae in sample collection and preservation from the scene of crime and victims (especially those of sexual assault). Further, statistical interpretation of DNA results is non-existent in the majority of cases. Though the latest technologies and developments in the field of DNA analysis are being adopted and implemented,very little has been enacted practically to improve optimise sample collection and preservation. This article discusses current casework scenarios that highlight the pitfalls and ambiguous areas in the field of DNA analysis, especially with respect DNA databases, sampling, andstatistical approaches to genetic data analysis. Possible solutions and mitigation measures are suggested.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vivek Sahajpal
- State Forensic Science Laboratory, Directorate of Forensics Services, Junga-171218, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India.
| | - Deepika Bhandari
- Institute of Forensic Science, Mumbai-400032, Maharashtra, India
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Doniec A, Januła M, Sekuła A, Kowalczyk M, Ba G, Kupiec T. Validation process of automatic DNA extraction from bone material using a new advanced protocol for the EZ2 Connect instrument. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2024; 71:103054. [PMID: 38677037 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2024.103054] [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: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Identification of human remains using genetic methods is an important task of forensic science. DNA markers are proving essential in the identification of unknown human remains. However, environmental factors can lead to poor preservation of DNA, including in bone material. The aim of this study was therefore to compare two methods of DNA isolation from bone material: the traditional organic method and the new protocol using the EZ2 Connect instrument. The study involved three types of bone material, namely molars/premolars, petrous parts of the temporal bone and femurs, all with an estimated PMI of 70-80 years. Importantly, the biological material was obtained from three different environments, categorized as preserving, neutral and degrading, based on basic physico-chemical tests and the potential impact on the bone. The results obtained show that the DNA was best preserved in the petrous bone, followed by the teeth, and the femur. DNA extraction using the EZ2 Connect instrument with a new protocol gave slightly better results for the petrous bone, comparable results for the teeth and worse results for the femur compared to the organic method. Several protocol modifications were tested and optimal conditions for DNA isolation were proposed for the EZ2 protocol. Furthermore, the use of an automated method facilitated the effective accumulation of isolates and increased the chances of successful identification of unknown human remains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Doniec
- Forensic Genetics Section, Institute of Forensic Research, Westerplatte 9, Kraków 31-033, Poland
| | - Miłosz Januła
- Forensic Genetics Section, Institute of Forensic Research, Westerplatte 9, Kraków 31-033, Poland
| | - Andrzej Sekuła
- Forensic Genetics Section, Institute of Forensic Research, Westerplatte 9, Kraków 31-033, Poland
| | - Marek Kowalczyk
- Forensic Genetics Section, Institute of Forensic Research, Westerplatte 9, Kraków 31-033, Poland
| | - Grażyna Ba
- Forensic Genetics Section, Institute of Forensic Research, Westerplatte 9, Kraków 31-033, Poland
| | - Tomasz Kupiec
- Forensic Genetics Section, Institute of Forensic Research, Westerplatte 9, Kraków 31-033, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Harikai N, Takada Y, Saito M, Zaima K, Shinomiya K. Relationship Between Amplicon Size and Heat Conditions in Polymerase Chain Reaction Detection of DNA Degraded by Autoclaving. Biopreserv Biobank 2024; 22:268-274. [PMID: 37870764 DOI: 10.1089/bio.2023.0021] [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] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
This study examined the influence of heat exposure on DNA samples during polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection. In this study, λDNA samples, as model DNA, were exposed to 105°C for 3-90 minutes or to 105°C-115°C for 15 minutes by autoclaving. The exposed samples were subjected to real-time PCR using nine primer sets with amplicon sizes of 45-504 bp. Regarding DNA samples exposed to 105°C by autoclaving, the data showed negative correlations between the logarithm of λDNA concentration (log λDNA) calculated using real-time PCR and exposure duration and a good relationship between the slope of the regression line and amplicon size. Regarding λDNA samples exposed to heat for 15 minutes, the data showed negative correlations between the log λDNA and exposure temperature and a good relationship between the slope of the regression line and amplicon size. These results showed that the equations used in this study could predict the degree of degradation in λDNA samples by autoclaving, and the PCR detection levels of the DNA at each amplicon size.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Harikai
- School of Pharmacy, Nihon University, Funabashi, Japan
| | - Yuki Takada
- School of Pharmacy, Nihon University, Funabashi, Japan
| | - Misaki Saito
- School of Pharmacy, Nihon University, Funabashi, Japan
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Di Stefano B, Zupanič Pajnič I, Concato M, Bertoglio B, Calvano MG, Sorçaburu Ciglieri S, Bosetti A, Grignani P, Addoum Y, Vetrini R, Introna F, Bonin S, Previderè C, Fattorini P. Evaluation of a New DNA Extraction Method on Challenging Bone Samples Recovered from a WWII Mass Grave. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:672. [PMID: 38927608 PMCID: PMC11202841 DOI: 10.3390/genes15060672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Bones and teeth represent a common finding in ancient DNA studies and in forensic casework, even after a long burial. Genetic typing is the gold standard for the personal identification of skeletal remains, but there are two main factors involved in the successful DNA typing of such samples: (1) the set-up of an efficient DNA extraction method; (2) the identification of the most suitable skeletal element for the downstream genetic analyses. In this paper, a protocol based on the processing of 0.5 g of bone powder decalcified using Na2EDTA proved to be suitable for a semi-automated DNA extraction workflow using the Maxwell® FSC DNA IQ™ Casework Kit (Promega, Madison, WI, USA). The performance of this method in terms of DNA recovery and quality was compared with a full demineralisation extraction protocol based on Qiagen technology and kits. No statistically significant differences were scored according to the DNA recovery and DNA degradation index (p-values ≥ 0.176; r ≥ 0.907). This new DNA extraction protocol was applied to 88 bone samples (41 femurs, 19 petrous bones, 12 metacarpals and 16 molars) allegedly belonging to 27 World War II Italian soldiers found in a mass grave on the isle of Cres (Croatia). The results of the qPCR performed by the Quantifiler Human DNA Quantification kit showed values above the lowest Limit of Quantification (lLOQ; 23 pg/µL) for all petrous bones, whereas other bone types showed, in most cases, lower amounts of DNA. Replicate STR-CE analyses showed successful typing (that is, >12 markers) in all tests on the petrous bones, followed by the metacarpals (83.3%), femurs (52.2%) and teeth (20.0%). Full profiles (22/22 autosomal markers) were achieved mainly in the petrous bones (84.2%), followed by the metacarpals (41.7%). Stochastic amplification artefacts such as drop-outs or drop-ins occurred with a frequency of 1.9% in the petrous bones, whereas they were higher when the DNA recovered from other bone elements was amplified (up to 13.9% in the femurs). Overall, the results of this study confirm that petrous bone outperforms other bone elements in terms of the quantity and quality of the recovered DNA; for this reason, if available, it should always be preferred for genetic testing. In addition, our results highlight the need for accurate planning of the DVI operation, which should be carried out by a multi-disciplinary team, and the tricky issue of identifying other suitable skeletal elements for genetic testing. Overall, the results presented in this paper support the need to adopt preanalytical strategies positively related to the successful genetic testing of aged skeletal remains in order to reduce costs and the time of analysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Di Stefano
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (B.D.S.); (M.C.); (S.S.C.); (Y.A.); (R.V.); (S.B.); (P.F.)
| | - Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Monica Concato
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (B.D.S.); (M.C.); (S.S.C.); (Y.A.); (R.V.); (S.B.); (P.F.)
| | - Barbara Bertoglio
- Section of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (B.B.); (P.G.)
| | - Maria Grazia Calvano
- Section of Legal Medicine, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine (DIM), University-Hospital of Bari, Giulio Cesare Square 11, 70124 Bari, Italy; (M.G.C.); (F.I.)
| | - Solange Sorçaburu Ciglieri
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (B.D.S.); (M.C.); (S.S.C.); (Y.A.); (R.V.); (S.B.); (P.F.)
| | | | - Pierangela Grignani
- Section of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (B.B.); (P.G.)
| | - Yasmine Addoum
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (B.D.S.); (M.C.); (S.S.C.); (Y.A.); (R.V.); (S.B.); (P.F.)
| | - Raffaella Vetrini
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (B.D.S.); (M.C.); (S.S.C.); (Y.A.); (R.V.); (S.B.); (P.F.)
| | - Francesco Introna
- Section of Legal Medicine, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine (DIM), University-Hospital of Bari, Giulio Cesare Square 11, 70124 Bari, Italy; (M.G.C.); (F.I.)
| | - Serena Bonin
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (B.D.S.); (M.C.); (S.S.C.); (Y.A.); (R.V.); (S.B.); (P.F.)
| | - Carlo Previderè
- Section of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (B.B.); (P.G.)
| | - Paolo Fattorini
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (B.D.S.); (M.C.); (S.S.C.); (Y.A.); (R.V.); (S.B.); (P.F.)
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Rainey TA, Tryc EE, Nicholson KE. Comparing skin swabs, buccal swabs, and toe clips for amphibian genetic sampling, a case study with a small anuran ( Acris blanchardi). Biol Methods Protoc 2024; 9:bpae030. [PMID: 38818027 PMCID: PMC11139508 DOI: 10.1093/biomethods/bpae030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiple methods for collecting genetic samples from amphibians exist, each with their own implications for study design, animal welfare, and costs. Toe clipping is one common method, but there is ongoing debate regarding its potential detriment. Less invasive methods should be implemented, if efficacious, as amphibians are a particularly vulnerable vertebrate group. Skin and buccal swabbing are less invasive methods for genetic sampling, but the potential for contamination and a lower yield of DNA may exist. To compare these methods, we gathered skin swabs, buccal swabs, and toe clips from the same individuals of a relatively small anuran species, Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi). We then compared DNA yield, DNA purity, amplification success rate, and genotypic data quality among sample types. We found toe clips and buccal swabs generated similar DNA yield and purity, with skin swabs yielding significantly less DNA of significantly lower purity than the other sample types. Amplification success rate was significantly higher using toe clips compared to the other sample types, though buccal swab samples amplified more readily than skin swabs. Genotypic data from toe clips and buccal swabs did not differ significantly in quality, but skin swab data quality was significantly lowest among sample types. Thus, skin swabbing could produce erroneous data in some situations, but buccal swabbing is likely an effective substitute to toe clipping, even for small species. Our results can help future researchers select which genetic sampling method might best suit their research needs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Travis A Rainey
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, United States
| | - Emily E Tryc
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, United States
| | - Kirsten E Nicholson
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Chierto E, Aneli S, Nocco N, Riem A, Onofri M, Carnevali E, Robino C. Assessing DNA Degradation through Differential Amplification Efficiency of Total Human and Human Male DNA in a Forensic qPCR Assay. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:622. [PMID: 38790251 PMCID: PMC11120943 DOI: 10.3390/genes15050622] [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: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The assessment of degradation is crucial for the analysis of human DNA samples isolated from forensic specimens. Forensic quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays can include multiple targets of varying amplicon size that display differential amplification efficiency, and thus different concentrations, in the presence of degradation. The possibility of deriving information on DNA degradation was evaluated in a forensic qPCR assay not specifically designed to detect DNA fragmentation, the Plexor HY (Promega), by calculating the ratio between the estimated concentrations of autosomal (99 bp) and Y-chromosomal (133 bp) targets ("[Auto]/[Y]"). The [Auto]/[Y] ratio measured in 57 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples was compared to a quality score (QS) calculated for corresponding STR profiles using quantitative data (allele peak height). A statistically significant inverse correlation was observed between [Auto]/[Y] and QS (R = -0.65, p < 0.001). The [Auto]/[Y] values were highly correlated (R = 0.75, p < 0.001) with the "[Auto]/[D]" values obtained using the PowerQuant (Promega) assay, expressly designed to detect DNA degradation through simultaneous quantification of a short (Auto) and a long (D) autosomal target. These results indicate that it is possible to estimate DNA degradation in male samples through Plexor HY data and suggest an alternative strategy for laboratories lacking the equipment required for the assessment of DNA integrity through dedicated qPCR assays.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Chierto
- Department of Public Health Sciences and Pediatrics, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Serena Aneli
- Department of Public Health Sciences and Pediatrics, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Nicola Nocco
- Department of Public Health Sciences and Pediatrics, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Alessia Riem
- Department of Public Health Sciences and Pediatrics, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Martina Onofri
- Forensic Sciences Laboratory, Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Santa Maria Hospital, University of Perugia, 05100 Terni, Italy (E.C.)
- Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Eugenia Carnevali
- Forensic Sciences Laboratory, Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Santa Maria Hospital, University of Perugia, 05100 Terni, Italy (E.C.)
| | - Carlo Robino
- Department of Public Health Sciences and Pediatrics, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Goray M, Taylor D, Bibbo E, Fantinato C, Fonneløp AE, Gill P, van Oorschot RAH. Emerging use of air eDNA and its application to forensic investigations - A review. Electrophoresis 2024; 45:916-932. [PMID: 38419135 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202300228] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Biological material is routinely collected at crime scenes and from exhibits and is a key type of evidence during criminal investigations. Improvements in DNA technologies allow collection and profiling of trace samples, comprised of few cells, significantly expanding the types of exhibits targeted for DNA analysis to include touched surfaces. However, success rates from trace and touch DNA samples tend to be poorer compared to other biological materials such as blood. Simultaneously, there have been recent advances in the utility of environmental DNA collection (eDNA) in identification and tracking of different biological organisms and species from bacteria to naked mole rats in different environments, including, soil, ice, snow, air and aquatic. This paper examines the emerging methods and research into eDNA collection, with a special emphasis on the potential forensic applications of human DNA collection from air including challenges and further studies required to progress implementation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariya Goray
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Duncan Taylor
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Forensic Science SA, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Emily Bibbo
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Chiara Fantinato
- Forensic Genetics Research Group, Department of Forensic Sciences, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ane Elida Fonneløp
- Forensic Genetics Research Group, Department of Forensic Sciences, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Peter Gill
- Forensic Genetics Research Group, Department of Forensic Sciences, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Roland A H van Oorschot
- Victoria Police Forensic Services Department, Office of Chief Forensic Scientist, Macleod, Victoria, Australia
- School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Otagiri T, Sato N, Shiozaki T, Harayama Y, Matsumoto M, Kobayashi K, Asamura H. An optimal skeletal element for DNA testing: Evaluation of DNA quantity and quality from various bone types in routine forensic practice. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2024; 68:102415. [PMID: 38280273 DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2024.102415] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
For human identification, the quality and quantity of DNA must be sufficient for amplification and analysis. When DNA extraction from bone tissues and teeth is required, the optimal skeletal elements should be selected as samples for DNA extraction because DNA yield differs among elements. Recently, some studies have reported that a high quantity of high-quality DNA can be extracted from the small cancellous bones of the hands and feet. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of small cancellous bones in the human identification of skeletal remains in routine forensic genetic casework. Cancellous bones [phalanges, (meta)carpal bones, and (meta)tarsal bones)] and the cortical bones (femur and petrous bones) and teeth, which have generally been recommended as samples, were collected from the same individuals that needed identifying using DNA analysis in our laboratory. The quantity of DNA from small cancellous bones tended to be higher than that from cortical bones, and the quality from the former was as high as that from the latter. This study showed that in routine forensic casework, the small cancellous bones of the hands and feet should be actively selected as samples for DNA testing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Otagiri
- Department of Legal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan.
| | - Noriko Sato
- Department of Legal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan.
| | - Tetsuya Shiozaki
- Department of Legal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan.
| | - Yuta Harayama
- Department of Legal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan.
| | - Momoe Matsumoto
- Department of Legal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan.
| | - Kanya Kobayashi
- Department of Legal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan.
| | - Hideki Asamura
- Department of Legal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Worrapitirungsi W, Sathirapatya T, Sukawutthiya P, Vongpaisarnsin K, Varrathyarom P. Assessing the feasibility of free DNA for disaster victim identification and forensic applications. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5411. [PMID: 38443390 PMCID: PMC10914783 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53040-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
In tropical disaster victim identification (DVI) scenarios, challenging environmental conditions lead to accelerated DNA degradation in remains. To further enhance the utilization of leached DNA from tissue in the preservative solution (termed "free DNA") as an alternative source, we incorporated new results by assessing its integrity in postmortem and decomposing cadavers preserved in DNA/RNA Shield™ and modified TENT, with silica-based purification (QIAquick®) for faster processing. The psoas muscle tissues of one decomposed and ten cadavers were preserved in each solution at 25 °C and 35 °C for 3 months. Free DNA efficiency was compared with individual reference samples for reliable results in quantity, quality, and STR profiles. The findings revealed that DNA/RNA Shield™ effectively preserves free DNA integrity for extended storage, while modified TENT is more suitable for short-term storage due to higher degradation levels. Moreover, the use of free DNA samples with massive parallel sequencing displays potential for forensic DNA analysis. Successful amplification of the mtDNA control region enables variant calling and heteroplasmy analysis while also serving as quality control using ACTB and enabling differentiation within the 16S rRNA region for microbiome analysis. The simplicity of handling free DNA for PCR-based forensic analysis adds to its potential for various applications, including DVI and field-based analysis of biological evidence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wikanda Worrapitirungsi
- Forensic Genetics Research Unit, Ratchadapiseksompotch Fund, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Tikumphorn Sathirapatya
- Forensic Genetics Research Unit, Ratchadapiseksompotch Fund, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Poonyapat Sukawutthiya
- Forensic Genetics Research Unit, Ratchadapiseksompotch Fund, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kornkiat Vongpaisarnsin
- Forensic Genetics Research Unit, Ratchadapiseksompotch Fund, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Forensic Serology and DNA, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital and Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Pagparpat Varrathyarom
- Forensic Genetics Research Unit, Ratchadapiseksompotch Fund, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Forensic Serology and DNA, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital and Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Chen X, Xu H, Cui W, Zhao M, Zhu B. Systematical explorations of forensic feature and population genetic diversity of the Chinese Mongolian group from northwest China via a self-constructed Multi-InDel panel. Forensic Sci Res 2024; 9:owad047. [PMID: 38560582 PMCID: PMC10981549 DOI: 10.1093/fsr/owad047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the genetic polymorphisms and population characteristics of Chinese Mongolian group from northwest China (NCM) through a self-developed panel including 43 autosomal insertion/deletion (A-InDel) polymorphism genetic markers. Herein, 288 unrelated healthy individuals from the NCM group were employed to obtain the genetic data of 43 A-InDels through multiplex PCR amplification and InDel genotyping using capillary electrophoresis platform. In addition, multiplex population genetic analyses were performed between the NCM group and 27 reference populations. There were no deviations at 43 loci from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the NCM group. The observed heterozygosity (Ho) values ranged from 0.312 8 to 0.559 2, and the combined power of discrimination (CPD) and cumulative probability of exclusion (CPE) values in the NCM group were 0.999 999 999 999 999 998 77 and 0.999 814, respectively. The forensic parameter values indicated that this panel was polymorphic and informative in the NCM group and could be used as an effective tool for forensic personal identification. Furthermore, the results of pairwise genetic distances, principal component analysis, multidimensional scaling analysis, phylogenetic tree construction, and admixture analysis among the NCM group and 27 reference populations revealed that there were closer genetic relationships between the NCM group and East Asian populations, especially Chinese Hui group (CHH) from the northwest China, which is consistent with the geographical location. These present findings contributed to the ongoing genetic explorations and insights into the genetic architecture of the NCM group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuebing Chen
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui Xu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Cui
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ming Zhao
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bofeng Zhu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi'an, China
- Clinical Research Center of Shaanxi Province for Dental and Maxillofacial Diseases, College of Stomatology, Xi'an, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Shahzad M, De Maeyer H, Salih GA, Nilsson M, Haratourian A, Shafique M, Shahid AA, Allen M. Evaluation of Storage Conditions and the Effect on DNA from Forensic Evidence Objects Retrieved from Lake Water. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:279. [PMID: 38540338 PMCID: PMC10969804 DOI: 10.3390/genes15030279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA analysis of traces from commonly found objects like knives, smartphones, tapes and garbage bags related to crime in aquatic environments is challenging for forensic DNA laboratories. The amount of recovered DNA may be affected by the water environment, time in the water, method for recovery, transport and storage routines of the objects before the objects arrive in the laboratory. The present study evaluated the effect of four storage conditions on the DNA retrieved from bloodstains, touch DNA, fingerprints and hairs, initially deposited on knives, smartphones, packing tapes, duct tapes and garbage bags, and submerged in lake water for three time periods. After retrieval, the objects were stored either through air-drying at room temperature, freezing at -30 °C, in nitrogen gas or in lake water. The results showed that the submersion time strongly influenced the amount and degradation of DNA, especially after the longest submersion time (21 days). A significant variation was observed in success for STR profiling, while mtDNA profiling was less affected by the submersion time interval and storage conditions. This study illustrates that retrieval from water as soon as possible and immediate storage through air-drying or freezing before DNA analysis is beneficial for the outcome of DNA profiling in crime scene investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Shahzad
- Forensic DNA Typing Laboratory, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore 53700, Pakistan; (M.S.)
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden (G.A.S.); (M.N.)
- Centre for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore 53700, Pakistan
| | - Hanne De Maeyer
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden (G.A.S.); (M.N.)
| | - Ghassan Ali Salih
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden (G.A.S.); (M.N.)
| | - Martina Nilsson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden (G.A.S.); (M.N.)
| | - Anastasia Haratourian
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden (G.A.S.); (M.N.)
| | - Muhammad Shafique
- Forensic DNA Typing Laboratory, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore 53700, Pakistan; (M.S.)
| | - Ahmad Ali Shahid
- Forensic DNA Typing Laboratory, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore 53700, Pakistan; (M.S.)
| | - Marie Allen
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden (G.A.S.); (M.N.)
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Sun X, Guo N, Gao J, Xiao N. Using eDNA to survey amphibians: Methods, applications, and challenges. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024; 121:456-471. [PMID: 37986625 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28592] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, environmental DNA (eDNA) has received attention from biologists due to its sensitivity, convenience, labor and material efficiency, and lack of damage to organisms. The extensive application of eDNA has opened avenues for the monitoring and biodiversity assessment of amphibians, which are frequently small and difficult to observe in the field, in areas such as biodiversity survey assessment and detection of specific, rare and threatened, or alien invasive species. However, the accuracy of eDNA can be influenced by factors such as ambient temperature, pH, and false positives or false negatives, which makes eDNA an adjunctive tool rather than a replacement for traditional surveys. This review provides a concise overview of the eDNA method and its workflow, summarizes the differences between applying eDNA for detecting amphibians and other organisms, reviews the research progress in eDNA technology for amphibian monitoring, identifies factors influencing detection efficiency, and discusses the challenges and prospects of eDNA. It aims to serve as a reference for future research on the application of eDNA in amphibian detection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxuan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ningning Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
- Collage of Forestry, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong, China
| | - Nengwen Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Nunes JS, Pimentel-Vera LN, Silva SB, de Bem Prunes B, Rados PV, Visioli F. Comparison of different DNA preservation solutions for oral cytological samples. Arch Oral Biol 2024; 158:105867. [PMID: 38056230 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2023.105867] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to compare the DNA preservation capacity of buccal mucosa exfoliated cells when stored in different solutions under varying time and temperature conditions. DESIGN DNA preservation solutions, including Dimethyl sulphoxide disodium-EDTA-saturated NaCl (DESS), Tris-EDTA-NaCl-Tween20 buffer (TENT), Nucleic Acid Preservation Buffer (NAP), and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), were prepared. Buccal mucosa cells from a single patient were collected, dispensed into these solutions, and stored at room temperature (RT) and 4 °C for 24 h, 72 h, 30 days, 90 days, and 180 days. DNA was extracted using the salting-out method and the QIAamp DNA Mini Kit. DNA concentration and purity were determined using the QuBit device and NanoDrop, while DNA integrity was assessed using the Agilent 4200 TapeStation system. The ability to amplify the IFNA primer was also evaluated by PCR. RESULTS The salting-out method yielded better concentration and purity results, with PBS, TENT, and DESS buffers demonstrating superior concentration values when stored at 4 °C, resulting in mean values exceeding 10 ng/μL for up to 30 days. DESS consistently exhibited the best integrity values over time for both temperature conditions. Amplification capacity was enhanced when samples were stored at 4 °C. When stored at RT, PBS achieved 100% amplification within 24 h. NAP yielded the poorest results. CONCLUSION In the context of long-term preservation, the DESS buffer emerges as the most effective solution, maintaining requisite DNA quality and quantity standards for up to 30 days at RT and up to 3 months at 4 °C.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Silveira Nunes
- Department of Oral Pathology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Sabrina Barcelos Silva
- Department of Oral Pathology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Bianca de Bem Prunes
- Department of Oral Pathology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Pantelis Varvaki Rados
- Department of Oral Pathology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Visioli
- Department of Oral Pathology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Experimental Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Lee JM, Park SU, Lee SD, Lee HY. Application of array-based age prediction models to post-mortem tissue samples. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2024; 68:102940. [PMID: 37857127 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2023.102940] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Since DNA methylation at specific CpG sites exhibits a strong age association, researchers have developed numerous age prediction models based on the methylation BeadChip array. These models harness epigenetic clocks that hold the potential to narrow down the search range for unknown suspects and unidentified victims. This study collected 180 post-mortem tissue samples comprising nine tissue types (blood, brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney, muscle, epidermis, and dermis) from autopsies of 20 Koreans aged 18-78. Subsequently, DNA methylation profiling was conducted using the Infinium MethylationEPIC array. We tested several array-based age prediction models using the data obtained from various tissues. The pan-tissue clock exhibited a moderately accurate prediction across all nine tissue types (MAE = 8.7 years, r = 0.88). Notably, the DNAm ages of the Hannum clock, the skin & blood clock, and the Zhang clock strongly correlated with the actual age in blood samples (MAE < approximately 5 years, r > 0.9). PhenoAge yielded an MAE of 10.1 years and an r-value of 0.92. The muscle-specific epigenetic clock, the MEAT package, demonstrated high prediction accuracy in muscle samples (MAE = 4.7 years, r = 0.93). Those previously reported array-based age prediction models were mainly constructed in Europeans but performed well in Koreans. In addition, tests involving various quantities of DNA and fragmented DNA have shown that DNA quantity and quality affected methylation measurements and age prediction results. However, robust age prediction models exist under low amounts of DNA and fragmented DNA conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeong Min Lee
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sang Un Park
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Soong Deok Lee
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Institute of Forensic and Anthropological Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hwan Young Lee
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Institute of Forensic and Anthropological Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Naue J, Xavier C, Hörer S, Parson W, Lutz-Bonengel S. Assessment of mitochondrial DNA copy number variation relative to nuclear DNA quantity between different tissues. Mitochondrion 2024; 74:101823. [PMID: 38040171 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2023.11.006] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA is a widely tested genetic marker in various fields of research and diagnostics. Nonetheless, there is still little understanding on its abundance and quality within different tissues. Aiming to obtain deeper knowledge about the content and quality of mtDNA, we investigated nine tissues including blood, bone, brain, hair (root and shaft), cardiac muscle, liver, lung, skeletal muscle, and buccal mucosa of 32 deceased individuals using two real-time quantitative PCR-based assays with differently sized mtDNA and nDNA targets. The results revealed that the quantity of nDNA is a weak surrogate to estimate mtDNA quantities among tissues of an individual, as well as tissues across individuals. Especially hair showed extreme variation, depicting a range of multiple magnitudes of mtDNA molecules per hair fragment. Furthermore, degradation can lead to fewer fragments being available for PCR. The results call for parallel determination of the quantity and quality of mtDNA prior to downstream genotyping assays.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jana Naue
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Albertstrasse 9, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - Catarina Xavier
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Muellerstrasse 44, Innsbruck 6020, Austria; i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Steffen Hörer
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Albertstrasse 9, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - Walther Parson
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Muellerstrasse 44, Innsbruck 6020, Austria; Forensic Science Program, The Pennsylvania State University, USA.
| | - Sabine Lutz-Bonengel
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Albertstrasse 9, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Nabbout AE, Ferguson LV, Miyashita A, Adamo SA. Female ticks (Ixodes scapularis) infected with Borrelia burgdorferi have increased overwintering survival, with implications for tick population growth. INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 30:1798-1809. [PMID: 37147777 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The tick, Ixodes scapularis, vectors pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Over the last few decades I. scapularis has expanded its range, introducing a novel health threat into these areas. Warming temperatures appear to be one cause of its range expansion to the north. However, other factors are also involved. We show that unfed adult female ticks infected with B. burgdorferi have greater overwintering survival than uninfected female ticks. Locally collected adult female ticks were placed in individual microcosms and allowed to overwinter in both forest and dune grass environments. In the spring we collected the ticks and tested both dead and living ticks for B. burgdorferi DNA. Infected ticks had greater overwintering survival compared with uninfected ticks every winter for three consecutive winters in both forest and dune grass environments. We discuss the most plausible explanations for this result. The increased winter survival of adult female ticks could enhance tick population growth. Our results suggest that, in addition to climate change, B. burgdorferi infection itself may be promoting the northern range expansion of I. scapularis. Our study highlights how pathogens could work synergistically with climate change to promote host range expansion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amal El Nabbout
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Laura V Ferguson
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | | | - Shelley A Adamo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Haarkötter C, Saiz M, Gálvez X, Vinueza-Espinosa DC, Medina-Lozano MI, Lorente JA, Álvarez JC. Performance comparison of four qPCR and three autosomal STR commercial kits from degraded skeletal remains. Forensic Sci Int 2023; 353:111856. [PMID: 37863006 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111856] [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: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
This research evaluates the current DNA quantification (Quantifiler™ Trio, PowerQuant®, Investigator® Quantiplex® Pro and InnoQuant® HY Fast) and autosomal STRs amplification kits (GlobalFiler™, PowerPlex® Fusion 6 C, Investigator® 24Plex QS) using 62 degraded skeletal remains from armed conflicts (petrous bone, femur, tibia, and tooth) with several parameters (autosomal small, large, and male target, degradation index, probability of degradation, number of alleles above analytical threshold, number of alleles above stochastic threshold, RFU, peak height ratio, number of reportable loci). The best qPCR/autosomal STRs amplification tandem was determined by comparing quantification results by a DNA quantity estimation based on sample average RFU. InnoQuant® HY Fast was the most sensitive kit, and no significative differences were observed among amplification kits; however, Investigator® 24 Plex QS was found to be the most sensitive in our samples. That is why InnoQuant™ and Investigator® 24Plex QS were determined to be the best tandem.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Haarkötter
- University of Granada, Laboratory of Genetic Identification. Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Avd. de la Investigación 11- 18016 - PTS, Granada, Spain
| | - María Saiz
- University of Granada, Laboratory of Genetic Identification. Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Avd. de la Investigación 11- 18016 - PTS, Granada, Spain.
| | - Xiomara Gálvez
- University of Granada, Laboratory of Genetic Identification. Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Avd. de la Investigación 11- 18016 - PTS, Granada, Spain
| | - Diana C Vinueza-Espinosa
- University of Granada, Laboratory of Genetic Identification. Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Avd. de la Investigación 11- 18016 - PTS, Granada, Spain
| | - María Isabel Medina-Lozano
- University of Granada, Laboratory of Genetic Identification. Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Avd. de la Investigación 11- 18016 - PTS, Granada, Spain
| | - José Antonio Lorente
- University of Granada, Laboratory of Genetic Identification. Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Avd. de la Investigación 11- 18016 - PTS, Granada, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Álvarez
- University of Granada, Laboratory of Genetic Identification. Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Avd. de la Investigación 11- 18016 - PTS, Granada, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Lan Q, Lin Y, Wang X, Yuan X, Shen C, Zhu B. Targeted sequencing of high-density SNPs provides an enhanced tool for forensic applications and genetic landscape exploration in Chinese Korean ethnic group. Hum Genomics 2023; 17:107. [PMID: 38008719 PMCID: PMC10680316 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-023-00541-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In this study, we present a NGS-based panel designed for sequencing 1993 SNP loci for forensic DNA investigation. This panel addresses unique challenges encountered in forensic practice and allows for a comprehensive population genetic study of the Chinese Korean ethnic group. To achieve this, we combine our results with datasets from the 1000 Genomes Project and the Human Genome Diversity Panel. RESULTS We demonstrate that this panel is a reliable tool for individual identification and parentage testing, even when dealing with degraded DNA samples featuring exceedingly low SNP detection rates. The performance of this panel for complex kinship determinations, such as half-sibling and grandparent-grandchild scenarios, is also validated by various kinship simulations. Population genetic studies indicate that this panel can uncover population substructures on both global and regional scales. Notably, the Han population can be distinguished from the ethnic minorities in the northern and southern regions of East Asia, suggesting its potential for regional ancestry inference. Furthermore, we highlight that the Chinese Korean ethnic group, along with various Han populations from different regional areas and certain northern ethnic minorities (Daur, Tujia, Japanese, Mongolian, Xibo), exhibit a higher degree of genetic affinities when examined from a genomic perspective. CONCLUSION This study provides convincing evidence that the NGS-based panel can serve as a reliable tool for various forensic applications. Moreover, it has helped to enhance our knowledge about the genetic landscape of the Chinese Korean ethnic group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Lan
- Microbiome Medicine Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yifeng Lin
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xi Wang
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xi Yuan
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunmei Shen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Bofeng Zhu
- Microbiome Medicine Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Grignani P, Visonà SD, Fronda MV, Borrelli P, Monti MC, Bertoglio B, Conti A, Fattorini P, Previderè C. The role of single nucleotide polymorphisms related to iron homeostasis in mesothelioma susceptibility after asbestos exposure: a genetic study on autoptic samples. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1236558. [PMID: 37942251 PMCID: PMC10628177 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1236558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Asbestos-related diseases still represent a major public health problem all over the world. Among them, malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a poor-prognosis cancer, arising from the serosal lining of the pleura, pericardium and peritoneum, triggered by asbestos exposure. Literature data suggest the key role of iron metabolism in the coating process leading to the formation of asbestos bodies, considered to be both protective and harmful. Two sample sets of individuals were taken into consideration, both residing in Broni or neighboring cities (Northwestern Italy) where an asbestos cement factory was active between 1932 and 1993. The present study aims to compare the frequency of six SNPs involved in iron trafficking, previously found to be related to protection/predisposition to MM after asbestos exposure, between 48 male subjects with documented asbestos exposure who died of MM and 48 male subjects who were exposed to asbestos but did not develop MM or other neoplastic respiratory diseases (Non-Mesothelioma Asbestos Exposed - NMAE). The same analysis was performed on 76 healthy male controls. The allelic and genotypic frequencies of a sub-group of 107 healthy Italian individuals contained in the 1000 genomes database were considered for comparison. PCR-multiplex amplification followed by SNaPshot mini-sequencing reaction was used. The findings presented in this study show that the allelic and genotypic frequencies for six SNP markers involved in iron metabolism/homeostasis and the modulation of tumor microenvironment are not significantly different between the two sample sets of MM and NMAE. Therefore, the SNPs here considered do not seem to be useful markers for individual susceptibility to mesothelioma. This finding is not in agreement with previous literature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pierangela Grignani
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Silvia Damiana Visonà
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Maria Vittoria Fronda
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Paola Borrelli
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Laboratory of Biostatistics, Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, G. d’Annunzio, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Monti
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Barbara Bertoglio
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Adelaide Conti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, Forensic Medicine Unit, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Paolo Fattorini
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health, University of Trieste, Ospedale di Cattinara, Trieste, Italy
| | - Carlo Previderè
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Stanasiuk C, Milting H, Homm S, Persson J, Holtz L, Wittmer A, Fox H, Laser T, Knöll R, Pohl GM, Paluszkiewicz L, Jakob T, Bachmann-Mennenga B, Henzler D, Grautoff S, Veit G, Klingel K, Hori E, Kellner U, Karger B, Schlepper S, Pfeiffer H, Gummert J, Gärtner A, Tiesmeier J. Blood taken immediately after fatal resuscitation attempts yields higher quality DNA for genetic studies as compared to autopsy samples. Int J Legal Med 2023; 137:1569-1581. [PMID: 36773088 PMCID: PMC10421769 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-023-02966-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in the young may be associated with a genetic predisposition which is relevant even for genetic counseling of relatives. The identification of genetic variants depends on the availability of intact genomic DNA. DNA from autopsy may be not available due to low autopsy frequencies or not suitable for high-throughput DNA sequencing (NGS). The emergency medical service (EMS) plays an important role to save biomaterial for subsequent molecular autopsy. It is not known whether the DNA integrity of samples collected by the EMS is better suited for NGS than autopsy specimens. MATERIAL AND METHODS DNA integrity was analyzed by standardized protocols. Fourteen blood samples collected by the EMS and biomaterials from autopsy were compared. We collected 172 autopsy samples from different tissues and blood with postmortem intervals of 14-168 h. For comparison, DNA integrity derived from blood stored under experimental conditions was checked against autopsy blood after different time intervals. RESULTS DNA integrity and extraction yield were higher in EMS blood compared to any autopsy tissue. DNA stability in autopsy specimens was highly variable and had unpredictable quality. In contrast, collecting blood samples by the EMS is feasible and delivered comparably the highest DNA integrity. CONCLUSIONS Isolation yield and DNA integrity from blood samples collected by the EMS is superior in comparison to autopsy specimens. DNA from blood samples collected by the EMS on scene is stable at room temperature or even for days at 4 °C. We conclude that the EMS personnel should always save a blood sample of young fatal OHCA cases died on scene to enable subsequent genetic analysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Stanasiuk
- Erich and Hanna Klessmann-Institute for Cardiovascular Research and Development, Heart- and Diabetes Center NRW, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Georgstr. 11, D-32545, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Hendrik Milting
- Erich and Hanna Klessmann-Institute for Cardiovascular Research and Development, Heart- and Diabetes Center NRW, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Georgstr. 11, D-32545, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.
| | - Sören Homm
- Institute for Anesthesiology, Intensive Care- and Emergency Medicine, Johannes Wesling Hospital Minden, MKK-Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Jan Persson
- Institute for Anesthesiology, Intensive Care- and Emergency Medicine, Johannes Wesling Hospital Minden, MKK-Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Lars Holtz
- Emergency Department, Herford Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Axel Wittmer
- Institute for Pathology, Herford Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Henrik Fox
- Clinic for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart- and Diabetes Center NRW, D-32545 Bad Oeynhausen, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Thorsten Laser
- Center for Congenital Heart Diseases, Heart and Diabetes Center NRW, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Ralph Knöll
- Karolinska Institute, University Hospital, Myocardial Genetic, 14157, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Greta Marie Pohl
- Erich and Hanna Klessmann-Institute for Cardiovascular Research and Development, Heart- and Diabetes Center NRW, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Georgstr. 11, D-32545, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Lech Paluszkiewicz
- Clinic for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart- and Diabetes Center NRW, D-32545 Bad Oeynhausen, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Thomas Jakob
- Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Herford Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, University Clinic for Anesthesiology, Bochum, Germany
- Present address: Clinic for Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine, Emergency Medicine and Pain Medicine, Bielefeld Hospital, University Hospital Eastern Westphalia-Lippe, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Bernd Bachmann-Mennenga
- Institute for Anesthesiology, Intensive Care- and Emergency Medicine, Johannes Wesling Hospital Minden, MKK-Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Dietrich Henzler
- Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Herford Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, University Clinic for Anesthesiology, Bochum, Germany
| | - Steffen Grautoff
- Emergency Department, Herford Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Gunter Veit
- Institute for Anesthesiology, Intensive Care- and Emergency Medicine, Johannes Wesling Hospital Minden, MKK-Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Karin Klingel
- Institute for Pathology and Neuropathology, University Hospital Tuebingen, D-72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Erika Hori
- Institute for Pathology, Johannes Wesling Hospital Minden, MKK-Hospital, D-32429 Minden, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Udo Kellner
- Institute for Pathology, Johannes Wesling Hospital Minden, MKK-Hospital, D-32429 Minden, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Bernd Karger
- Institute for Forensic Medicine, University Hospital, Wilhelms-University Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Stefanie Schlepper
- Institute for Forensic Medicine, University Hospital, Wilhelms-University Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Heidi Pfeiffer
- Institute for Forensic Medicine, University Hospital, Wilhelms-University Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Jan Gummert
- Clinic for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart- and Diabetes Center NRW, D-32545 Bad Oeynhausen, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Anna Gärtner
- Erich and Hanna Klessmann-Institute for Cardiovascular Research and Development, Heart- and Diabetes Center NRW, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Georgstr. 11, D-32545, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Jens Tiesmeier
- Erich and Hanna Klessmann-Institute for Cardiovascular Research and Development, Heart- and Diabetes Center NRW, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Georgstr. 11, D-32545, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
- Institute for Anesthesiology, Intensive Care- and Emergency Medicine, Luebbecke MKK-Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Rahmat RA, Humphries MA, Saedon NA, Self PG, Linacre AMT. Diagnostic models to predict nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA recovery from incinerated teeth. Int J Legal Med 2023; 137:1353-1360. [PMID: 37306739 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-023-03017-x] [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: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Teeth are frequently used for human identification from burnt remains, as the structure of a tooth is resilient against heat exposure. The intricate composition of hydroxyapatite (HA) mineral and collagen in teeth favours DNA preservation compared to soft tissues. Regardless of the durability, the integrity of the DNA structure in teeth can still be disrupted when exposed to heat. Poor DNA quality can negatively affect the success of DNA analysis towards human identification. The process of isolating DNA from biological samples is arduous and costly. Thus, an informative pre-screening method that could aid in selecting samples that can potentially yield amplifiable DNA would be of excellent value. A multiple linear regression model to predict the DNA content in incinerated pig teeth was developed based on the colourimetry, HA crystallite size and quantified nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. The chromaticity a* was found to be a significant predictor of the regression model. This study outlines a method to predict the viability of extracting nuclear and mitochondrial DNA from pig teeth that were exposed to a wide range of temperatures (27 to 1000 °C) with high accuracy (99.5-99.7%).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rabiah A Rahmat
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia.
| | - Melissa A Humphries
- School and Mathematical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5006, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers, the University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Nor A Saedon
- Forensic DNA Division, Forensic Science Analysis Centre, Department of Chemistry, Selangor, 46661, Malaysia
| | - Peter G Self
- CSIRO, Land and Water, Locked Bag 2, Glen Osmond, South Australia, 5064, Australia
| | - Adrian M T Linacre
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, 5042, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Gausterer C, Birnbaumer G, Ondrovics W, Stein C. Effects of solvent-based adhesive removal on the subsequent dual analysis of fingerprint and DNA. Int J Legal Med 2023; 137:1373-1394. [PMID: 37402011 PMCID: PMC10421768 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-023-03042-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
The combined approach of classical fingerprinting and DNA profiling is a powerful tool in forensic investigations of latent "touch" traces. However, little attention has been paid to the organic solvents frequently used in dactyloscopic laboratories to facilitate the separation of adhesive evidence prior to fingerprint development and downstream effects on subsequent DNA profiling. In the present study, we tested a selection of adhesive removers (n = 9) and assessed their potential impact on DNA recovery and amplification by PCR. Thereby, we identified and characterized novel PCR inhibitors. All investigated chemicals contain volatile organic compounds that evaporate under normal indoor atmospheric conditions. Exposure to certain solvents resulted in increased DNA degradation, but only if evaporation was prevented. A series of adhesive-removal experiments were conducted with prepared mock evidence (self-adhesive postage stamps affixed to paper envelope) to investigate the impact of treatment time and the location of applied traces on DNA recovery and dactyloscopy, respectively. Due to the early onset of print decomposition, we found that only a short treatment time was compatible with the development of fingerprints on the adhesive side of a stamp. Solvents also removed DNA from the adhesive surface, thus resulting in a marked shift in the substrate distribution of recovered DNA from the stamp to the envelope, but not in the reverse direction. Furthermore, we observed that treatment with conventional fingerprint reagents lead to a significant reduction in the amounts of DNA recovered from stamps, while the additional use of adhesive removers did not significantly enhance this effect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Gausterer
- FDZ-Forensisches DNA Zentrallabor GmbH, Medical University of Vienna, Sensengasse 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerald Birnbaumer
- Criminal Intelligence Service Austria, Department II/BK/6 Forensics, Unit II/BK/6.3.1 – Dactyloscopic Reference Laboratory, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 1, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Ondrovics
- Criminal Intelligence Service Austria, Department II/BK/6 Forensics, Sub Department II/BK/6.3 – Crime Scene, Roßauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christina Stein
- FDZ-Forensisches DNA Zentrallabor GmbH, Medical University of Vienna, Sensengasse 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Nguyen R, Kapp JD, Sacco S, Myers SP, Green RE. A computational approach for positive genetic identification and relatedness detection from low-coverage shotgun sequencing data. J Hered 2023; 114:504-512. [PMID: 37381815 PMCID: PMC10445519 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esad041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Several methods exist for detecting genetic relatedness or identity by comparing DNA information. These methods generally require genotype calls, either single-nucleotide polymorphisms or short tandem repeats, at the sites used for comparison. For some DNA samples, like those obtained from bone fragments or single rootless hairs, there is often not enough DNA present to generate genotype calls that are accurate and complete enough for these comparisons. Here, we describe IBDGem, a fast and robust computational procedure for detecting genomic regions of identity-by-descent by comparing low-coverage shotgun sequence data against genotype calls from a known query individual. At less than 1× genome coverage, IBDGem reliably detects segments of relatedness and can make high-confidence identity detections with as little as 0.01× genome coverage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Remy Nguyen
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
| | - Joshua D Kapp
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
| | - Samuel Sacco
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
| | - Steven P Myers
- California Department of Justice Jan Bashinski DNA Laboratory, Richmond, CA, United States
| | - Richard E Green
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Żarczyńska M, Żarczyński P, Tomsia M. Nucleic Acids Persistence-Benefits and Limitations in Forensic Genetics. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1643. [PMID: 37628694 PMCID: PMC10454188 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081643] [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: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The analysis of genetic material may be the only way to identify an unknown person or solve a criminal case. Often, the conditions in which the genetic material was found determine the choice of the analytical method. Hence, it is extremely important to understand the influence of various factors, both external and internal, on genetic material. The review presents information on DNA and RNA persistence, depending on the chemical and physical factors affecting the genetic material integrity. One of the factors taken into account is the time elapsing to genetic material recovery. Temperature can both preserve the genetic material or lead to its rapid degradation. Radiation, aquatic environments, and various types of chemical and physical factors also affect the genetic material quality. The substances used during the forensic process, i.e., for biological trace visualization or maceration, are also discussed. Proper analysis of genetic material degradation can help determine the post-mortem interval (PMI) or time since deposition (TsD), which may play a key role in criminal cases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Żarczyńska
- School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 18 Medyków Street, 40-752 Katowice, Poland; (M.Ż.); (P.Ż.)
| | - Piotr Żarczyński
- School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 18 Medyków Street, 40-752 Katowice, Poland; (M.Ż.); (P.Ż.)
| | - Marcin Tomsia
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Toxicology, Medical University of Silesia, 18 Medyków Street, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Vajpayee K, Dash HR, Parekh PB, Shukla RK. PCR inhibitors and facilitators - Their role in forensic DNA analysis. Forensic Sci Int 2023; 349:111773. [PMID: 37399774 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Since its inception, DNA typing technology has been practiced as a robust tool in criminal investigations. Experts usually utilize STR profiles to identify and individualize the suspect. However, mtDNA and Y STR analyses are also considered in some sample-limiting conditions. Based on DNA profiles thus generated, forensic scientists often opine the results as Inclusion, exclusion, and inconclusive. Inclusion and exclusion were defined as concordant results; the inconclusive opinions create problems in conferring justice in a trial- since nothing concrete can be interpreted from the profile generated. The presence of inhibitor molecules in the sample is the primary factor behind these indefinite results. Recently, researchers have been emphasizing studying the sources of PCR inhibitors and their mechanism of inhibition. Furthermore, several mitigation strategies- to facilitate the DNA amplification reaction -have now found their place in the routine DNA typing assays with compromised biological samples. The present review paper attempts to provide a comprehensive review of PCR inhibitors, their source, mechanism of inhibition, and ways to mitigate their effect using PCR facilitators.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kamayani Vajpayee
- Biological and Life Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Central Campus, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Hirak Ranjan Dash
- National Forensic Science University, New Delhi Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Prakshal B Parekh
- Biological and Life Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Central Campus, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Ritesh K Shukla
- Biological and Life Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Central Campus, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Lisman D, Drath J, Teul I, Zielińska G, Szargut M, Dowejko J, Cytacka S, Piątek J, Ambroziak J, Śliżewski G, Ossowski A. The last flight of F/O Tadeusz Stabrowski. Identification of the polish pilot. Front Genet 2023; 14:1231451. [PMID: 37576561 PMCID: PMC10415905 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1231451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The paper presents the process of identifying an unnamed soldier of the Polish armed forces in the west, whose remains were found in a nameless grave at the municipal cemetery in Le Crotoy in France. The Polish Genetic Database of Victims of Totalitarianism team carried out the research in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. A comprehensive analysis of autosomal and Y-STR markers was performed. Historical, anthropological, and forensic examinations of the remains were also carried out. The items found with the remains were also examined. Identification based on DNA analysis made it possible to restore the identity of the Polish pilot who died on 11 March 1943 near the French coast, F/O Tadeusz Stabrowski. The airman regained his name in 2018, he was about 26 years old at the time of his death and left behind a grieving wife and son in the United Kingdom. The success of identifying the NN remains was guaranteed by the appointment of an interdisciplinary team consisting of specialists in archaeology, anthropology, history, forensic medicine and forensic genetics. The analysis of historical sources allowed to determine 4 missing airmen whose remains could have been buried in the cemetery in Le Crotoy. An interesting aspect of the research was the cooperation with history enthusiasts and fans of Polish aviation, thanks to which it was finally possible to narrow down the group of pilots sought and reach the family of Tadeusz Stabrowski, who submitted comparative material for research. This is the first case of establishing the identity of a Polish pilot killed in France. Many institutions have been involved in the project, including Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (MDiKN), which partially funded the research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dagmara Lisman
- Department of Genetic Forensic, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Joanna Drath
- Department of Genetic Forensic, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Iwona Teul
- Department of Genetic Forensic, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Grażyna Zielińska
- Department of Genetic Forensic, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Maria Szargut
- Department of Genetic Forensic, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Joanna Dowejko
- Department of Genetic Forensic, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Sandra Cytacka
- Department of Genetic Forensic, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Jarosław Piątek
- Department of Genetic Forensic, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Jan Ambroziak
- Polish Ministry of Heritage and National Culture, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Andrzej Ossowski
- Department of Genetic Forensic, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Fattorini P, Previderè C, Livieri T, Zupanc T, Pajnič IZ. SNP analysis of challenging bone DNA samples using the HID-Ion AmpliSeq™ Identity Panel: facts and artefacts. Int J Legal Med 2023:10.1007/s00414-023-03019-9. [PMID: 37212920 PMCID: PMC10247551 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-023-03019-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
PCR-MPS is an emerging tool for the analysis of low-quality DNA samples. In this study, we used PCR-MPS to analyse 32 challenging bone DNA samples from three Second World War victims, which previously yielded no results in conventional STR PCR-CE typing. The Identity Panel was used with 27 cycles of PCR. Despite that we only had an average of 6.8 pg of degraded DNA as template, 30 out of 32 libraries (93.8%) produced sequencing data for about 63/90 autosomal markers per sample. Out of the 30 libraries, 14 (46.7%) yielded single source genetic profiles in agreement with the biological identity of the donor, whereas 12 cases (40.0%) resulted in SNP profiles that did not match or were mixed. The misleading outcomes for those 12 cases were likely due to hidden exogenous human contamination, as shown by the higher frequencies of allelic imbalance, unusual high frequencies of allelic drop-ins, high heterozygosity levels in the consensus profiles generated from challenging samples, and traces of amplified molecular products in four out of eight extraction negative controls. Even if the source and the time of the contamination were not identified, it is likely that it occurred along the multi-step bone processing workflow. Our results suggest that only positive identification by statistical tools (e.g. likelihood ratio) should be accepted as reliable; oppositely, the results leading to exclusion should be treated as inconclusive because of potential contamination issues. Finally, strategies are discussed for monitoring the workflow of extremely challenging bone samples in PCR-MPS experiments with an increased number of PCR cycles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Fattorini
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Carlo Previderè
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Tommaso Livieri
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Tomaž Zupanc
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Yagasaki K, Nishida N, Mabuchi A, Tokunaga K, Fujimoto A. Development of a novel microarray data analysis tool without normalization for genotyping degraded forensic DNA. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2023; 65:102885. [PMID: 37137205 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2023.102885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Since the arrest of the Golden State Killer in the US in April 2018, forensic geneticists have been increasingly interested in the investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) method. While this method has already been in practical use as a powerful tool for criminal investigation, we have yet to know well the limitations and potential risks. In this current study, we performed an evaluation study focusing on degraded DNA using the Affymetrix Genome-Wide Human SNP Array 6.0 platform (Thermo Fisher Scientific). We revealed one of the potential problems that occur during SNP genotype determination using a microarray-based platform. Our analysis results indicated that the SNP profiles derived from degraded DNA contained many false heterozygous SNPs. In addition, it was confirmed that the total amount of probe signal intensity on microarray chips derived from degraded DNA decreased significantly. Because the conventional analysis algorithm performs normalization during genotype determination, we concluded that noise signals could be genotype-called. To address this issue, we proposed a novel microarray data analysis method without normalization (nMAP). Although the nMAP algorithm resulted in a low call rate, it substantially improved genotyping accuracy. Finally, we confirmed the usefulness of the nMAP algorithm for kinship inferences. These findings and the nMAP algorithm will make a contribution to the advance of the IGG method.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kayoko Yagasaki
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Forensic Science Laboratory, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, 3-35-21, Shakujiidai, Nerima Ward, Tokyo 177-0045, Japan.
| | - Nao Nishida
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Genome Medical Science Project, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-7-1, Kohnodai, Ichikawa, Chiba, 272-8516, Japan
| | - Akihiko Mabuchi
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Katsushi Tokunaga
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Genome Medical Science Project, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1, Toyama, Shinjuku word, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan
| | - Akihiro Fujimoto
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Finaughty C, Heathfield LJ, Kemp V, Márquez-Grant N. Forensic DNA extraction methods for human hard tissue: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of technologies and sample type. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2023; 63:102818. [PMID: 36502616 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2022.102818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
DNA identification of human remains has a valuable role in the field of forensic science and wider. Although DNA is vital in identification of unknown human remains, post-mortem environmental factors can lead to poor molecular preservation. In this respect, focus has been placed on DNA extraction methodologies for hard tissue samples, as these are the longest surviving. Despite decades of research being conducted on DNA extraction methods for bone and teeth, little consensus has been reached as to the best performing. Therefore, the aim of this study was to conduct a thorough systematic literature review to identify potential DNA extraction technique(s) which perform optimally for forensic DNA profiling from hard tissue samples. PRISMA guidelines were used, by which a search strategy was developed. This included identifying databases and discipline specific journals, keywords, and exclusion and inclusion criteria. In total, 175 articles were identified that detailed over 50 different DNA extraction methodologies. Results of the meta-analysis conducted on 41 articles - meeting further inclusion criteria - showed that statistically significant higher DNA profiling success was associated with solid-phase magnetic bead/resin methods. In addition, incorporating a demineralisation pre-step resulted in significantly higher profiling successes. For hard tissue type, bone outperformed teeth, and even though dense cortical femur samples were more frequently used across the studies, profiling success was comparable, and in some cases, higher in cancellous bone samples. Notably, incomplete data sharing resulted in many studies being excluded, thus an emphasis for minimum reporting standards is made. In conclusion, this study identifies strategies that may improve success rates of forensic DNA profiling from hard tissue samples. Finally, continued improvements to current methods can ensure faster times to resolution and restoring the identity of those who died in obscurity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chandra Finaughty
- Cranfield Forensic Institute, Cranfield Defence and Security, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom.
| | - Laura Jane Heathfield
- Division of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Victoria Kemp
- Cranfield Forensic Institute, Cranfield Defence and Security, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom.
| | - Nicholas Márquez-Grant
- Cranfield Forensic Institute, Cranfield Defence and Security, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Dzehverovic M, Jusic B, Pilav A, Lukic T, Cakar J. Kinship analysis of skeletal remains from the Middle Ages. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2023; 63:102829. [PMID: 36669262 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2023.102829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Medieval cemeteries Klisa-Guca Gora, Alihodze and Glavica-Han Bila located in the Travnik area (Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina) were archaeologically examined in the period 2011-2014, revealing human skeletal remains of 11 individuals in total. Archaeological skeletal samples, previously deposited in Travnik Homeland Museum (Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina) were subjected to genetic analysis. The aim of this research was to test familiar relationship of 11 individuals excavated from three medieval cemeteries and to predict Y-haplogroup for male individuals. In order to perform molecular-genetic characterisation of collected human skeletal remains, two systems of genetic markers were analysed: autosomal and Y-STR loci. Complete or partial data obtained by autosomal STR typing of 11 individuals were subjected to kinship analysis. Male sex was determined in eight samples out of 11. Direct relatives of the "brother-brother" type were detected in one case with high kinship probability (KP) value of 99.99996 %. Complete or nearly complete and usable Y-STR profiles were obtained for six out of eight male individuals. The presence of identical haplotypes at Y-STR loci and results of Y-haplogroup prediction suggest that all male individuals share the same paternal lineage and belong to J2a haplogroup. Overall, this study emphasises the usefulness, efficiency and sensitivity of STR markers in the molecular-genetic characterisation of old skeletal remains as well as the importance of employing additional markers like Y-STRs in archaeogenetic studies, besides traditionally used autosomal STR markers, in order to get a comprehensive information about close and distant relatives, and ancestry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mirela Dzehverovic
- University of Sarajevo-Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Zmaja od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Belma Jusic
- University of Sarajevo-Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Zmaja od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
| | - Amela Pilav
- University of Sarajevo-Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Zmaja od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Tamara Lukic
- Faculty of Science, University of Sarajevo, Zmaja od Bosne 33-35, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Jasmina Cakar
- University of Sarajevo-Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Zmaja od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Watherston J, McNevin D. Skull and long bones – Forensic DNA techniques for historic shipwreck human remains. AUST J FORENSIC SCI 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/00450618.2023.2181395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Watherston
- Centre for Forensic Science, School of Mathematical & Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
- Biology Unit, Forensic Science Branch, Nt Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Berrimah, NT, Australia
- College of Health & Human Sciences, Faculty of Science, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT, Australia
| | - D. McNevin
- Centre for Forensic Science, School of Mathematical & Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Application of Forensic DNA Phenotyping for Prediction of Eye, Hair and Skin Colour in Highly Decomposed Bodies. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11050647. [PMID: 36900653 PMCID: PMC10000573 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11050647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last few years, predicting externally visible characteristics (EVCs) by adopting informative DNA molecular markers has become a method in forensic genetics that has increased its value, giving rise to an interesting field called "Forensic DNA Phenotyping" (FDP). The most meaningful forensic applications of EVCs prediction are those in which, having only a DNA sample isolated from highly decomposed remains, it is essential to reconstruct the physical appearance of a person. Through this approach, we set out to evaluate 20 skeletal remains of Italian provenance in order to associate them with as many cases of missing persons as possible. To achieve the intended goal, in this work we applied the HIrisPlex-S multiplex system through the conventional short tandem repeats (STR) method to confirm the expected identity of subjects by evaluating phenotypic features. To investigate the reliability and accuracy of the DNA-based EVCs prediction, pictures of the cases were compared as they were available to researchers. Results showed an overall prediction accuracy greater than 90% for all three phenotypic features-iris, hair, and skin colour-at a probability threshold of 0.7. The experimental analysis showed inconclusive results in only two cases; this is probably due to the characteristics of subjects who had an intermediate eye and hair colour, for which the DNA-based system needs to improve the prediction accuracy.
Collapse
|
36
|
Poethe SS, Holtel J, Biermann JP, Riemer T, Grabmüller M, Madea B, Thiele R, Jäger R. Cost-Effective Next Generation Sequencing-Based STR Typing with Improved Analysis of Minor, Degraded and Inhibitor-Containing DNA Samples. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043382. [PMID: 36834791 PMCID: PMC9960623 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Forensic DNA profiles are established by multiplex PCR amplification of a set of highly variable short tandem repeat (STR) loci followed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) as a means to assign alleles to PCR products of differential length. Recently, CE analysis of STR amplicons has been supplemented by high-throughput next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques that are able to detect isoalleles bearing sequence polymorphisms and allow for an improved analysis of degraded DNA. Several such assays have been commercialised and validated for forensic applications. However, these systems are cost-effective only when applied to high numbers of samples. We report here an alternative, cost-efficient shallow-sequence output NGS assay called maSTR assay that, in conjunction with a dedicated bioinformatics pipeline called SNiPSTR, can be implemented with standard NGS instrumentation. In a back-to-back comparison with a CE-based, commercial forensic STR kit, we find that for samples with low DNA content, with mixed DNA from different individuals, or containing PCR inhibitors, the maSTR assay performs equally well, and with degraded DNA is superior to CE-based analysis. Thus, the maSTR assay is a simple, robust and cost-efficient NGS-based STR typing method applicable for human identification in forensic and biomedical contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara-Sophie Poethe
- Institute for Functional Gene Analytics, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Grantham Allee 20, 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
| | - Julia Holtel
- Institute for Functional Gene Analytics, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Grantham Allee 20, 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
| | - Jan-Philip Biermann
- Institute for Functional Gene Analytics, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Grantham Allee 20, 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
| | - Trine Riemer
- Department of Natural Sciences, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, von-Liebig Str. 20, 53359 Rheinbach, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Experimental Neonatology, Center for Biochemistry, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 52, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Melanie Grabmüller
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Bonn, Stiftsplatz 12, 53111 Bonn, Germany
| | - Burkhard Madea
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Bonn, Stiftsplatz 12, 53111 Bonn, Germany
| | - Ralf Thiele
- Institute for Functional Gene Analytics, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Grantham Allee 20, 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
- Computer Science Department, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, University of Applied Sciences, Grantham Allee 20, 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
| | - Richard Jäger
- Institute for Functional Gene Analytics, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Grantham Allee 20, 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
- Department of Natural Sciences, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, von-Liebig Str. 20, 53359 Rheinbach, Germany
- Institute of Safety and Security Research, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, University of Applied Sciences, Grantham Allee 20, 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Moškrič A, Pavlin A, Mole K, Marinč A, Bubnič J, Opara A, Kovačić M, Puškadija Z, Uzunov A, Andonov S, Dahle B, Prešern J. Cutting corners: The impact of storage and DNA extraction on quality and quantity of DNA in honeybee ( Apis mellifera) spermatheca. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1139269. [PMID: 36935742 PMCID: PMC10020693 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1139269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The purpose of our study was to investigate methods of short-term storage that allow preservation, transport and retrieval of genetic information contained in honeybee queen's spermatheca. Genotyping of the honeybee colony requires well ahead planned sample collection, depending on the type of data to be acquired. Sampling and genotyping of spermatheca's content instead of individual offspring is timesaving, allowing answers to the questions related to patriline composition immediately after mating. Such procedure is also cheaper and less error prone. For preservation either Allprotect Tissue Reagent (Qiagen) or absolute ethanol were used. Conditions during transportation were simulated by keeping samples 6-8 days at room temperature. Six different storing conditions of spermathecas were tested, complemented with two DNA extraction methods. We have analysed the concentration of DNA, RNA, and proteins in DNA extracts. We also analysed how strongly the DNA is subjected to fragmentation (through amplification of genetic markers ANT2 and tRNAleu-COX2) and whether the quality of the extracted DNA is suitable for microsatellite (MS) analysis. Then, we tested the usage of spermatheca as a source of patriline composition in an experiment with three instrumentally inseminated virgin queens and performed MS analysis of the extracted DNA from each spermatheca, as well as queens' and drones' tissue. Our results show that median DNA concentration from spermathecas excised prior the storage, regardless of the storing condition and DNA extraction method, were generally lower than median DNA concentration obtained from spermathecas dissected from the whole queens after the storage. Despite the differences in DNA yield from the samples subjected to different storing conditions there was no significant effect of storage method or the DNA extraction method on the amplification success, although fewer samples stored in EtOH amplified successfully in comparison to ATR storing reagent. However, we recommend EtOH as a storing reagent due to its availability, low price, simplicity in usage in the field and in the laboratory, and capability of good preservation of the samples for DNA analysis during transport at room temperature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ajda Moškrič
- Department of Animal Production, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- *Correspondence: Ajda Moškrič,
| | - Anja Pavlin
- Department of Animal Production, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Katarina Mole
- Department of Animal Production, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andraž Marinč
- Department of Animal Production, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jernej Bubnič
- Department of Animal Production, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andreja Opara
- Department of Animal Production, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marin Kovačić
- Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, University of J.J. Strossmayer, Osijek, Croatia
- Centre for Applied Life Sciences Healthy Food Chain Ltd., Osijek, Croatia
| | - Zlatko Puškadija
- Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, University of J.J. Strossmayer, Osijek, Croatia
- Centre for Applied Life Sciences Healthy Food Chain Ltd., Osijek, Croatia
| | - Aleksandar Uzunov
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Skopje, Macedonia
- Company for Applied Research and Permanent Education in Agriculture, Skopje, Macedonia
| | - Sreten Andonov
- Department of Animal Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Bjørn Dahle
- Norwegian Beekeepers Association, Kløfta, Norway
| | - Janez Prešern
- Department of Animal Production, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Polymerase chain reaction-based snake origin tracing in commercial venom crystals by targeting the mitochondrial D-loop. Toxicon 2022; 219:106933. [PMID: 36174762 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.106933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Snake venom is a valuable raw material for numerous therapeutic formulations because of its life-saving pharmacological potential. However, due to their high price, fake "snake venoms" have captured a significant portion of the global market, and there is currently no reliable reported DNA-based method available for quickly distinguishing between fakes and originals. Therefore, in this study, a set of newly designed snake-specific universal primers targeting mitochondrial D-loop fragments were employed to detect snake origins in commercial venom crystals by only simplex polymerase chain reaction analysis. Under the optimal thermal cycling conditions, only the 145-149 bp snake-specific mitochondrial D-loop fragments from pure and mixed backgrounds were amplified by the newly designed primers. Specificity was achieved by confirming no DNA amplification occurred in the DNA admixture of ten different chordates, and universality by individual DNA amplification of nine different snakes. The primers that efficiently amplified the minimum mitochondrial DNA contained in a total of 10-2 ng in a 10.0 μl reaction were also successfully able to detect the snake origin in commercial cobra venom crystals. These findings suggest that the newly designed primers can be used to differentiate the original and fake commercial snake venom crystals in order to achieve the highest standards of snake venom-based medications through amplifying the snake-specific mitochondrial D-loop fragments.
Collapse
|
39
|
Alkhuder K. Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy: a universal analytical technique with promising applications in forensic analyses. Int J Legal Med 2022; 136:1717-1736. [PMID: 36050421 PMCID: PMC9436726 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-022-02882-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Contemporary criminal investigations are based on the statements made by the victim and the eyewitnesses. They also rely on the physical evidences found in the crime scene. These evidences, and more particularly biological ones, have a great judicial value in the courtroom. They are usually used to revoke the suspect’s allegations and confirm or refute the statements made by the victim and the witnesses. Stains of body fluids are biological evidences highly sought by forensic investigators. In many criminal cases, the success of the investigation relies on the correct identification and classification of these stains. Therefore, the adoption of reliable and accurate forensic analytical methods seems to be of vital importance to attain this objective. Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) is a modern and universal analytical technique capable of fingerprint recognition of the analyte using minimal amount of the test sample. The current systematic review aims to through light on the fundamentals of this technique and to illustrate its wide range of applications in forensic investigations. ATR-FTIR is a nondestructive technique which has demonstrated an exceptional efficiency in detecting, identifying and discriminating between stains of various types of body fluids usually encountered in crime scenes. The ATR-FTIR spectral data generated from bloodstains can be used to deduce a wealth of information related to the donor species, age, gender, and race. These data can also be exploited to discriminate between stains of different types of bloods including menstrual and peripheral bloods. In addition, ATR-FTIR has a great utility in the postmortem investigations. More particularly, in estimating the postmortem interval and diagnosing death caused by extreme weather conditions. It is also useful in diagnosing some ambiguous death causes such as fatal anaphylactic shock and diabetic ketoacidosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Khaled Alkhuder
- Division of Microbial Disease, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8LD, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Mannakandath ML, Shamsudeen SM, Sadatullah S, Hameed MS, Hosmani J, Ajmal M, Abullais SS. Evaluating Time-Dependent Extraction of Exfoliated Oral Mucosal Cells from Used Toothbrushes and Miswak. J BIOMATER TISS ENG 2022. [DOI: 10.1166/jbt.2022.3112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
An integral part of forensic work is DNA quantification and profiling, which necessitates many highquality samples for good results. Oral mucosal cells have become an essential source of genomic DNA in epidemiological studies. The time of collecting DNA samples is a critical factor
in forensic science. To compares the time-dependent extraction of DNA yield and purity from exfoliated oral epithelial cells from toothbrushes and miswak used for time intervals up to 5 months. Thirty healthy volunteers were given toothbrushes and miswak to use for six days. The used toothbrushes
and miswak were collected, stored at room temperature, and analyzed immediately and at the end of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth months. Comparisons between the two independent groups of toothbrush and miswak were done by an independent two-sample t-test. The changes over
time for each outcome were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. DNA yield of the exfoliated oral epithelial cell samples was higher from female samples, while DNA purity was higher in the male samples. The Miswak contained a sufficient amount of DNA similar to toothbrushes. The yield and
purity are not significantly altered by storing them for at least five months at room temperature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Master Luqman Mannakandath
- Department of Diagnostic Science & Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha, 62529, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shaik Mohamed Shamsudeen
- Department of Diagnostic Science & Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha, 62529, Saudi Arabia
| | - Syed Sadatullah
- Department of Diagnostic Science & Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha, 62529, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Shahul Hameed
- Department of Diagnostic Science & Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha, 62529, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jagadish Hosmani
- Department of Diagnostic Science & Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha, 62529, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammed Ajmal
- Department of Diagnostic Science & Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha, 62529, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shahabe Saquib Abullais
- Department of Periodontics and Community Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha, 62529, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Bertolini E, Grignani P, Bertoglio B, Marrubini G, Mazzarelli D, Lucheschi S, Bosetti A, Fattorini P, Cattaneo C, Previderé C. Dead migrants in the Mediterranean: genetic analysis of bone samples exposed to seawater. Forensic Sci Int 2022; 340:111421. [PMID: 36029719 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2022.111421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
In April 2015, a fishing boat that departed from Libya with about 1,000 migrants on board sank in the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the migrants were packed in the hull of the boat and drowned in the shipwreck. After fifteen months, the ship was recovered from the seabed and brought to a Sicilian naval area for forensic investigations. Skeletal remains belonging to more than 700 people were retrieved. A selected sample composed of 80 victims was considered in order to evaluate the possibility of achieving genetic profiles useful for a positive identification from these challenging specimens. The molecular features of the DNA recovered from a significant number of real casework samples exposed to seawater for long periods of time were described for the first time. Three different DNA extraction protocols and three different commercial kits were employed in order to generate genetic profiles based on the characterization of 21 autosomal STR loci. The combination of multiple DNA extractions and the cross-checking of multiple PCR amplifications with different kits allowed to obtain reliable genetic profiles characterized by at least 16 STR markers in more than 70% of the samples. The factors that could have affected the different quality of the genetic profiles were investigated and the bone preservation was examined through microscopic and macroscopic analyses. The approach presented in this study could be useful in the management of the genetic analysis of bone samples collected in other similar DVI scenarios. The genetic profiles recovered from the bone samples will be compared in kinship analysis to putative relatives of the victims collected in Africa in order to obtain positive identifications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Bertolini
- LABANOF, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Sezione di Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy; Laboratorio di Genetica Forense, Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Medicina Sperimentale e Forense, Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Pierangela Grignani
- Laboratorio di Genetica Forense, Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Medicina Sperimentale e Forense, Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Barbara Bertoglio
- LABANOF, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Sezione di Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy; Laboratorio di Genetica Forense, Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Medicina Sperimentale e Forense, Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giorgio Marrubini
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Debora Mazzarelli
- LABANOF, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Sezione di Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Stanilla Lucheschi
- LABANOF, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Sezione di Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Fattorini
- Dipartimento Clinico di Scienze Mediche, Chirurgiche e della Salute, Università di Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Cristina Cattaneo
- LABANOF, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Sezione di Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Carlo Previderé
- Laboratorio di Genetica Forense, Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Medicina Sperimentale e Forense, Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Doniec A, Januła M, Grzmil P, Kupiec T. Assessing the utility of quantitative and qualitative metrics in the DNA quantification process of skeletal remains for autosomal and Y-chromosome STR amplification purposes. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2022; 60:102751. [PMID: 35914369 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2022.102751] [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: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In historical cases, ancient DNA investigations and missing persons identification, teeth or bone samples are often the only and almost always the best biological material available for DNA typing. On the other hand, DNA obtained from bone material may be characterized by a high degradation index (DI) or its low content, or DNA tests cannot be repeated due to bone piece size limitation. That is often the effect of the environment in which the material was placed and the time during which exposure to unfavorable environmental factors took place. Therefore, it is very important to use appropriate procedures related to STR analysis. For our study, we selected 80 challenging bone samples. The amount of DNA was compared in qPCR using Quantifiler™ Trio DNA Quantification Kit and Investigator® Quantiplex® Pro RGQ. All qPCR results were confirmed by PCR-CE. The results of DNA concentrations and the assigned degradation index (DI) differed significantly within analyzed samples (~10%). Additionally, the Y-chromosome DI also differed from the autosomal DI in the samples. The difference in degradation indexes could explain the lower Y-chromosome amplification success rate compared to autosomal e.g. during human identification process. The results indicate that performing two DNA quantifications with the use of two different kits (primers sets) allows for a much more precise evaluation of the DNA quality and quantity in the isolate. We suggest that at least one of two suggested DNA concentration measurements should be based on an additional determination of the Y chromosome degradation index. Altogether, it allows for rational isolate management, especially when the volume is limited and the sample is unique.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Doniec
- Forensic Genetics Section, Institute of Forensic Research, Westerplatte 9, 31-033 Kraków, Poland; Laboratory of Genetics and Evolutionism, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Kraków, Poland.
| | - Miłosz Januła
- Forensic Genetics Section, Institute of Forensic Research, Westerplatte 9, 31-033 Kraków, Poland
| | - Paweł Grzmil
- Laboratory of Genetics and Evolutionism, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Tomasz Kupiec
- Forensic Genetics Section, Institute of Forensic Research, Westerplatte 9, 31-033 Kraków, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Practical forensic use of kinship determination using high-density SNP profiling based on a microarray platform, focusing on low-quantity DNA. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2022; 61:102752. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2022.102752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
44
|
Zupanič Pajnič I, Previderè C, Zupanc T, Zanon M, Fattorini P. Isometric artifacts from polymerase chain reaction‐massively parallel sequencing analysis of short tandem repeat loci: An emerging issue from a new technology? Electrophoresis 2022; 43:1521-1530. [PMID: 35358339 PMCID: PMC9543752 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202100143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The recent introduction of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐massively parallel sequencing (MPS) technologies in forensics has changed the approach to allelic short tandem repeat (STR) typing because sequencing cloned PCR fragments enables alleles with identical molecular weights to be distinguished based on their nucleotide sequences. Therefore, because PCR fidelity mainly depends on template integrity, new technical issues could arise in the interpretation of the results obtained from the degraded samples. In this work, a set of DNA samples degraded in vitro was used to investigate whether PCR‐MPS could generate “isometric drop‐ins” (IDIs; i.e., molecular products having the same length as the original allele but with a different nucleotide sequence within the repeated units). The Precision ID GlobalFiler NGS STR panel kit was used to analyze 0.5 and 1 ng of mock samples in duplicate tests (for a total of 16 PCR‐MPS analyses). As expected, several well‐known PCR artifacts (such as allelic dropout, stutters above the threshold) were scored; 95 IDIs with an average occurrence of 5.9 IDIs per test (min: 1, max: 11) were scored as well. In total, IDIs represented one of the most frequent artifacts. The coverage of these IDIs reached up to 981 reads (median: 239 reads), and the ratios with the coverage of the original allele ranged from 0.069 to 7.285 (median: 0.221). In addition, approximately 5.2% of the IDIs showed coverage higher than that of the original allele. Molecular analysis of these artifacts showed that they were generated in 96.8% of cases through a single nucleotide change event, with the C > T transition being the most frequent (85.7%). Thus, in a forensic evaluation of evidence, IDIs may represent an actual issue, particularly when DNA mixtures need to be interpreted because they could mislead the operator regarding the number of contributors. Overall, the molecular features of the IDIs described in this work, as well as the performance of duplicate tests, may be useful tools for managing this new class of artifacts otherwise not detected by capillary electrophoresis technology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine Faculty of Medicine University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Carlo Previderè
- Department of Public Health Experimental and Forensic Medicine Section of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Tomaž Zupanc
- Institute of Forensic Medicine Faculty of Medicine University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Martina Zanon
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health University of Trieste Trieste Italy
| | - Paolo Fattorini
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health University of Trieste Trieste Italy
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Turner SD, Nagraj V, Scholz M, Jessa S, Acevedo C, Ge J, Woerner AE, Budowle B. Evaluating the Impact of Dropout and Genotyping Error on SNP-Based Kinship Analysis With Forensic Samples. Front Genet 2022; 13:882268. [PMID: 35846115 PMCID: PMC9282869 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.882268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Technological advances in sequencing and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping microarray technology have facilitated advances in forensic analysis beyond short tandem repeat (STR) profiling, enabling the identification of unknown DNA samples and distant relationships. Forensic genetic genealogy (FGG) has facilitated the identification of distant relatives of both unidentified remains and unknown donors of crime scene DNA, invigorating the use of biological samples to resolve open cases. Forensic samples are often degraded or contain only trace amounts of DNA. In this study, the accuracy of genome-wide relatedness methods and identity by descent (IBD) segment approaches was evaluated in the presence of challenges commonly encountered with forensic data: missing data and genotyping error. Pedigree whole-genome simulations were used to estimate the genotypes of thousands of individuals with known relationships using multiple populations with different biogeographic ancestral origins. Simulations were also performed with varying error rates and types. Using these data, the performance of different methods for quantifying relatedness was benchmarked across these scenarios. When the genotyping error was low (<1%), IBD segment methods outperformed genome-wide relatedness methods for close relationships and are more accurate at distant relationship inference. However, with an increasing genotyping error (1–5%), methods that do not rely on IBD segment detection are more robust and outperform IBD segment methods. The reduced call rate had little impact on either class of methods. These results have implications for the use of dense SNP data in forensic genomics for distant kinship analysis and FGG, especially when the sample quality is low.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen D. Turner
- Signature Science, LLC., Austin, TX, United States
- *Correspondence: Stephen D. Turner,
| | - V.P. Nagraj
- Signature Science, LLC., Austin, TX, United States
| | | | | | | | - Jianye Ge
- Center for Human Identification, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States
| | - August E. Woerner
- Center for Human Identification, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States
| | - Bruce Budowle
- Center for Human Identification, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Jäger R. New Perspectives for Whole Genome Amplification in Forensic STR Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137090. [PMID: 35806097 PMCID: PMC9267064 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Modern PCR-based analytical techniques have reached sensitivity levels that allow for obtaining complete forensic DNA profiles from even tiny traces containing genomic DNA amounts as small as 125 pg. Yet these techniques have reached their limits when it comes to the analysis of traces such as fingerprints or single cells. One suggestion to overcome these limits has been the usage of whole genome amplification (WGA) methods. These methods aim at increasing the copy number of genomic DNA and by this means generate more template DNA for subsequent analyses. Their application in forensic contexts has so far remained mostly an academic exercise, and results have not shown significant improvements and even have raised additional analytical problems. Until very recently, based on these disappointments, the forensic application of WGA seems to have largely been abandoned. In the meantime, however, novel improved methods are pointing towards a perspective for WGA in specific forensic applications. This review article tries to summarize current knowledge about WGA in forensics and suggests the forensic analysis of single-donor bioparticles and of single cells as promising applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard Jäger
- Department of Natural Sciences, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, von-Liebig Str. 20, 53359 Rheinbach, Germany;
- Institute for Functional Gene Analytics, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Grantham Allee 20, 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
- Institute of Safety and Security Research, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Grantham Allee 20, 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Evaluation of the Effects of Different Sample Collection Strategies on DNA/RNA Co-Analysis of Forensic Stains. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13060983. [PMID: 35741745 PMCID: PMC9222428 DOI: 10.3390/genes13060983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different moistening agents (RNase-free water, absolute anhydrous ethanol, RNAlater®) applied to collection swabs on DNA/RNA retrieval and integrity for capillary electrophoresis applications (STR typing, cell type identification by mRNA profiling). Analyses were conducted on whole blood, luminol-treated diluted blood, saliva, semen, and mock skin stains. The effects of swab storage temperature and the time interval between sample collection and DNA/RNA extraction were also investigated. Water provided significantly higher DNA yields than ethanol in whole blood and semen samples, while ethanol and RNAlater® significantly outperformed water in skin samples, with full STR profiles obtained from over 98% of the skin samples collected with either ethanol or RNAlater®, compared to 71% of those collected with water. A significant difference in mRNA profiling success rates was observed in whole blood samples between swabs treated with either ethanol or RNAlater® (100%) and water (37.5%). Longer swab storage times before processing significantly affected mRNA profiling in saliva stains, with the success rate decreasing from 91.7% after 1 day of storage to 25% after 7 days. These results may contribute to the future development of optimal procedures for the collection of different types of biological traces.
Collapse
|
48
|
Liao F, Liu Q, Xiao C, Yi S, Huang D. Assessment of Multiple Annealing and Looping-Based Amplification Cycle-Based Whole-Genome Amplification for Short Tandem Repeat Genotyping of Low Copy Number-DNA. Genet Test Mol Biomarkers 2022; 26:191-197. [PMID: 35394799 DOI: 10.1089/gtmb.2021.0268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: A common problem in forensic practice is the lack of sufficient amounts of good quality genomic DNA. A possible solution is the amplification of the available genomic DNA before locus-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate multiple annealing and looping-based amplification cycle (MALBAC)-based whole-genome amplification (WGA) for short tandem repeat (STR) genotyping of low copy number DNA (LCN-DNA). Materials and Methods: DNA isolated from five blood samples was quantified and diluted to 250, 150, 100, 50, 25, and 5 pg/μL. After preamplification with MALBAC, WGA products were quantified. PCR-STR genotyping was performed in triplicate using dilution or purification-treated WGA products for each level of DNA. STR profiles were analyzed and compared with that from non-WGA DNA. Results: The purification treatment performed better than dilution of the MALBAC-based WGA products. Compared with the non-WGA DNA, both the average number and peak heights of correct alleles were significantly improved after preamplification with the MALBAC-based WGA at DNA inputs of ≤50 pg. Like other WGA methods, allele dropout and allele drop-in were observed in the profiling results for many samples. Conclusions: MALBAC shows great potential in LCN-DNA analysis and could find broader application in the fields of forensics and genetics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fei Liao
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Quan Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Forensic Science (Hubei University of Police), Wuhan, China
| | - Chao Xiao
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shaohua Yi
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Daixin Huang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Biggin MR, Albrecht I, Novroski NM. Assessing DNA recovery and profile determination from bloody snow. Sci Justice 2022; 62:152-155. [DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2022.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 01/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
50
|
Lee S, You H, Lee S, Lee Y, Kang HG, Sung HJ, Choi J, Hyun S. Individual Identification with Short Tandem Repeat Analysis and Collection of Secondary Information Using Microbiome Analysis. Genes (Basel) 2021; 13:85. [PMID: 35052425 PMCID: PMC8774430 DOI: 10.3390/genes13010085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Forensic investigation is important to analyze evidence and facilitate the search for key individuals, such as suspects and victims in a criminal case. The forensic use of genomic DNA has increased with the development of DNA sequencing technology, thereby enabling additional analysis during criminal investigations when additional legal evidence is required. In this study, we used next-generation sequencing to facilitate the generation of complementary data in order to analyze human evidence obtained through short tandem repeat (STR) analysis. We examined the applicability and potential of analyzing microbial genome communities. Microbiological supplementation information was confirmed for two of four failed STR samples. Additionally, the accuracy of the gargle sample was confirmed to be as high as 100% and was highly likely to be classified as a body fluid sample. Our experimental method confirmed that anthropological and microbiological evidence can be obtained by performing two experiments with one extraction. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using these techniques, explore prospects in the forensic field, and highlight suggestions for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Solip Lee
- Department of Senior Healthcare, Graduate School, Eulji University, Uijeongbu-si 11759, Korea; (S.L.); (H.Y.)
| | - Heesang You
- Department of Senior Healthcare, Graduate School, Eulji University, Uijeongbu-si 11759, Korea; (S.L.); (H.Y.)
| | - Songhee Lee
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Graduate School, Eulji University, Uijeongbu-si 11759, Korea; (S.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yeongju Lee
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Graduate School, Eulji University, Uijeongbu-si 11759, Korea; (S.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Hee-Gyoo Kang
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, College of Health Sciences, Eulji University, Seongnam 13135, Korea; (H.-G.K.); (H.-J.S.)
| | - Ho-Joong Sung
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, College of Health Sciences, Eulji University, Seongnam 13135, Korea; (H.-G.K.); (H.-J.S.)
| | - Jiwon Choi
- Forensic DNA Analysis Division, National Forensic Service, Seoul 08636, Korea;
| | - Sunghee Hyun
- Department of Senior Healthcare, Graduate School, Eulji University, Uijeongbu-si 11759, Korea; (S.L.); (H.Y.)
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Graduate School, Eulji University, Uijeongbu-si 11759, Korea; (S.L.); (Y.L.)
| |
Collapse
|