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Guo LL, Yuan JH, Zhang C, Zhao J, Yao YR, Guo KL, Meng Y, Ji AQ, Kang KL, Wang L. Developmental validation of the STRSeqTyper122 kit for massively parallel sequencing of forensic STRs. Int J Legal Med 2024; 138:1255-1264. [PMID: 38416217 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03195-2] [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: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Massively parallel sequencing allows for integrated genotyping of different types of forensic markers, which reduces DNA consumption, simplifies experimental processes, and provides additional sequence-based genetic information. The STRseqTyper122 kit genotypes 63 autosomal STRs, 16 X-STRs, 42 Y-STRs, and the Amelogenin locus. Amplicon sizes of 117 loci were below 300 bp. In this study, MiSeq FGx sequencing metrics for STRseqTyper122 were presented. The genotyping accuracy of this kit was examined by comparing to certified genotypes of NIST standard reference materials and results from five capillary electrophoresis-based kits. The sensitivity of STRseqTyper122 reached 125 pg, and > 80% of the loci were correctly called with 62.5 pg and 31.25 pg input genomic DNA. Repeatability, species specificity, and tolerance for DNA degradation and PCR inhibitors of this kit were also evaluated. STRseqTyper122 demonstrated reliable performance with routine case-work samples and provided a powerful tool for forensic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Liang Guo
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Genetics of Ministry of Public Security, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Jia-Hui Yuan
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Genetics of Ministry of Public Security, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Jie Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Genetics of Ministry of Public Security, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Yi-Ren Yao
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Genetics of Ministry of Public Security, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Ke-Li Guo
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Genetics of Ministry of Public Security, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Yang Meng
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Genetics of Ministry of Public Security, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - An-Quan Ji
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Genetics of Ministry of Public Security, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing, 100038, China.
| | - Ke-Lai Kang
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Genetics of Ministry of Public Security, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing, 100038, China.
| | - Le Wang
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Genetics of Ministry of Public Security, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing, 100038, China.
- School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650500, China.
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Kulhankova L, Bindels E, Kayser M, Mulugeta E. Deconvoluting multi-person biological mixtures and accurate characterization and identification of separated contributors using non-targeted single-cell DNA sequencing. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2024; 71:103030. [PMID: 38513339 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2024.103030] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
The genetic characterization and identification of individuals who contributed to biological mixtures are complex and mostly unresolved tasks. These tasks are relevant in various fields, particularly in forensic investigations, which frequently encounters crime scene stains generated by more than one person. Currently, forensic mixture deconvolution is mostly performed subsequent to forensic DNA profiling at the level of the mixed DNA profiles, which comes with several limitations. Some previous studies attempted at separating single cells prior to forensic DNA profiling. However, these approaches are biased at selection of the cells and, due to their targeted DNA analysis on low template DNA, provide incomplete and unreliable forensic DNA profiles. We recently demonstrated the feasibility of performing mixture deconvolution prior to forensic DNA profiling through the utilization of a non-targeted single-cell transcriptome sequencing (scRNA-seq). In addition to individual-specific mixture deconvolution, this approach also allowed accurate characterisation of biological sex, biogeographic ancestry and individual identification of the separated mixture contributors. However, RNA has the forensic disadvantage of being prone to degradation, and sequencing RNA - focussing on coding regions - limits the number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) utilized for genetic mixture deconvolution, characterization, and identification. These limitations can be overcome by performing single-cell sequencing on the level of DNA instead of RNA. Here, for the first time, we applied non-targeted single-cell DNA sequencing (scDNA-seq) by applying the scATAC-seq (Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin with sequencing) technique to address the challenges of mixture deconvolution in the forensic context. We demonstrated that scATAC-seq, together with our recently developed De-goulash data analysis pipeline, is capable of deconvoluting complex blood mixtures of five individuals from both sexes with varying biogeographic ancestries. We further showed that our approach achieved correct genetic characterization of the biological sex and the biogeographic ancestry of each of the separated mixture contributors and established their identity. Furthermore, by analysing in-silico generated scATAC-seq data mixtures, we demonstrated successful individual-specific mixture deconvolution of i) highly complex mixtures of 11 individuals, ii) balanced mixtures containing as few as 20 cells (10 per each individual), and iii) imbalanced mixtures with a ratio as low as 1:80. Overall, our proof-of-principle study demonstrates the general feasibility of scDNA-seq in general, and scATAC-seq in particular, for mixture deconvolution, genetic characterization and individual identification of the separated mixture contributors. Furthermore, it shows that compared to scRNA-seq, scDNA-seq detects more SNPs from fewer cells, providing higher sensitivity, that is valuable in forensic genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Kulhankova
- Department of Genetic Identification, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eric Bindels
- Department of Haematology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Manfred Kayser
- Department of Genetic Identification, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Eskeatnaf Mulugeta
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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Fan H, Xu Y, Zhao Y, Feng K, Hong L, Zhao Q, Lu X, Shi M, Li H, Wang L, Wen S. Development and validation of YARN: A novel SE-400 MPS kit for East Asian paternal lineage analysis. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2024; 71:103029. [PMID: 38518712 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2024.103029] [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: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat polymorphisms (Y-STRs) and Y-chromosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms (Y-SNPs) are valuable genetic markers used in paternal lineage identification and population genetics. Currently, there is a lack of an effective panel that integrates Y-STRs and Y-SNPs for studying paternal lineages, particularly in East Asian populations. Hence, we developed a novel Y-chromosomal targeted panel called YARN (Y-chromosome Ancestry and Region Network) based on multiplex PCR and a single-end 400 massive parallel sequencing (MPS) strategy, consisting of 44 patrilineage Y-STRs and 260 evolutionary Y-SNPs. A total of 386 reactions were validated for the effectiveness and applicability of YARN according to SWGDAM validation guidelines, including sensitivity (with a minimum input gDNA of 0.125 ng), mixture identification (ranging from 1:1-1:10), PCR inhibitor testing (using substances such as 50 μM hematin, 100 μM hemoglobin, 100 μM humic acid, and 2.5 mM indigo dye), species specificity (successfully distinguishing humans from other animals), repeatability study (achieved 100% accuracy), and concordance study (with 99.91% accuracy for 1121 Y-STR alleles). Furthermore, we conducted a pilot study using YARN in a cohort of 484 Han Chinese males from Huaiji County, Zhaoqing City, Guangdong, China (GDZQHJ cohort). In this cohort, we identified 52 different Y-haplogroups and 73 different surnames. We found weak to moderate correlations between the Y-haplogroups, Chinese surnames, and geographical locations of the GDZQHJ cohort (with λ values ranging from 0.050 to 0.340). However, when we combined two different categories into a new independent variable, we observed stronger correlations (with λ values ranging from 0.617 to 0.754). Overall, the YARN panel, which combines Y-STR and Y-SNP genetic markers, meets forensic DNA quality assurance guidelines and holds potential for East Asian geographical origin inference and paternal lineage analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoliang Fan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China.
| | - Yiran Xu
- Institute of Archaeological Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Yutao Zhao
- Public Security Bureau of Zhaoqing Municipality, Zhaoqing 526000, China.
| | - Kai Feng
- Duanzhou Branch of Zhaoqing Public Security Bureau, Zhaoqing 526060, China.
| | - Liuxi Hong
- Sihui Public Security Bureau of Guangdong Province, Zhaoqing 526299, China.
| | - Qiancheng Zhao
- Public Security Bureau of Zhaoqing Municipality, Zhaoqing 526000, China.
| | - Xiaoyu Lu
- Deepreads Biotech Company Limited, Guangzhou 510663, China.
| | - Meisen Shi
- Criminal Justice College of China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing 100088, China.
| | - Haiyan Li
- Criminal Technology Center of Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department, Guangzhou 510050, China.
| | - Lingxiang Wang
- MOE Laboratory for National Development and Intelligent Governance, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Shaoqing Wen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; Institute of Archaeological Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; MOE Laboratory for National Development and Intelligent Governance, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
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Du Q, Ma G, Lu C, Wang Q, Fu L, Cong B, Li S. Development and evaluation of a novel panel containing 188 microhaplotypes for 2nd-degree kinship testing in the Hebei Han population. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2023; 65:102855. [PMID: 36947934 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2023.102855] [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: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Distant kinship identification is one of the critical problems in forensic genetics. As a new type of genetic marker defined and discussed in the last decade, the microhaplotype (MH) has drawn much attention in such identification owing to its specific advantages to traditional short tandem repeat (STR) or single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. In this study, MH markers were screened step by step from the 1000 Genomes Project database, and a novel multiplex panel containing 188 MHs (in which 181 are reported the first time, while 1 was reported in a previous study and the other 6 have partial overlaps with known markers) was constructed for application in 2nd- and 3rd-degree kinship identification. Along with the construction, a novel MH nomenclature was proposed, in which the SNP position information they contained was taken into account to eliminate the possibility that the same locus was named differently interlaboratory. After a series of evaluations, the panel was shown to have good sequencing accuracy, high sensitivity, species specificity, and resistance to anti-PCR inhibitors or degradation. Population data of the 188 MHs were calculated based on the genetic information of 221 unrelated Hebei Han individuals, and the effective number of alleles (Ae) ranged from 2.0925 to 8.2634 (with an average of 2.9267). For the whole system, the cumulative matching probability (CMP), the cumulative power of exclusion in paternity testing of duos (CPEduo) and that of trios (CPEtrio) reached 2.8422 × 10-137, 1-1.3109 × 10-21, and 1-2.8975 × 10-39, respectively, indicating that this panel was satisfactory for individual identification and paternity testing. Then, the efficiency of the 188 MHs in 2nd- and 3rd-degree kinship testing was studied based on 30 extended families consisting of 179 2nd-degree and 121 3rd-degree relatives, as well as simulations of 0.5 million pairs of those two kinships. The results showed that clear opinions would be given in 83.36% of 2nd-degree identifications with a false rate less than 10-5, when the confirming and excluding thresholds of cumulative likelihood ratio (CLR) were set as 104 and 10-4, respectively. This panel is still not sufficient to solve the problem of 3rd-degree kinship identification alone, and approximately 300 or 870 MH loci would be needed in 2nd- or 3rd-degree kinship identification, respectively, to achieve a system efficiency not less than 0.99 with such a threshold set; such necessary numbers would be used only as a reference in further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Du
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 361 Zhong Shan Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Guanju Ma
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 361 Zhong Shan Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Chaolong Lu
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 361 Zhong Shan Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 361 Zhong Shan Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Lihong Fu
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 361 Zhong Shan Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Bin Cong
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 361 Zhong Shan Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Shujin Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 361 Zhong Shan Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China.
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Liu Z, Simayijiang H, Wang Q, Yang J, Sun H, Wu R, Yan J. DNA and protein analyses of hair in forensic genetics. Int J Legal Med 2023; 137:613-633. [PMID: 36732435 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-023-02955-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Hair is one of the most common pieces of biological evidence found at a crime scene and plays an essential role in forensic investigation. Hairs, especially non-follicular hairs, are usually found at various crime scenes, either by natural shedding or by forcible shedding. However, the genetic material in hairs is usually highly degraded, which makes forensic analysis difficult. As a result, the value of hair has not been fully exploited in forensic investigations and trials. In recent years, with advances in molecular biology, forensic analysis of hair has achieved remarkable strides and provided crucial clues in numerous cases. This article reviews recent developments in DNA and protein analysis of hair and attempts to provide a comprehensive solution to improve forensic hair analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyong Liu
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Halimureti Simayijiang
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong, Shanxi, 030600, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiangwei Wang
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingyi Yang
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongyu Sun
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Riga Wu
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China. .,Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jiangwei Yan
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong, Shanxi, 030600, People's Republic of China.
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State of the Art for Microhaplotypes. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13081322. [PMID: 35893059 PMCID: PMC9329722 DOI: 10.3390/genes13081322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the number of publications on microhaplotypes has averaged more than a dozen papers annually. Many have contributed to a significant increase in the number of highly polymorphic microhaplotype loci. This increase allows microhaplotypes to be very informative in four main areas of forensic uses of DNA: individualization, ancestry inference, kinship analysis, and mixture deconvolution. The random match Probability (RMP) can be as small as 10−100 for a large panel of microhaplotypes. It is possible to measure the heterozygosity of an MH as the effective number of alleles (Ae). Ae > 7.5 exists for African populations and >4.5 exists for Native American populations for a smaller panel of two dozen selected microhaplotypes. Using STRUCTURE, at least 10 different ancestral clusters can be defined by microhaplotypes. The Ae for a locus is also identical to the Paternity Index (PI), the measure of how informative a locus will be in parentage testing. High Ae loci can also be useful in missing persons cases. Finally, high Ae microhaplotypes allow the near certainty of seeing multiple additional alleles in a mixture of two or more individuals in a DNA sample. In summary, a panel of higher Ae microhaplotypes can outperform the standard CODIS markers.
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