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Haarkötter C, Saiz M, Gálvez X, Vinueza-Espinosa DC, Medina-Lozano MI, Álvarez JC, Lorente JA. Evaluation of the usefulness of insertion-null markers in critical skeletal remains. Int J Legal Med 2024; 138:1287-1293. [PMID: 38509248 PMCID: PMC11164766 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03205-3] [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: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Forensic DNA analysis in compromised skeletal remains may pose challenges due to DNA degradation, often resulting in partial or negative autosomal STRs profiles. To address this issue, alternative approaches such as mitochondrial DNA or SNPs typing may be employed; however, they are labour-intensive and costly. Insertion-null alleles (INNULs), short interspersed nuclear elements, have been suggested as a valuable tool for human identification in challenging samples due to their small amplicon size. A commercial kit including 20 INNULs markers along with amelogenin (InnoTyper® 21) has been developed. This study assesses its utility using degraded skeletal remains, comparing the results obtained (the number of detected alleles, RFU values, PHR, and the number of reportable markers) to those obtained using GlobalFiler™. Subsequently, the random match probability of the two profiles for each sample was determined using Familias version 3 to evaluate the power of discrimination of the results obtained from each kit. In every sample, InnoTyper® 21 yielded more alleles, higher RFU values, and a greater number of reportable loci. However, in most cases, both profiles were similarly informative. In conclusion, InnoTyper® 21 serves as a valuable complement to the analysis of challenging samples in cases where a poor or negative profile was obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Haarkötter
- Laboratory of Genetic Identification & Human Rights (LABIGEN-UGR), Department of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Av. Investigación 11 - PTS - 18016, Granada, Spain
| | - María Saiz
- Laboratory of Genetic Identification & Human Rights (LABIGEN-UGR), Department of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Av. Investigación 11 - PTS - 18016, Granada, Spain
| | - Xiomara Gálvez
- Laboratory of Genetic Identification & Human Rights (LABIGEN-UGR), Department of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Av. Investigación 11 - PTS - 18016, Granada, Spain
| | - Diana C Vinueza-Espinosa
- Laboratory of Genetic Identification & Human Rights (LABIGEN-UGR), Department of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Av. Investigación 11 - PTS - 18016, Granada, Spain
| | - María Isabel Medina-Lozano
- Laboratory of Genetic Identification & Human Rights (LABIGEN-UGR), Department of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Av. Investigación 11 - PTS - 18016, Granada, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Álvarez
- Laboratory of Genetic Identification & Human Rights (LABIGEN-UGR), Department of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Av. Investigación 11 - PTS - 18016, Granada, Spain.
| | - Jose Antonio Lorente
- Laboratory of Genetic Identification & Human Rights (LABIGEN-UGR), Department of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Av. Investigación 11 - PTS - 18016, Granada, Spain
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Leskovar T, Jerman I, Zupanič Pajnič I. The mysteries of DNA preservation in bone: A comparative study of petrous bones and metacarpal epiphyses using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Forensic Sci Int 2024; 360:112076. [PMID: 38821024 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112076] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
A comparative analysis of 26 petrous bones and epiphyses of metacarpals from the Second World War era revealed no significant differences in DNA yield or success in STR typing. This unexpected parity in DNA preservation between the petrous bone, a renowned source of endogenous DNA in skeletal remains, and the epiphyses of metacarpals, which are porous and susceptible to taphonomic changes, is surprising. In this study, we introduced ATR-FTIR spectroscopy as an approach to unravel the correlation between bone molecular structure and DNA preservation. Metacarpals and petrous bones with same taphonomic history were sampled and prepared for DNA analyses. While one portion of the sample was used for DNA analysis, the other underwent ATR-FTIR spectroscopic examination. The normalized spectra and FTIR indices between the epiphyses of metacarpals and petrous bones were compared. Because the taphonomic history of the remains used is relatively short and stable, the ATR-FTIR spectroscopy unveiled subtle structural differences between the two bone types. Petrous bones exhibited higher mineralization, whereas epiphyses contained more organic matter. The unexpected preservation of DNA in the epiphyses of metacarpals can likely be attributed to the presence of soft tissue remnants within the trabeculae. Here observed differences in the molecular structure of bones indicate there are different mechanisms enabling DNA preservation in skeletal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Leskovar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Zavetiška 5, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Ivan Jerman
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia.
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Tomizawa Y, Nakatsukasa M, Ponce de León MS, Zollikofer CPE, Morimoto N. Shaft structure of the first metatarsal contains a strong phylogenetic signal in apes and humans. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024:e24987. [PMID: 38922796 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Metatarsal bones constitute a key functional unit of the foot in primates. While the form-function relationships of metatarsals have been extensively studied, particularly in relation to the loss of the grasping ability of the foot in humans in contrast to apes, the effect of phyletic history on the metatarsal morphology and its variability remains largely unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS Here, we evaluate how the strength of the phylogenetic signal varies from the first to the fifth metatarsal in humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, gibbons, and Japanese macaques. We use computed tomography imaging and morphometric mapping to quantify the second moment of area around and along the metatarsal shaft and evaluate the strength of the phylogenetic signal with multivariate K-statistics. RESULTS The shaft structure of the first metatarsal, but not the others, correlates well with the phylogeny of apes and humans. DISCUSSION Given the importance of the first metatarsal for grasping and bipedal/quadrupedal locomotion, the strong phylogenetic but weak functional signal in its structure is unexpected. These findings suggest that the evolutionary diversification of hominoid locomotor behaviors, including human bipedality, is only partly reflected in form-function relationships of key skeletal elements, and that phylogenetic history acted as a major evolutionary constraint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuma Tomizawa
- Laboratory of Physical Anthropology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masato Nakatsukasa
- Laboratory of Physical Anthropology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | | | - Naoki Morimoto
- Laboratory of Physical Anthropology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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4
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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.
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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.)
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Yaka R, Maja Krzewińska, Lagerholm VK, Linderholm A, Özer F, Somel M, Götherström A. Comparison and optimization of protocols and whole-genome capture conditions for ancient DNA samples. Biotechniques 2024; 76:216-223. [PMID: 38530148 DOI: 10.2144/btn-2023-0107] [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] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Ancient DNA (aDNA) obtained from human remains is typically fragmented and present in relatively low amounts. Here we investigate a set of optimal methods for producing aDNA data by comparing silica-based DNA extraction and aDNA library preparation protocols. We also test the efficiency of whole-genome enrichment (WGC) on ancient human samples by modifying a number of parameter combinations. We find that the Dabney extraction protocol performs significantly better than alternatives. We further observed a positive trend with the BEST library protocol indicating lower clonality. Notably, our results suggest that WGC is effective at retrieving endogenous DNA, particularly from poorly-preserved human samples, by increasing human endogenous proportions by 5x. Thus, aDNA studies will be most likely to benefit from our results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reyhan Yaka
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Archaeology & Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Turkey
| | - Maja Krzewińska
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Archaeology & Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vendela Kempe Lagerholm
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Archaeology & Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Linderholm
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Füsun Özer
- Department of Anthropology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Somel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Turkey
| | - Anders Götherström
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Archaeology & Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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6
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Lanaud C, Vignes H, Utge J, Valette G, Rhoné B, Garcia Caputi M, Angarita Nieto NS, Fouet O, Gaikwad N, Zarrillo S, Powis TG, Cyphers A, Valdez F, Olivera Nunez SQ, Speller C, Blake M, Valdez FJ, Raymond S, Rowe SM, Duke GS, Romano FE, Loor Solórzano RG, Argout X. A revisited history of cacao domestication in pre-Columbian times revealed by archaeogenomic approaches. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2972. [PMID: 38453955 PMCID: PMC10920634 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53010-6] [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: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Humans have a long history of transporting and trading plants, contributing to the evolution of domesticated plants. Theobroma cacao originated in the Neotropics from South America. However, little is known about its domestication and use in these regions. In this study, ceramic residues from a large sample of pre-Columbian cultures from South and Central America were analyzed using archaeogenomic and biochemical approaches. Here we show, for the first time, the widespread use of cacao in South America out of its native Amazonian area of origin, extending back 5000 years, likely supported by cultural interactions between the Amazon and the Pacific coast. We observed that strong genetic mixing between geographically distant cacao populations occurred as early as the middle Holocene, in South America, driven by humans, favoring the adaptation of T. cacao to new environments. This complex history of cacao domestication is the basis of today's cacao tree populations and its knowledge can help us better manage their genetic resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Lanaud
- CIRAD, AGAP Institut, Avenue Agropolis, F-34398, Montpellier, France.
- AGAP Institut, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France.
| | - Hélène Vignes
- CIRAD, AGAP Institut, Avenue Agropolis, F-34398, Montpellier, France
- AGAP Institut, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - José Utge
- UMR 7206 Eco-anthropologie, Département Homme et Environnement, MNHN-CNRS-Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Gilles Valette
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron - (UMR IBMM), Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Bénédicte Rhoné
- CIRAD, AGAP Institut, Avenue Agropolis, F-34398, Montpellier, France
- AGAP Institut, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | - Olivier Fouet
- CIRAD, AGAP Institut, Avenue Agropolis, F-34398, Montpellier, France
- AGAP Institut, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Sonia Zarrillo
- Department of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Terry G Powis
- Department of Geography and Anthropology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, USA
| | - Ann Cyphers
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), México, México
| | - Francisco Valdez
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR 208 PALOC, MNHN-IRD, Paris, France
| | | | - Camilla Speller
- Department of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Michael Blake
- Department of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Scott Raymond
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Sarah M Rowe
- The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, USA
| | - Guy S Duke
- The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Xavier Argout
- CIRAD, AGAP Institut, Avenue Agropolis, F-34398, Montpellier, France
- AGAP Institut, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
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7
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Leskovar T, Pajnič IZ. Comparative analysis of DNA preservation in permanent and deciduous teeth of adults and non-adults: Implications for archaeological and forensic research. Forensic Sci Int 2023; 353:111882. [PMID: 37979239 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111882] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates the preservation of DNA in different categories of teeth, including permanent and deciduous, fully developed and not fully developed, in both adults and non-adults. Teeth were sampled from a modern-era cemetery in Ljubljana, Slovenia. DNA extraction was performed using a full demineralisation protocol. DNA quantity and quality were assessed using qPCR analyses, and autosomal STR typing was conducted to verify genetic profiles. Results revealed significant differences in DNA preservation among various tooth categories. Fully developed permanent teeth of adults exhibited the highest DNA yields, attributed to their fully developed roots and thicker cementum, which is rich in DNA. Deciduous teeth, with thinner enamel and cementum, showed lower DNA preservation regardless of developmental stage. Non-adult teeth generally yielded less DNA compared to adults, even when considering only fully developed permanent teeth, indicating factors beyond developmental stage. These findings suggest that, in archaeological and forensic contexts, researchers should prioritize fully developed permanent teeth for DNA analysis due to their superior preservation. Additionally, this study underscores the importance of considering tooth type and developmental stage when selecting samples for genetic analysis in cases where petrous bone is unavailable, expanding our understanding of DNA preservation in human remains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Leskovar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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8
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Quatela AS, Cangren P, Jafari F, Michel T, de Boer HJ, Oxelman B. Retrieval of long DNA reads from herbarium specimens. AOB PLANTS 2023; 15:plad074. [PMID: 38130422 PMCID: PMC10735254 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plad074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput sequencing of herbarium specimens' DNA with short-read platforms has helped explore many biological questions. Here, for the first time, we investigate the potential of using herbarium specimens as a resource for long-read DNA sequencing technologies. We use target capture of 48 low-copy nuclear loci in 12 herbarium specimens of Silene as a basis for long-read sequencing using SMRT PacBio Sequel. The samples were collected between 1932 and 2019. A simple optimization of size selection protocol enabled the retrieval of both long DNA fragments (>1 kb) and long on-target reads for nine of them. The limited sampling size does not enable statistical evaluation of the influence of specimen age to the DNA fragmentation, but our results confirm that younger samples, that is, collected after 1990, are less fragmented and have better sequencing success than specimens collected before this date. Specimens collected between 1990 and 2019 yield between 167 and 3403 on-target reads > 1 kb. They enabled recovering between 34 loci and 48 (i.e. all loci recovered). Three samples from specimens collected before 1990 did not yield on-target reads > 1 kb. The four other samples collected before this date yielded up to 144 reads and recovered up to 25 loci. Young herbarium specimens seem promising for long-read sequencing. However, older ones have partly failed. Further exploration would be necessary to statistically test and understand the potential of older material in the quest for long reads. We would encourage greatly expanding the sampling size and comparing different taxonomic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Sophie Quatela
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Center, Gothenburg, Box 463, 405 30, Sweden
| | - Patrik Cangren
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Farzaneh Jafari
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Lorestan University, P.O. BOX 6815144316, Khorramabad, Iran
- Department of Plant Science, Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14155-6455, Tehran, Iran
| | - Thibauld Michel
- Tropical Diversity Research Department, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LRUK
| | - Hugo J de Boer
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1172 Blindern, 0318 Oslo, Norway
| | - Bengt Oxelman
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Center, Gothenburg, Box 463, 405 30, Sweden
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9
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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.
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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
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10
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Zupanič Pajnič I, Mlinšek T, Počivavšek T, Leskovar T. Genetic sexing of subadult skeletal remains. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20463. [PMID: 37993531 PMCID: PMC10665466 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47836-9] [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: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
When subadult skeletons need to be identified, biological sex diagnosis is one of the first steps in the identification process. Sex assessment of subadults using morphological features is unreliable, and molecular genetic methods were applied in this study. Eighty-three ancient skeletons were used as models for poorly preserved DNA. Three sex-informative markers on the Y and X chromosome were used for sex identification: a qPCR test using the PowerQuant Y target included in PowerQuant System (Promega), the amelogenin test included in ESI 17 Fast STR kit (Promega), and a Y-STR amplification test using the PowerPlex Y-23 kit (Promega). Sex was successfully determined in all but five skeletons. Successful PowerQuant Y-target, Y-amelogenin, and Y-chromosomal STR amplifications proved the presence of male DNA in 35 skeletons, and in 43 subadults female sex was established. No match was found between the genetic profiles of subadult skeletons, and the elimination database and negative control samples produced no profiles, indicating no contamination issue. Our study shows that genetic sex identification is a very successful approach for biological sexing of subadult skeletons whose sex cannot be assessed by anthropological methods. The results of this study are applicable for badly preserved subadult skeletons from routine forensic casework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Teo Mlinšek
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tadej Počivavšek
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tamara Leskovar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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11
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Childebayeva A, Zavala EI. Review: Computational analysis of human skeletal remains in ancient DNA and forensic genetics. iScience 2023; 26:108066. [PMID: 37927550 PMCID: PMC10622734 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108066] [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] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Degraded DNA is used to answer questions in the fields of ancient DNA (aDNA) and forensic genetics. While aDNA studies typically center around human evolution and past history, and forensic genetics is often more concerned with identifying a specific individual, scientists in both fields face similar challenges. The overlap in source material has prompted periodic discussions and studies on the advantages of collaboration between fields toward mutually beneficial methodological advancements. However, most have been centered around wet laboratory methods (sampling, DNA extraction, library preparation, etc.). In this review, we focus on the computational side of the analytical workflow. We discuss limitations and considerations to consider when working with degraded DNA. We hope this review provides a framework to researchers new to computational workflows for how to think about analyzing highly degraded DNA and prompts an increase of collaboration between the forensic genetics and aDNA fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainash Childebayeva
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Elena I. Zavala
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
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12
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Haarkötter C, Vinueza-Espinosa DC, Gálvez X, Saiz M, Medina-Lozano MI, Lorente JA, Álvarez JC. A comparison between petrous bone and tooth, femur and tibia DNA analysis from degraded skeletal remains. Electrophoresis 2023; 44:1559-1568. [PMID: 37469183 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202300097] [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: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Skeletal remains are the only biological material that remains after long periods; however, environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and pH affect DNA preservation, turning skeletal remains into a challenging sample for DNA laboratories. Sample selection is a key factor, and femur and tooth have been traditionally recommended as the best substrate of genetic material. Recently, petrous bone (cochlear area) has been suggested as a better option due to its DNA yield. This research aims to evaluate the efficiency of petrous bone compared to other cranium samples (tooth) and postcranial long bones (femur and tibia). A total amount of 88 samples were selected from 38 different individuals. The samples were extracted by using an organic extraction protocol, DNA quantification by Quantifiler Trio kit and amplified with GlobalFiler kit. Results show that petrous bone outperforms other bone remains in quantification data, yielding 15-30 times more DNA than the others. DNA profile data presented likeness between petrous bone and tooth regarding detected alleles; however, the amount of DNA extracted in petrous bones allowed us to obtain more informative DNA profiles with superior quality. In conclusion, petrous bone or teeth sampling is recommended if DNA typing is going to be performed with environmentally degraded skeletal remains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Haarkötter
- Laboratory of Genetic Identification, Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Diana C Vinueza-Espinosa
- Laboratory of Genetic Identification, Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Xiomara Gálvez
- Laboratory of Genetic Identification, Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - María Saiz
- Laboratory of Genetic Identification, Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - María Isabel Medina-Lozano
- Laboratory of Genetic Identification, Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - José Antonio Lorente
- Laboratory of Genetic Identification, Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Álvarez
- Laboratory of Genetic Identification, Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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13
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Papalini S, Di Vittori V, Pieri A, Allegrezza M, Frascarelli G, Nanni L, Bitocchi E, Bellucci E, Gioia T, Pereira LG, Susek K, Tenaillon M, Neumann K, Papa R. Challenges and Opportunities behind the Use of Herbaria in Paleogenomics Studies. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3452. [PMID: 37836192 PMCID: PMC10575153 DOI: 10.3390/plants12193452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Paleogenomics focuses on the recovery, manipulation, and analysis of ancient DNA (aDNA) from historical or long-dead organisms to reconstruct and analyze their genomes. The aDNA is commonly obtained from remains found in paleontological and archaeological sites, conserved in museums, and in other archival collections. Herbarium collections represent a great source of phenotypic and genotypic information, and their exploitation has allowed for inference and clarification of previously unsolved taxonomic and systematic relationships. Moreover, herbarium specimens offered a new source for studying phenological traits in plants and for disentangling biogeography and evolutionary scenarios of species. More recently, advances in molecular technologies went in parallel with the decreasing costs of next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches, which paved the way to the utilization of aDNA for whole-genome studies. Although many studies have been carried out combining modern analytic techniques and ancient samples, such as herbarium specimens, this research field is still relatively unexplored due to the need for improving strategies for aDNA manipulation and exploitation from ancient samples. The higher susceptibility of aDNA to degradation and contamination during herbarium conservation and manipulation and the occurrence of biochemical postmortem damage can result in a more challenging reconstruction of the original DNA sequence. Here, we review the methodological approaches that have been developed for the exploitation of historical herbarium plant materials, such as best practices for aDNA extraction, amplification, and genotyping. We also focus on some strategies to overcome the main problems related to the utilization of herbarium specimens for their exploitation in plant evolutionary studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Papalini
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (S.P.); (A.P.); (M.A.); (G.F.); (L.N.); (E.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Valerio Di Vittori
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (S.P.); (A.P.); (M.A.); (G.F.); (L.N.); (E.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Alice Pieri
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (S.P.); (A.P.); (M.A.); (G.F.); (L.N.); (E.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Marina Allegrezza
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (S.P.); (A.P.); (M.A.); (G.F.); (L.N.); (E.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Giulia Frascarelli
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (S.P.); (A.P.); (M.A.); (G.F.); (L.N.); (E.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Laura Nanni
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (S.P.); (A.P.); (M.A.); (G.F.); (L.N.); (E.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Elena Bitocchi
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (S.P.); (A.P.); (M.A.); (G.F.); (L.N.); (E.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Elisa Bellucci
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (S.P.); (A.P.); (M.A.); (G.F.); (L.N.); (E.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Tania Gioia
- School of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy;
| | - Luis Guasch Pereira
- Spanish Plant Genetic Resources National Center, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (CRF-INIA-CSIC), 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain;
| | - Karolina Susek
- Legume Genomics Team, Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszynska 34, 60-479 Poznan, Poland;
| | - Maud Tenaillon
- Génétique Quantitative et Evolution–Le Moulon, Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, CNRS, AgroParisTech, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France;
| | - Kerstin Neumann
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, 06466 Seeland, Germany;
| | - Roberto Papa
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (S.P.); (A.P.); (M.A.); (G.F.); (L.N.); (E.B.); (E.B.)
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14
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Guzmán-Solís AA, Navarro MA, Ávila-Arcos MC, Blanco-Melo D. A Glimpse into the Past: What Ancient Viral Genomes Reveal About Human History. Annu Rev Virol 2023; 10:49-75. [PMID: 37268008 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-virology-111821-123859] [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] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Humans have battled viruses for millennia. However, directly linking the symptomatology of disease outbreaks to specific viral pathogens was not possible until the twentieth century. With the advent of the genomic era and the development of advanced protocols for isolation, sequencing, and analysis of ancient nucleic acids from diverse human remains, the identification and characterization of ancient viruses became feasible. Recent studies have provided invaluable information about past epidemics and made it possible to examine assumptions and inferences on the origin and evolution of certain viral families. In parallel, the study of ancient viruses also uncovered their importance in the evolution of the human lineage and their key roles in shaping major events in human history. In this review, we describe the strategies used for the study of ancient viruses, along with their limitations, and provide a detailed account of what past viral infections have revealed about human history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel A Guzmán-Solís
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Miguel Alejandro Navarro
- Licenciatura en Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
- International Laboratory for Human Genome Research, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, México;
| | - María C Ávila-Arcos
- International Laboratory for Human Genome Research, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, México;
| | - Daniel Blanco-Melo
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA;
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15
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Uricoechea Patiño D, Collins A, García OJR, Santos Vecino G, Cuenca JVR, Bernal JE, Benavides Benítez E, Vergara Muñoz S, Briceño Balcázar I. High Mitochondrial Haplotype Diversity Found in Three Pre-Hispanic Groups from Colombia. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1853. [PMID: 37895202 PMCID: PMC10606881 DOI: 10.3390/genes14101853] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) hypervariable region (HVR) sequence data from ancient human remains provides valuable insights into the genetic structure and population dynamics of ancient populations. mtDNA is particularly useful in studying ancient populations, because it is maternally inherited and has a higher mutation rate compared to nuclear DNA. To determine the genetic structure of three Colombian pre-Hispanic populations and compare them with current populations, we determined the haplotypes from human bone remains by sequencing several mitochondrial DNA segments. A wide variety of mitochondrial polymorphisms were obtained from 33 samples. Our results support a high population heterogeneity among pre-Hispanic populations in Colombia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Uricoechea Patiño
- Doctoral Program in Biosciences, Human Genetics Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of La Sabana, Chía 250001, Colombia;
| | - Andrew Collins
- Human Genetics & Genomic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK;
| | | | - Gustavo Santos Vecino
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social and Human Science, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia;
| | | | - Jaime E. Bernal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Sinú, Cartagena de Indias 130011, Colombia; (J.E.B.); (E.B.B.); (S.V.M.)
| | - Escilda Benavides Benítez
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Sinú, Cartagena de Indias 130011, Colombia; (J.E.B.); (E.B.B.); (S.V.M.)
| | - Saray Vergara Muñoz
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Sinú, Cartagena de Indias 130011, Colombia; (J.E.B.); (E.B.B.); (S.V.M.)
| | - Ignacio Briceño Balcázar
- Doctoral Program in Biosciences, Human Genetics Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of La Sabana, Chía 250001, Colombia;
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16
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Glunčić M, Vlahović I, Rosandić M, Paar V. Tandem NBPF 3mer HORs (Olduvai triplets) in Neanderthal and two novel HOR tandem arrays in human chromosome 1 T2T-CHM13 assembly. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14420. [PMID: 37660151 PMCID: PMC10475015 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41517-3] [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: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
It is known that the ~ 1.6 kb Neuroblastoma BreakPoint Family (NBPF) repeats are human specific and contributing to cognitive capabilities, with increasing frequency in higher order repeat 3mer HORs (Olduvai triplets). From chimpanzee to modern human there is a discontinuous jump from 0 to ~ 50 tandemly organized 3mer HORs. Here we investigate the structure of NBPF 3mer HORs in the Neanderthal genome assembly of Pääbo et al., comparing it to the results obtained for human hg38.p14 chromosome 1. Our findings reveal corresponding NBPF 3mer HOR arrays in Neanderthals with slightly different monomer structures and numbers of HOR copies compared to humans. Additionally, we compute the NBPF 3mer HOR pattern for the complete telomere-to-telomere human genome assembly (T2T-CHM13) by Miga et al., identifying two novel tandem arrays of NBPF 3mer HOR repeats with 5 and 9 NBPF 3mer HOR copies. We hypothesize that these arrays correspond to novel NBPF genes (here referred to as NBPFA1 and NBPFA2). Further improving the quality of the Neanderthal genome using T2T-CHM13 as a reference would be of great interest in determining the presence of such distant novel NBPF genes in the Neanderthal genome and enhancing our understanding of human evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matko Glunčić
- Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | | | - Marija Rosandić
- University Hospital Centre Zagreb (Ret.), 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
- Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Vladimir Paar
- Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
- Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
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17
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Zupanič Pajnič I, Leskovar T, Črešnar M. Eye and hair color prediction of an early medieval adult and subadult skeleton using massive parallel sequencing technology. Int J Legal Med 2023; 137:1629-1638. [PMID: 37284851 PMCID: PMC10421759 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-023-03032-y] [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: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic trait prediction in ancient DNA analysis can provide information about the external appearance of individuals from past human populations. Some studies predicting eye and hair color in ancient adult skeletons have been published, but not for ancient subadult skeletons, which are more prone to decay. In this study, eye and hair color were predicted for an early medieval adult skeleton and a subadult skeleton that was anthropologically characterized as a middle-aged man and a subadult of unknown sex about 6 years old. When processing the petrous bones, precautions were taken to prevent contamination with modern DNA. The MillMix tissue homogenizer was used for grinding, 0.5 g of bone powder was decalcified, and DNA was purified in Biorobot EZ1. The PowerQuant System was used for quantification and a customized version of the HIrisPlex panel for massive parallel sequencing (MPS) analysis. Library preparation and templating were performed on the HID Ion Chef Instrument and sequencing on the Ion GeneStudio S5 System. Up to 21 ng DNA/g of powder was obtained from ancient petrous bones. Clean negative controls and no matches with elimination database profiles confirmed no contamination issue. Brown eyes and dark brown or black hair were predicted for the adult skeleton and blue eyes and brown or dark brown hair for the subadult skeleton. The MPS analysis results obtained proved that it is possible to predict hair and eye color not only for an adult from the Early Middle Ages, but also for a subadult skeleton dating to this period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tamara Leskovar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matija Črešnar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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18
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Vinueza-Espinosa DC, Cuesta-Aguirre DR, Malgosa A, Santos C. Mitochondrial DNA control region typing from highly degraded skeletal remains by single-multiplex next-generation sequencing. Electrophoresis 2023; 44:1423-1434. [PMID: 37379235 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202200052] [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: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Poor nuclear DNA preservation from highly degraded skeletal remains is the most limiting factor for the genetic identification of individuals. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) typing, and especially of the control region (CR), using next-generation sequencing (NGS), enables retrieval of valuable genetic information in forensic contexts where highly degraded human skeletal remains are the only source of genetic material. Currently, NGS commercial kits can type all mtDNA-CR in fewer steps than the conventional Sanger technique. The PowerSeq CRM Nested System kit (Promega Corporation) employs a nested multiplex-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) strategy to amplify and index all mtDNA-CR in a single reaction. Our study analyzes the success of mtDNA-CR typing of highly degraded human skeletons using the PowerSeq CRM Nested System kit. We used samples from 41 individuals from different time periods to test three protocols (M1, M2, and M3) based on modifications of PCR conditions. To analyze the detected variants, two bioinformatic procedures were compared: an in-house pipeline and the GeneMarker HTS software. The results showed that many samples were not analyzed when the standard protocol (M1) was used. In contrast, the M3 protocol, which includes 35 PCR cycles and longer denaturation and extension steps, successfully recovered the mtDNA-CR from highly degraded skeletal samples. Mixed base profiles and the percentage of damaged reads were both indicators of possible contamination and can provide better results if used together. Furthermore, our freely available in-house pipeline can provide variants concordant with the forensic software.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana C Vinueza-Espinosa
- Research Group in Biological Anthropology, Biological Anthropology Unit, Department of Animal Biology, Vegetal Biology and Ecology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Daniel R Cuesta-Aguirre
- Research Group in Biological Anthropology, Biological Anthropology Unit, Department of Animal Biology, Vegetal Biology and Ecology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Assumpció Malgosa
- Research Group in Biological Anthropology, Biological Anthropology Unit, Department of Animal Biology, Vegetal Biology and Ecology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Cristina Santos
- Research Group in Biological Anthropology, Biological Anthropology Unit, Department of Animal Biology, Vegetal Biology and Ecology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
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19
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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.
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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
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20
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Leskovar T, Mlinšek T, Počivavšek T, Zupanič Pajnič I. Comparison of Morphological Sex Assessment and Genetic Sex Determination on Adult and Sub-Adult 17th-19th Century Skeletal Remains. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1561. [PMID: 37628613 PMCID: PMC10454762 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081561] [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: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The first step in the analysis of human skeletal remains is the establishment of the biological profile of an individual. This includes sex assessment, which depends highly on the age of the individual and on the completeness and preservation state of the remains. Macroscopic methods only provide the assessment of sex, while for sex determination, molecular methods need to be included. However, poor preservation of the remains can make molecular methods impossible and only assessment can be performed. Presented research compares DNA-determined and morphologically assessed sex of adult and non-adult individuals buried in a modern-age cemetery (17th to late 19th century) in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The aim of the study was to assess the accuracy of commonly used macroscopic methods for sex assessment on a Slovenian post-medieval population. Results demonstrate that for adults, macroscopic methods employed are highly reliable and pelvic morphology, even the sciatic notch alone, is more reliable than skull. In non-adults, macroscopic methods are not as reliable as in adults, which agrees with previous research. This study shows how morphological and molecular methods can go hand in hand when building a biological profile of an individual. On their own, each methodology presented some individuals with undetermined sex, while together, sex of all the individuals was provided. Results confirm suitability of sex assessment based on skull and especially pelvic morphology in Slovenian post-medieval adults, while in the non-adult population molecular methods are advised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Leskovar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Teo Mlinšek
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (T.M.); (T.P.)
| | - Tadej Počivavšek
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (T.M.); (T.P.)
| | - Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (T.M.); (T.P.)
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21
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Inkret J, Zupanc T, Zupanič Pajnič I. A Multisample Approach in Forensic Phenotyping of Chronological Old Skeletal Remains Using Massive Parallel Sequencing (MPS) Technology. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1449. [PMID: 37510353 PMCID: PMC10379588 DOI: 10.3390/genes14071449] [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: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
It is very important to generate phenotypic results that are reliable when processing chronological old skeletal remains for cases involving the identification of missing persons. To improve the success of pigmentation prediction in Second World War victims, three bones from each of the eight skeletons analyzed were included in the study, which makes it possible to generate a consensus profile. The PowerQuant System was used for quantification, the ESI 17 Fast System was used for STR typing, and a customized version of the HIrisPlex panel was used for PCR-MPS. The HID Ion Chef Instrument was used for library preparation and templating. Sequencing was performed with the Ion GeneStudio S5 System. Identical full profiles and identical hair and eye color predictions were achieved from three bones analyzed per skeleton. Blue eye color was predicted in five skeletons and brown in three skeletons. Blond hair color was predicted in one skeleton, blond to dark blond in three skeletons, brown to dark brown in two skeletons, and dark brown to black in two skeletons. The reproducibility and reliability of the results proved the multisample analysis method to be beneficial for phenotyping chronological old skeletons because differences in DNA yields in different bone types provide a greater possibility of obtaining a better-quality consensus profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jezerka Inkret
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tomaž Zupanc
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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22
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Bonfigli A, Cesare P, Volpe AR, Colafarina S, Forgione A, Aloisi M, Zarivi O, Poma AMG. Estimation of DNA Degradation in Archaeological Human Remains. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1238. [PMID: 37372418 DOI: 10.3390/genes14061238] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The evaluation of the integrity and quantity of DNA extracted from archaeological human remains is a fundamental step before using the latest generation sequencing techniques in the study of evolutionary processes. Ancient DNA is highly fragmented and chemically modified; therefore, the present study aims to identify indices that can allow the identification of potentially amplifiable and sequenceable DNA samples, reducing failures and research costs. Ancient DNA was extracted from five human bone remains from the archaeological site of Amiternum L'Aquila, Italy dating back to the 9th-12th century and was compared with standard DNA fragmented by sonication. Given the different degradation kinetics of mitochondrial DNA compared to nuclear DNA, the mitochondrially encoded 12s RNA and 18s ribosomal RNA genes were taken into consideration; fragments of various sizes were amplified in qPCR and the size distribution was thoroughly investigated. DNA damage degree was evaluated by calculating damage frequency (λ) and the ratio between the amount of the different fragments and that of the smallest fragment (Q). The results demonstrate that both indices were found to be suitable for identifying, among the samples tested, those less damaged and suitable for post-extraction analysis; mitochondrial DNA is more damaged than nuclear, in fact, amplicons up to 152 bp and 253 bp, respectively are obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Bonfigli
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Patrizia Cesare
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Volpe
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Sabrina Colafarina
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Alfonso Forgione
- Department of Human Studies, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Massimo Aloisi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Osvaldo Zarivi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
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23
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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.
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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.
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24
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Zupanič Pajnič I, Leskovar T, Črešnar M. Improving kinship probability in analysis of ancient skeletons using identity SNPs and MPS technology. Int J Legal Med 2023:10.1007/s00414-023-03003-3. [PMID: 37127762 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-023-03003-3] [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: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In forensic kinship analysis and human identification cases, analysis of STRs is the gold standard. When badly preserved ancient DNA is used for kinship analysis, short identity SNPs are more promising for successful amplification. In this work, kinship analysis was performed on two skeletons from the Early Middle Ages. The surface contaminants of petrous bones were removed by chemical cleaning and UV irradiation; DNA was isolated through full demineralization and purified in an EZ1 Advanced XL machine. The PowerQuant kit was used to analyze DNA yield and degradation, and on average, 17 ng DNA/g of petrous bone was obtained. Both skeletons were typed in duplicate for STR markers using the Investigator EssplexPlus SE QS kit, and comparison of partial consensus genotypes showed shared allelic variants at most loci amplified, indicating close kinship. After statistical calculation, the full-sibling kinship probability was too low for kinship confirmation, and additional analyses were performed with PCR-MPS using the Precision ID Identity Panel. The HID Ion Chef Instrument was used to prepare the libraries and for templating and the Ion GeneStudio S5 System for sequencing. Analysis of identity SNPs produced full genetic profiles from both skeletons. For combined likelihood ratio (LR) calculation, the product rule was used, combining LR for STRs and LR for SNPs, and a combined LR of 3.3 × 107 (corresponding to a full-sibling probability of 99.999997%) was calculated. Through the SNP PCR-MPS that followed the STR analysis, full-sibling kinship between the ancient skeletons excavated from an early medieval grave was confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Tamara Leskovar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matija Črešnar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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25
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Zupanič Pajnič I, Leskovar T, Zupanc T, Podovšovnik E. A fast and highly efficient automated DNA extraction method from small quantities of bone powder from aged bone samples. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2023; 65:102882. [PMID: 37141673 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2023.102882] [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: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
An efficient extraction method is important for obtaining high-quality DNA from degraded aged bone samples. An automated full-demineralization method using the EDTA and DNA Investigator Kit (Qiagen) combined with Qiagen's biorobots was optimized in our laboratory in the past to extract the DNA from 500 mg of aged bone samples. The purpose of this research was to further improve the method with the aim of reducing the required sample material, shortening the extraction time, and achieving higher throughput. To process extremely small samples, the amount of bone powder was reduced to 75 mg, EDTA was replaced with reagents from the Bone DNA Extraction Kit (Promega), and decalcification was shortened from overnight to 2.5 h. Instead of 50 ml tubes, 2 ml tubes were used, which allows higher throughput. The DNA Investigator Kit (Qiagen) and EZ1 Advanced XL biorobot (Qiagen) was used for DNA purification. A comparison between both extraction methods was made on 29 Second World War bones and 22 archaeological bone samples. The differences between both methods were explored by measuring nuclear DNA yield and STR typing success. After cleaning the samples, 500 mg of bone powder was processed using EDTA, and 75 mg of powder from the same bone was processed using the Bone DNA Extraction Kit (Promega). DNA content and DNA degradation were determined using PowerQuant (Promega), and the PowerPlex ESI 17 Fast System (Promega) was used for STR typing. The results showed that the full-demineralization protocol using 500 mg of bone was efficient for Second World War and archaeological samples, and the partial-demineralization protocol using 75 mg of bone powder was only efficient for the Second World War bones. The improved extraction method-for which significantly lower amounts of bone powder can be used, the extraction process is faster, and higher throughput of bone samples is possible-is applicable for genetic identification of relatively well-preserved aged bone samples in routine forensic analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Tamara Leskovar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tomaž Zupanc
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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26
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Zupanič Pajnič I, Geršak ŽM, Leskovar T, Črešnar M. Kinship analysis of 5th- to 6th-century skeletons of Romanized indigenous people from the Bled-Pristava archaeological site. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2023; 65:102886. [PMID: 37137206 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2023.102886] [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: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The familial relationship between skeletons buried together in a shared grave is important for understanding the burial practices of past human populations. Four skeletons were excavated from the Late Antiquity part of the Bled-Pristava burial site in Slovenia, dated to the 5th to 6th century. They were anthropologically characterized as two adults (a middle-aged man and a young woman) and two non-adults (of unknown sex). Based on stratigraphy, the skeletons were considered to be buried simultaneously in one grave. Our aim was to determine whether the skeletons were related. Petrous bones and teeth were used for genetic analysis. Specific precautions were followed to prevent contamination of ancient DNA with contemporary DNA, and an elimination database was established. Bone powder was obtained using a MillMix tissue homogenizer. Prior to extracting the DNA using Biorobot EZ1, 0.5 g of powder was decalcified. The PowerQuant System was used for quantification, various autosomal kits for autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) typing, and the PowerPlex Y23 kit for Y-STR typing. All analyses were performed in duplicate. Up to 28 ng DNA/g of powder was extracted from the samples analyzed. Almost full autosomal STR profiles obtained from all four skeletons and almost full Y-STR haplotypes obtained from two male skeletons were compared, and the possibility of a familial relationship was evaluated. No amplification was obtained in the negative controls, and no match was found in the elimination database. Autosomal STR statistical calculations confirmed that the adult male was the father of two non-adult individuals and one young adult individual from the grave. The relationship between the males (father and son) was additionally confirmed by an identical Y-STR haplotype that belonged to the E1b1b haplogroup, and a combined likelihood ratio for autosomal and Y-STRs was calculated. Kinship analysis confirmed with high confidence (kinship probability greater than 99.9% was calculated for all three children) that all four skeletons belonged to the same family (a father, two daughters, and a son). Through genetic analysis, the burial of members of the same family in a shared grave was confirmed as a burial practice of the population living in the Bled area in Late Antiquity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Živa Miriam Geršak
- Institute of Radiology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloška 7, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tamara Leskovar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matija Črešnar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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27
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Paica IC, Rusu I, Popescu O, Brînzan A, Pencea I, Dobrinescu C, Kelemen B. Tentative indicators of malaria in archaeological skeletal samples, a pilot study testing different methods. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2023; 40:109-116. [PMID: 36724549 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2023.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study attempts to integrate multiple methods to investigate the presence of malaria in human skeletal samples from an archaeological context. MATERIALS 33 well preserved human remains originating from a 17th-century archaeological site in southeastern Romania. METHODS The human bone samples were analyzed using rapid diagnostic tests for malaria antigens and PCR amplification of Plasmodium falciparum apical membrane antigen 1. A preliminary test was performed to identify and briefly characterize the presence of hemozoin using a combination of TEM imaging and diffraction. RESULTS The rapid diagnostic tests indicated that more than half of the examined samples were positive for Plasmodium antigens, but no traces of the parasites' genetic material were detected despite repeated attempts. The TEM images indicated that hemozoin might be a promising diagnostic marker of malaria in ancient bones. CONCLUSIONS The indisputable identification of malaria in the analyzed archaeological population was not possible as none of the applied methodological strategies turned out to be straightforward. SIGNIFICANCE This study reinforces the intricacy and limitations of unequivocally identifying malaria in past populations and sets the stage for future studies on such life-threatening infectious disease in a geographical space, which is currently underrepresented in the bioarchaeological literature. LIMITATIONS The low sample size and the lack of consistency across all assays hindered understanding the role of malaria in the studied population. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Further thorough multidisciplinary approaches on malaria detection in ancient settlements would be appropriate to inform our knowledge of its origins, frequency, and pathogen changes over centuries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ioana Rusu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, 400006, Romania; Molecular Biology Centre, Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, 400271, Romania.
| | - Octavian Popescu
- Institute of Biology Bucharest of Romanian Academy, Bucharest, 060031, Romania; Molecular Biology Centre, Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, 400271, Romania; Emil G. Racoviță Institute, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, 400006, Romania
| | - Alexandru Brînzan
- Institute of Biology Bucharest of Romanian Academy, Bucharest, 060031, Romania
| | - Ion Pencea
- Department of Metallic Material Science and Physical Metallurgy, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Bucharest, 060042, Romania
| | - Cătălin Dobrinescu
- Department of Research-Development and Projects, Museum of National History and Archaeology, Constanţa, 900745, Romania
| | - Beatrice Kelemen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, 400006, Romania; Molecular Biology Centre, Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, 400271, Romania
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28
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Heino MT, Nyman T, Palo JU, Harmoinen J, Valtonen M, Pilot M, Översti S, Salmela E, Kunnasranta M, Väinölä R, Hoelzel AR, Aspi J. Museum specimens of a landlocked pinniped reveal recent loss of genetic diversity and unexpected population connections. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9720. [PMID: 36699566 PMCID: PMC9849707 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9720] [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: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The Saimaa ringed seal (Pusa hispida saimensis) is endemic to Lake Saimaa in Finland. The subspecies is thought to have originated when parts of the ringed seal population of the Baltic region were trapped in lakes emerging due to postglacial bedrock rebound around 9000 years ago. During the 20th century, the population experienced a drastic human-induced bottleneck. Today encompassing a little over 400 seals with extremely low genetic diversity, it is classified as endangered. We sequenced sections of the mitochondrial control region from 60 up to 125-years-old museum specimens of the Saimaa ringed seal. The generated dataset was combined with publicly available sequences. We studied how genetic variation has changed through time in this subspecies and how it is phylogenetically related to other ringed seal populations from the Baltic Sea, Lake Ladoga, North America, Svalbard, and the White Sea. We observed temporal fluctuations in haplotype frequencies and loss of haplotypes accompanied by a recent reduction in female effective population size. In apparent contrast with the traditionally held view of the Baltic origin of the population, the Saimaa ringed seal mtDNA variation also shows affinities to North American ringed seals. Our results suggest that the Saimaa ringed seal has experienced recent genetic drift associated with small population size. The results further suggest that extant Baltic ringed seal is not representative of the ancestral population of the Saimaa ringed seal, which calls for re-evaluation of the deep history of this subspecies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matti T. Heino
- Ecology and Genetics Research UnitUniversity of OuluOuluFinland,Department of Forensic MedicineUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Tommi Nyman
- Department of Ecosystems in the Barents Region, Svanhovd Research StationNorwegian Institute of Bioeconomy ResearchSvanvikNorway
| | - Jukka U. Palo
- Department of Forensic MedicineUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland,Forensic Chemistry Unit/Forensic GeneticsFinnish Institute for Health and WelfareHelsinkiFinland
| | - Jenni Harmoinen
- Ecology and Genetics Research UnitUniversity of OuluOuluFinland,Wildlife Ecology GroupNatural Resources Institute FinlandHelsinkiFinland
| | - Mia Valtonen
- Wildlife Ecology GroupNatural Resources Institute FinlandHelsinkiFinland,Department of Environmental and Biological SciencesUniversity of Eastern FinlandJoensuuFinland,Institute of BiotechnologyUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Małgorzata Pilot
- School of Biological and Biomedical SciencesDurham UniversityDurhamUK,Museum and Institute of ZoologyPolish Academy of SciencesGdańskPoland,Faculty of BiologyUniversity of GdańskGdańskPoland
| | - Sanni Översti
- Transmission, Infection, Diversification and Evolution GroupMax‐Planck Institute for the Science of Human HistoryJenaGermany,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Elina Salmela
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland,Department of Biology, Faculty of ScienceUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Mervi Kunnasranta
- University of Eastern FinlandJoensuuFinland,Natural Resources Institute FinlandJoensuuFinland
| | - Risto Väinölä
- Finnish Museum of Natural HistoryUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | | | - Jouni Aspi
- Ecology and Genetics Research UnitUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
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29
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Popovici M, Groza VM, Bejenaru L, Petraru OM. Dental morphological variation in Chalcolithic and Bronze Age human populations from North-Eastern Romania. Ann Anat 2023; 245:152015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2022.152015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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30
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Wu MY, Forcina G, Low GW, Sadanandan KR, Gwee CY, van Grouw H, Wu S, Edwards SV, Baldwin MW, Rheindt FE. Historic samples reveal loss of wild genotype through domestic chicken introgression during the Anthropocene. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010551. [PMID: 36656838 PMCID: PMC9851510 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activities have precipitated a rise in the levels of introgressive gene flow among animals. The investigation of conspecific populations at different time points may shed light on the magnitude of human-mediated introgression. We used the red junglefowl Gallus gallus, the wild ancestral form of the chicken, as our study system. As wild junglefowl and domestic chickens readily admix, conservationists fear that domestic introgression into junglefowl may compromise their wild genotype. By contrasting the whole genomes of 51 chickens with 63 junglefowl from across their natural range, we found evidence of a loss of the wild genotype across the Anthropocene. When comparing against the genomes of junglefowl from approximately a century ago using rigorous ancient-DNA protocols, we discovered that levels of domestic introgression are not equal among and within modern wild populations, with the percentage of domestic ancestry around 20-50%. We identified a number of domestication markers in which chickens are deeply differentiated from historic junglefowl regardless of breed and/or geographic provenance, with eight genes under selection. The latter are involved in pathways dealing with development, reproduction and vision. The wild genotype is an allelic reservoir that holds most of the genetic diversity of G. gallus, a species which is immensely important to human society. Our study provides fundamental genomic infrastructure to assist in efforts to prevent a further loss of the wild genotype through introgression of domestic alleles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Yue Wu
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Giovanni Forcina
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gabriel Weijie Low
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Keren R. Sadanandan
- Evolution of Sensory Systems Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Chyi Yin Gwee
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hein van Grouw
- Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Tring, United Kingdom
| | - Shaoyuan Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, Chin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Phylogenomics and Comparative Genomics, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Scott V. Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Maude W. Baldwin
- Evolution of Sensory Systems Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Frank E. Rheindt
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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31
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Balentine CM, Alfonso-Durruty M, Reynolds AW, Vilar M, Morello F, Román MS, Springs LC, Smith RWA, Archer SM, Mata-Míguez J, Wing N, Bolnick DA. Evaluating population histories in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, Chile, using ancient mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal DNA. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 180:144-161. [PMID: 36790637 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aims to characterize the genetic histories of ancient hunter-gatherer groups in Fuego-Patagonia (Chile) with distinct Marine, Terrestrial, and Mixed Economy subsistence strategies. Mitochondrial (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome data were generated to test three hypotheses. H0: All individuals were drawn from the same panmictic population; H1: Terrestrial groups first populated the region and gave rise to highly specialized Marine groups by ~7,500 cal BP; or H2: Marine and Terrestrial groups represent distinct ancestral lineages who migrated independently into the region. METHODS Ancient DNA was extracted from the teeth of 50 Fuegian-Patagonian individuals dating from 6,895 cal BP to after European arrival, and analyzed alongside other individuals from previous studies. Individuals were assigned to Marine, Terrestrial, and Mixed Economy groups based on archeological context and stable isotope diet inferences, and mtDNA (HVR1/2) and Y-chromosome variation was analyzed. RESULTS Endogenous aDNA was obtained from 49/50 (98%) individuals. Haplotype diversities, FST comparisons, and exact tests of population differentiation showed that Marine groups were significantly different from Terrestrial groups based on mtDNA (p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were found between Terrestrial and Mixed Economy groups. Demographic simulations support models in which Marine groups diverged from the others by ~14,000 cal BP. Y-chromosome results showed similar patterns but were not statistically significant due to small sample sizes and allelic dropout. DISCUSSION These results support the hypothesis that Marine and Terrestrial economic groups represent distinct ancestral lineages who diverged during the time populations were expanding in the Americas, and may represent independent migrations into Fuego-Patagonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Balentine
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA.,Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Marta Alfonso-Durruty
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | | | - Miguel Vilar
- Department of Anthropology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Flavia Morello
- Instituto de la Patagonia, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile.,Cape Horn International Center, Puerto Williams, Chile
| | - Manuel San Román
- Instituto de la Patagonia, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile.,Cape Horn International Center, Puerto Williams, Chile
| | - Lauren C Springs
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Rick W A Smith
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA.,Women and Gender Studies, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Samantha M Archer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jaime Mata-Míguez
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | | | - Deborah A Bolnick
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA.,Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
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32
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Brasil SNR, Kelemen EP, Rehan SM. Historic DNA uncovers genetic effects of climate change and landscape alteration in two wild bee species. CONSERV GENET 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-022-01488-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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33
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Hider J, Duggan AT, Klunk J, Eaton K, Long GS, Karpinski E, Giuffra V, Ventura L, Fornaciari A, Fornaciari G, Golding GB, Prowse TL, Poinar HN. Examining pathogen DNA recovery across the remains of a 14th century Italian friar (Blessed Sante) infected with Brucella melitensis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2022; 39:20-34. [PMID: 36174312 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2022.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate variation in ancient DNA recovery of Brucella melitensis, the causative agent of brucellosis, from multiple tissues belonging to one individual MATERIALS: 14 samples were analyzed from the mummified remains of the Blessed Sante, a 14 th century Franciscan friar from central Italy, with macroscopic diagnosis of probable brucellosis. METHODS Shotgun sequencing data from was examined to determine the presence of Brucella DNA. RESULTS Three of the 14 samples contained authentic ancient DNA, identified as belonging to B. melitensis. A genome (23.81X depth coverage, 0.98 breadth coverage) was recovered from a kidney stone. Nine of the samples contained reads classified as B. melitensis (7-169), but for many the data quality was insufficient to withstand our identification and authentication criteria. CONCLUSIONS We identified significant variation in the preservation and abundance of B. melitensis DNA present across multiple tissues, with calcified nodules yielding the highest number of authenticated reads. This shows how greatly sample selection can impact pathogen identification. SIGNIFICANCE Our results demonstrate variation in the preservation and recovery of pathogen DNA across tissues. This study highlights the importance of sample selection in the reconstruction of infectious disease burden and highlights the importance of a holistic approach to identifying disease. LIMITATIONS Study focuses on pathogen recovery in a single individual. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Further analysis of how sampling impacts aDNA recovery will improve pathogen aDNA recovery and advance our understanding of disease in past peoples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Hider
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada; Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada.
| | - Ana T Duggan
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada; Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Jennifer Klunk
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada; Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada; Daicel Arbor Biosciences, 5840 Interface Drive, Suite 101, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, USA
| | - Katherine Eaton
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada; Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - George S Long
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Emil Karpinski
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada; Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Valentina Giuffra
- Division of Paleopathology, Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, Medical School, via Roma 57, 56126 Pisa, PI, Italy
| | - Luca Ventura
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy; Division of Pathology, San Salvatore Hospital, University of L'Aquila, Coppito, 67100 L'Aquila, AQ, Italy
| | - Antonio Fornaciari
- Division of Paleopathology, Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, Medical School, via Roma 57, 56126 Pisa, PI, Italy
| | - Gino Fornaciari
- Maria Luisa di Borbone Academy, Villa Borbone, viale dei Tigli 32, 55049 Viareggio, LU, Italy
| | - G Brian Golding
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Tracy L Prowse
- Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Hendrik N Poinar
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada; Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L9, Canada
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Kvist L, Honka J, Salazar D, Kirkinen T, Hemmann K. Memories, museum artefacts and excavations in resolving the history of maternal lineages in the Finnhorse. Anim Genet 2022; 53:821-828. [PMID: 36043357 PMCID: PMC9804633 DOI: 10.1111/age.13256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
We used historical DNA samples to examine the history of a native horse breed, the Finnhorse. Samples were collected from private collections, museums, schools and excavations, representing the times prior to, during, and after the foundation of the breed; from the end of the 19th century and throughout the 20th century. We sequenced a fragment of mitochondrial DNA from these historical samples to study the history and evolution of maternal lineages of horses back to the early days of the breed, compared the mitochondrial DNA sequence diversity of different historical periods and modern day Finnhorses, estimated the effective population sizes, and searched for both temporal and geographic population genetic structure. We observed high maternal haplotype and nucleotide diversity at the time during the foundation of the breed, and a decrease in both measures during 1931-1970. In addition, we observed losses of some haplotypes present in the early stages of the breed. There was only slight evidence of geographical or temporal population structure. This study is, to our knowledge, the first to use such temporal sampling to reveal the history of a specific animal breed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Kvist
- Ecology and Genetics Research UnitUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Johanna Honka
- Ecology and Genetics Research UnitUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Daniela Salazar
- Ecology and Genetics Research UnitUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Tuija Kirkinen
- Department of Cultures, ArchaeologyUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Karin Hemmann
- Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry/Animal ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
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35
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Xiang H, Wang Z, Yang L, Zhang X, Zhao X. Using loop-primer mediated PCR to enhance the detection of poorly preserved DNA. Front Genet 2022; 13:1000123. [DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1000123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Ancient DNA is vitally important in evolutionary research, and obtaining authentic ancient DNA sequences is critical for a proper analysis. However, it is difficult to acquire amplicons accurately and efficiently from ancient DNA templates using current techniques. Here, we established a loop-primer-mediated amplification method (L-PCR) to obtain target ancient DNA sequences with high accuracy and efficiency. The method was tested using 66 ancient samples (including 27 pig bones or teeth and 39 chicken bones) and serially diluted modern animal DNA templates. Compared to nested PCR, L-PCR was proven to be more efficient and accurate and could obtain more amplicons from both ancient pig samples and chicken bones and detect as low as 10−3 ng/μl modern pig template DNA. The efficiency was at least 100-fold that of the nested PCR. The results suggest that L-PCR is advantageous for obtaining authentic DNA sequences from poorly preserved or recalcitrant ancient specimens.
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36
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Daly KG, Arbuckle BS, Rossi C, Mattiangeli V, Lawlor PA, Mashkour M, Sauer E, Lesur J, Atici L, Erek CM, Bradley DG. A novel lineage of the Capra genus discovered in the Taurus Mountains of Turkey using ancient genomics. eLife 2022; 11:82984. [PMID: 36190761 PMCID: PMC9529249 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Direkli Cave, located in the Taurus Mountains of southern Turkey, was occupied by Late Epipaleolithic hunters-gatherers for the seasonal hunting and processing of game including large numbers of wild goats. We report genomic data from new and published Capra specimens from Direkli Cave and, supplemented with historic genomes from multiple Capra species, find a novel lineage best represented by a ~14,000 year old 2.59 X genome sequenced from specimen Direkli4. This newly discovered Capra lineage is a sister clade to the Caucasian tur species (Capra cylindricornis and Capra caucasica), both now limited to the Caucasus region. We identify genomic regions introgressed in domestic goats with high affinity to Direkli4, and find that West Eurasian domestic goats in the past, but not those today, appear enriched for Direkli4-specific alleles at a genome-wide level. This forgotten ‘Taurasian tur’ likely survived Late Pleistocene climatic change in a Taurus Mountain refuge and its genomic fate is unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin G Daly
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Benjamin S Arbuckle
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Conor Rossi
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Phoebe A Lawlor
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Marjan Mashkour
- Centre National de Recherche Scientifique / Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique, Paris, France.,University of Tehran, Bioarchaeology Laboratory, (Central Laboratory), Archaeozoology section, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Eberhard Sauer
- School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Joséphine Lesur
- Centre National de Recherche Scientifique / Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique, Paris, France
| | - Levent Atici
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, United States
| | - Cevdet Merih Erek
- Department of Archeology, Department of Prehistoric Archeology, Faculty of Letters, Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Daniel G Bradley
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Richards SM, Li L, Breen J, Hovhannisyan N, Estrada O, Gasparyan B, Gilliham M, Smith A, Cooper A, Zhang H. Recovery of chloroplast genomes from medieval millet grains excavated from the Areni-1 cave in southern Armenia. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15164. [PMID: 36071150 PMCID: PMC9452526 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17931-4] [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: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Panicum miliaceum L. was domesticated in northern China at least 7000 years ago and was subsequentially adopted in many areas throughout Eurasia. One such locale is Areni-1 an archaeological cave site in Southern Armenia, where vast quantities archaeobotanical material were well preserved via desiccation. The rich botanical material found at Areni-1 includes P. miliaceum grains that were identified morphologically and14C dated to the medieval period (873 ± 36 CE and 1118 ± 35 CE). To investigate the demographic and evolutionary history of the Areni-1 millet, we used ancient DNA extraction, hybridization capture enrichment, and high throughput sequencing to assemble three chloroplast genomes from the medieval grains and then compared these sequences to 50 modern P. miliaceum chloroplast genomes. Overall, the chloroplast genomes contained a low amount of diversity with domesticated accessions separated by a maximum of 5 SNPs and little inference on demography could be made. However, in phylogenies the chloroplast genomes separated into two clades, similar to what has been reported for nuclear DNA from P. miliaceum. The chloroplast genomes of two wild (undomesticated) accessions of P. miliaceum contained a relatively large number of variants, 11 SNPs, not found in the domesticated accessions. These results demonstrate that P. miliaceum grains from archaeological sites can preserve DNA for at least 1000 years and serve as a genetic resource to study the domestication of this cereal crop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Richards
- School of Biological Science, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
| | - Leiting Li
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - James Breen
- School of Biological Science, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.,Telethon Kids Institute, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | | | - Oscar Estrada
- School of Biological Science, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.,Grupo de Agrobiotecnología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Boris Gasparyan
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Matthew Gilliham
- Waite Research Institute and School of Agriculture, Food, and Wine, ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Glen Osmond, Australia
| | - Alexia Smith
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Connecticut, USA
| | - Alan Cooper
- BlueSky Genetics, Ashton, SA, Australia.,South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Heng Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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38
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Next-Generation Sequencing of Ancient and Recent Fungarium Specimens. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8090932. [PMID: 36135657 PMCID: PMC9503353 DOI: 10.3390/jof8090932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungaria are an unmatched resource for providing genetic data from authoritative, taxonomically-correct fungal species, especially type specimens. These specimens serve to anchor species hypotheses by enabling the correct taxonomic placement of taxa in systematic studies. The DNA from ancient specimens older than 30 years is commonly fragmented, and sometimes highly contaminated by exogenous, non-target fungal DNA, making conventional PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing difficult or impossible. Here, we present the results of DNA extraction, PCR amplification of the ITS2 region, and Illumina MiSeq Nano sequencing of nine recent and 11 ancient specimens, including seven type specimens. The taxa sampled included a range of large and fleshy, to small and tough, or small, melanized specimens of Discina, Gyromitra, Propolis, Stictis, and Xerotrema, with a culture of Lasiosphaeria serving as a positive control. DNA was highly fragmented and in very low quantity for most samples, resulting in inconclusive or incorrect results for all but five samples. Taxonomically-correct sequences were generated from the holotype specimens of G. arctica, G. korshinskii, and G. leucoxantha, from the neotype of G. ussuriensis, and from the positive control. Taxonomic assignments were confirmed through morphology, top BLASTn hits, and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses. Though this study was not cost-effective due to the small number of samples submitted and few generating correct sequences, it did produce short DNA barcode fragments for four type specimens that are essential for their correct taxonomic placement in our ongoing systematic studies.
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39
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Šuligoj A, Mesesnel S, Leskovar T, Podovšovnik E, Zupanič Pajnič I. Comparison of DNA preservation between adult and non-adult ancient skeletons. Int J Legal Med 2022; 136:1521-1539. [PMID: 36048257 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-022-02881-3] [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: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Studies evaluating DNA preservation in non-adults, or comparing preservation in adults and non-adults, are very rare. This study compares the preservation of DNA in the skeletal remains of adults and non-adults. It compares the quality and quantity of DNA recovered from different skeletal elements of adults and non-adults, and from non-adults of different age classes. In addition, the preservation of DNA in males and females is compared. Bone DNA preservation was estimated by measuring nuclear DNA concentration and its degradation, and through STR typing success. The study analyzed 29 adult skeletons and 23 non-adult skeletons from the Ljubljana-Polje archeological site, dating from the seventeenth to nineteenth century, and up to four skeletal elements (petrous bone, femur, calcaneus, and talus) were included. After full demineralization extraction, the PowerQuant System and the PowerPlex ESI 17 Fast System (Promega) were used for qPCR and STR typing, respectively. The results showed that, among the four bone types analyzed, only the petrous bone proved to be a suitable source of DNA for STR typing of non-adult skeletal remains, and DNA yield is even higher than in the adult petrous bone, which can be attributed to the higher DNA degradation observed in the adult petrous bone. In adult skeletons, petrous bones and tali produced high STR amplification success and low DNA yield was observed in adult femurs. The results of this study are applicable for the sampling strategy in routine forensic genetics cases for solving identification cases, including badly preserved non-adult and also adult skeletons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariana Šuligoj
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sara Mesesnel
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tamara Leskovar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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40
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Wu MY, Lau CJ, Ng EYX, Baveja P, Gwee CY, Sadanandan K, Ferasyi TR, Haminuddin, Ramadhan R, Menner JK, Rheindt FE. Genomes From Historic DNA Unveil Massive Hidden Extinction and Terminal Endangerment in a Tropical Asian Songbird Radiation. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6692815. [PMID: 36124912 PMCID: PMC9486911 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac189] [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] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantifying the magnitude of the global extinction crisis is important but remains challenging, as many extinction events pass unnoticed owing to our limited taxonomic knowledge of the world's organisms. The increasing rarity of many taxa renders comprehensive sampling difficult, further compounding the problem. Vertebrate lineages such as birds, which are thought to be taxonomically well understood, are therefore used as indicator groups for mapping and quantifying global extinction. To test whether extinction patterns are adequately gauged in well-studied groups, we implemented ancient-DNA protocols and retrieved whole genomes from the historic DNA of museum specimens in a widely known songbird radiation of shamas (genus Copsychus) that is assumed to be of least conservation concern. We uncovered cryptic diversity and an unexpected degree of hidden extinction and terminal endangerment. Our analyses reveal that >40% of the phylogenetic diversity of this radiation is already either extinct in the wild or nearly so, including the two genomically most distinct members of this group (omissus and nigricauda), which have so far flown under the conservation radar as they have previously been considered subspecies. Comparing the genomes of modern samples with those from roughly a century ago, we also found a significant decrease in genetic diversity and a concomitant increase in homozygosity affecting various taxa, including small-island endemics that are extinct in the wild as well as subspecies that remain widespread across the continental scale. Our application of modern genomic approaches demonstrates elevated levels of allelic and taxonomic diversity loss in a songbird clade that has not been listed as globally threatened, highlighting the importance of ongoing reassessments of extinction incidence even across well-studied animal groups. Key words: extinction, introgression, white-rumped shama, conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Yue Wu
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Clara Jesse Lau
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Elize Ying Xin Ng
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pratibha Baveja
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chyi Yin Gwee
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Keren Sadanandan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Teuku Reza Ferasyi
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Darussalam-Banda Aceh, Indonesia
| | - Haminuddin
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Darussalam-Banda Aceh, Indonesia
| | - Rezky Ramadhan
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Darussalam-Banda Aceh, Indonesia
| | | | - Frank E Rheindt
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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41
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Fujimoto K, Fujii G, Shojo H, Nakanishi H, Kanzawa-Kiriyama H, Saitoh M, Yoshizawa K, Aono T, Horita T, Takada A, Saito K, Ueki K, Adachi N. Highly sensitive sex determination method using the exon 1 region of the amelogenin gene. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2022; 59:102136. [PMID: 36049424 DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2022.102136] [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: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sex determination is a crucial factor in the identification of unidentified human remains. Sex determination by DNA analysis is particularly useful because it can be applied to samples for which morphological characteristics are unavailable. Because samples handled in forensic DNA typing are easily degraded by environmental factors and microorganisms, there is a need for a method that can accurately determine sex even in highly decayed samples. Previous studies mainly used sex differences in an intron of the amelogenin gene. However, this region is highly polymorphic, and there are cases where accurate sexing cannot be performed because of genetic mutations in the target region. Thus, for reliable sex determination, it is desirable to select loci with as few non-sexual polymorphisms as possible. In this study, we focused on the exon 1 region of the amelogenin gene, which has very little polymorphism other than sex differences. We developed a primer set for sex determination and compared it with the GlobalFiler™ PCR Amplification Kit (GF), which is widely used for forensic DNA typing. The results showed that the amount of DNA required for accurate sex determination was 25 pg for both methods, achieving equivalent sensitivity. Next, we compared the two methods using ancient human skeletons and found that the present method with its shorter amplicon was considerably superior to GF. The present method is simple, rapid, inexpensive, and suitable for analyzing highly degraded samples. Therefore, this method is expected to contribute to forensic sciences and physical anthropology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kana Fujimoto
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi. 1110 Shimo-kato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan; Department of Legal Medicine, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi. 1110 Shimo-kato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan.
| | - Gento Fujii
- Department of Legal Medicine, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi. 1110 Shimo-kato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan; Laboratory of Systems Genomics, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 272-8562, Japan.
| | - Hideki Shojo
- Department of Legal Medicine, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi. 1110 Shimo-kato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan.
| | - Hiroaki Nakanishi
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
| | - Hideaki Kanzawa-Kiriyama
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0005, Japan.
| | - Masao Saitoh
- Center for Medical Education and Sciences, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi. 1110 Shimo-kato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan.
| | - Kunio Yoshizawa
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi. 1110 Shimo-kato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan.
| | - Tomoya Aono
- Department of Historic Heritage (archaeology), Faculty of Arts, Tohoku University of Art and Design, 3-4-5, Kamisakurada, Yamagata, Yamagata 990-9530, Japan.
| | - Tetsuya Horita
- Department of Legal Medicine, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi. 1110 Shimo-kato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan.
| | - Aya Takada
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Saitama Medical University, 38 Morohongo, Moroyama, Saitama 350-0495, Japan.
| | - Kazuyuki Saito
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
| | - Koichiro Ueki
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi. 1110 Shimo-kato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan.
| | - Noboru Adachi
- Department of Legal Medicine, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi. 1110 Shimo-kato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan.
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42
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Hawkins MTR, Flores MFC, McGowen M, Hinckley A. A comparative analysis of extraction protocol performance on degraded mammalian museum specimens. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.984056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The extraction of nucleic acids is one of the most routine procedures used in molecular biology laboratories, yet kit performance may influence the downstream processing of samples, particularly for samples which are degraded, and in low concentrations. Here we tested several commercial kits for specific use on commonly sampled mammalian museum specimens to evaluate the yield, size distribution, and endogenous content. Samples were weighed and had approximately equal input material for each extraction. These sample types are typical of natural history repositories ranged from 53 to 130 years old. The tested protocols spanned spin-column based extractions, magnetic bead purification, phenol/chloroform isolation, and specific modifications for ancient DNA. Diverse types of mammalian specimens were tested including adherent osteological material, bone and teeth, skin, and baleen. The concentration of DNA was quantified via fluorometry, and the size distributions of extracts visualized on an Agilent TapeStation. Overall, when DNA isolation was successful, all methods had quantifiable concentrations, albeit with variation across extracts. The length distributions varied based on the extraction protocol used. Shotgun sequencing was performed to evaluate if the extraction methods influenced the amount of endogenous versus exogenous content. The DNA content was similar across extraction methods indicating no obvious biases for DNA derived from different sources. Qiagen kits and phenol/chloroform isolation outperformed the Zymo magnetic bead isolations in these types of samples. Statistical analyses revealed that extraction method only explained 5% of the observed variation, and that specimen age explained variation (29%) more effectively.
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Zupanič Pajnič I, Zupanc T, Leskovar T, Črešnar M, Fattorini P. Eye and Hair Color Prediction of Ancient and Second World War Skeletal Remains Using a Forensic PCR-MPS Approach. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13081432. [PMID: 36011343 PMCID: PMC9407562 DOI: 10.3390/genes13081432] [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: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
To test the usefulness of the forensic PCR-MPS approach to eye and hair color prediction for aged skeletons, a customized version of the PCR-MPS HIrisPlex panel was used on two sets of samples. The first set contained 11 skeletons dated from the 3rd to the 18th centuries AD, and for each of them at least four bone types were analyzed (for a total of 47 samples). In the second set, 24 skeletons from the Second World War were analyzed, and only petrous bones from the skulls were tested. Good-quality libraries were achieved in 83.3% of the cases for the ancient skeletons and in all Second World War petrous bones, with 94.7% and 100% of the markers, respectively, suitable for SNP typing. Consensus typing was achieved for about 91.7% of the markers in 10 out of 11 ancient skeletons, and the HIrisPlex-S webtool was then used to generate phenotypic predictions. Full predictions were achieved for 3 (27.3%) ancient skeletons and 12 (50%) Second World War petrous bones. In the remaining cases, different levels of AUC (area under the receiver operating curve) loss were computed because of no available data (NA) for 8.3% of markers in ancient skeletons and 4.2% of markers in Second World War petrous bones. Although the PCR-based approach has been replaced with new techniques in ancient DNA studies, the results show that customized forensic technologies can be successfully applied to aged bone remains, highlighting the role of the template in the success of PCR-MPS analysis. However, because several typical errors of ancient DNA sequencing were scored, replicate tests and accurate evaluation by an expert remain indispensable tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tomaž Zupanc
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tamara Leskovar
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Zavetiška 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matija Črešnar
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Zavetiška 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Paolo Fattorini
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health, University of Trieste, Strada per Fiume 447, 34149 Trieste, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-040-399-3265
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Pérez V, Liu Y, Hengst MB, Weyrich LS. A Case Study for the Recovery of Authentic Microbial Ancient DNA from Soil Samples. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10081623. [PMID: 36014039 PMCID: PMC9414430 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10081623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
High Throughput DNA Sequencing (HTS) revolutionized the field of paleomicrobiology, leading to an explosive growth of microbial ancient DNA (aDNA) studies, especially from environmental samples. However, aDNA studies that examine environmental microbes routinely fail to authenticate aDNA, examine laboratory and environmental contamination, and control for biases introduced during sample processing. Here, we surveyed the available literature for environmental aDNA projects—from sample collection to data analysis—and assessed previous methodologies and approaches used in the published microbial aDNA studies. We then integrated these concepts into a case study, using shotgun metagenomics to examine methodological, technical, and analytical biases during an environmental aDNA study of soil microbes. Specifically, we compared the impact of five DNA extraction methods and eight bioinformatic pipelines on the recovery of microbial aDNA information in soil cores from extreme environments. Our results show that silica-based methods optimized for aDNA research recovered significantly more damaged and shorter reads (<100 bp) than a commercial kit or a phenol−chloroform method. Additionally, we described a stringent pipeline for data preprocessing, efficiently decreasing the representation of low-complexity and duplicated reads in our datasets and downstream analyses, reducing analytical biases in taxonomic classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vilma Pérez
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD), School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
- Correspondence:
| | - Yichen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Martha B. Hengst
- Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular y Microbiología Aplicada, Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta 1270300, Chile
| | - Laura S. Weyrich
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
- Department of Anthropology and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
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Roycroft E, Moritz C, Rowe KC, Moussalli A, Eldridge MDB, Portela Miguez R, Piggott MP, Potter S. Sequence Capture From Historical Museum Specimens: Maximizing Value for Population and Phylogenomic Studies. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.931644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The application of high-throughput, short-read sequencing to degraded DNA has greatly increased the feasibility of generating genomic data from historical museum specimens. While many published studies report successful sequencing results from historical specimens; in reality, success and quality of sequence data can be highly variable. To examine predictors of sequencing quality, and methodological approaches to improving data accuracy, we generated and analyzed genomic sequence data from 115 historically collected museum specimens up to 180 years old. Data span both population genomic and phylogenomic scales, including historically collected specimens from 34 specimens of four species of Australian rock-wallabies (genus Petrogale) and 92 samples from 79 specimens of Australo-Papuan murine rodents (subfamily Murinae). For historical rodent specimens, where the focus was sampling for phylogenomics, we found that regardless of specimen age, DNA sequence libraries prepared from toe pad or bone subsamples performed significantly better than those taken from the skin (in terms of proportion of reads on target, number of loci captured, and data accuracy). In total, 93% of DNA libraries from toe pad or bone subsamples resulted in reliable data for phylogenetic inference, compared to 63% of skin subsamples. For skin subsamples, proportion of reads on target weakly correlated with collection year. Then using population genomic data from rock-wallaby skins as a test case, we found substantial improvement in final data quality by mapping to a high-quality “closest sister” de novo assembly from fresh tissues, compared to mapping to a sample-specific historical de novo assembly. Choice of mapping approach also affected final estimates of the number of segregating sites and Watterson's θ, both important parameters for population genomic inference. The incorporation of accurate and reliable sequence data from historical specimens has important outcomes for evolutionary studies at both population and phylogenomic scales. By assessing the outcomes of different approaches to specimen subsampling, library preparation and bioinformatic processing, our results provide a framework for increasing sequencing success for irreplaceable historical specimens.
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Erven JAM, Çakirlar C, Bradley DG, Raemaekers DCM, Madsen O. Imputation of Ancient Whole Genome Sus scrofa DNA Introduces Biases Toward Main Population Components in the Reference Panel. Front Genet 2022; 13:872486. [PMID: 35903348 PMCID: PMC9315352 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.872486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sequencing ancient DNA to high coverage is often limited by sample quality and cost. Imputing missing genotypes can potentially increase information content and quality of ancient data, but requires different computational approaches than modern DNA imputation. Ancient imputation beyond humans has not been investigated. In this study we report results of a systematic evaluation of imputation of three whole genome ancient Sus scrofa samples from the Early and Late Neolithic (∼7,100–4,500 BP), to test the utility of imputation. We show how issues like genetic architecture and, reference panel divergence, composition and size affect imputation accuracy. We evaluate a variety of imputation methods, including Beagle5, GLIMPSE, and Impute5 with varying filters, pipelines, and variant calling methods. We achieved genotype concordance in most cases reaching above 90%; with the highest being 98% with ∼2,000,000 variants recovered using GLIMPSE. Despite this high concordance the sources of diversity present in the genotypes called in the original high coverage genomes were not equally imputed leading to biases in downstream analyses; a trend toward genotypes most common in the reference panel is observed. This demonstrates that the current reference panel does not possess the full diversity needed for accurate imputation of ancient Sus, due to missing variations from Near Eastern and Mesolithic wild boar. Imputation of ancient Sus scrofa holds potential but should be approached with caution due to these biases, and suggests that there is no universal approach for imputation of non-human ancient species.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. A. M. Erven
- Groningen Institute of Archaeology, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: J. A. M. Erven,
| | - C. Çakirlar
- Groningen Institute of Archaeology, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - D. G. Bradley
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - D. C. M. Raemaekers
- Groningen Institute of Archaeology, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - O. Madsen
- Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
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Metagenomic Research of Infectious Diseases in Archaeological Contexts: Evidence from the Hospital Real de Todos-os-Santos (Portugal). APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12126096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Syphilis is one of the most exciting diseases explored in paleopathology and, therefore, tracing back its origin and development has provided a prolific debate. The combination of paleopathological data with historical sources, iconography, and archaeological contexts were the primary sources used to reconstruct its historical path. However, there are some limitations to paleopathological diagnosis due to the nature of bone reaction to stimuli. In addition, historical sources are subjected to a bias of social and cultural nature and the knowledge of those who wrote them. Hence, ancient DNA analysis offers the possibility of acquiring proof of cause by identifying pathogens in an organism. We undertook a metagenomic study of a skeleton exhumed from the Royal Hospital of All Saints (Portugal), renowned for treating syphilis from the 16th century onwards. The skeleton had previously been diagnosed with syphilis according to paleopathological analysis. However, the metagenomics analysis showed no presence of the pathogen associated with syphilis (i.e., Treponema pallidum) but revealed pathogenic microorganisms related to respiratory diseases (pneumonia), nonspecific bone infections (osteomyelitis), and oral bacterial pathologies as well as Hansen’s disease (also known as leprosy). The results are exciting and demand a reappraisal of the observed bone changes, recontextualizing their characterization as syphilis related. They prove that past reconstruction of health and disease diagnoses based on assessing human osteological remains of known context (such as a syphilitic hospital) may bias interpretations and, therefore, caution is recommended, not forgetting that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence (in this case of syphilis) in life.
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Poma A, Cesare P, Bonfigli A, Volpe AR, Colafarina S, Vecchiotti G, Forgione A, Zarivi O. A qPCR-duplex assay for sex determination in ancient DNA. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269913. [PMID: 35687599 PMCID: PMC9187067 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular biology techniques are increasingly being used in sex identification of skeletal remains when traditional anthropometric analyzes are not successful in identifying sex of remains that are incomplete, fragmented and /or of immature individuals. In the present work, we investigated the possibility of determining sex by using the qPCR-duplex method for both ancient and modern DNA samples. This method involves the co-amplification of two genes in a single reaction system and the subsequent analysis of the fusion curves; the gene sequences used for the construction of suitable primers are those of steroid sulfatase (STS) and testis specific protein Y-linked 1 (TSPY) genes which turned out to be two sensitive markers as they have a detection limit of 60 pg and 20 pg respectively on modern DNA. The validity of the method was verified on modern DNA in which gender was identified in all the samples with 100% accuracy; thus, allowing for the same results as the classic method with amelogenin, but in a faster and more immediate way, as it allows for sex determination solely by analyzing the denaturation curves without having to perform an electrophoretic run. The proposed molecular technique proves to be sensitive and precise even on degraded DNA, in fact on 9 archaeological finds dating from the VII-XII century in which sex had been identified through anthropometric analysis, it confirmed the sex of 8 out of 9 finds correctly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Poma
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Patrizia Cesare
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Antonella Bonfigli
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Volpe
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Sabrina Colafarina
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Giulia Vecchiotti
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Alfonso Forgione
- Department of Human Studies, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Osvaldo Zarivi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Irestedt M, Thörn F, Müller IA, Jønsson KA, Ericson PGP, Blom MPK. A guide to avian museomics: Insights gained from resequencing hundreds of avian study skins. Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 22:2672-2684. [PMID: 35661418 PMCID: PMC9542604 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Biological specimens in natural history collections constitute a massive repository of genetic information. Many specimens have been collected in areas in which they no longer exist or in areas where present‐day collecting is not possible. There are also specimens in collections representing populations or species that have gone extinct. Furthermore, species or populations may have been sampled throughout an extensive time period, which is particularly valuable for studies of genetic change through time. With the advent of high‐throughput sequencing, natural history museum resources have become accessible for genomic research. Consequently, these unique resources are increasingly being used across many fields of natural history. In this paper, we summarize our experiences of resequencing hundreds of genomes from historical avian museum specimens. We publish the protocols we have used and discuss the entire workflow from sampling and laboratory procedures, to the bioinformatic processing of historical specimen data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Irestedt
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Filip Thörn
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ingo A Müller
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Knud A Jønsson
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Per G P Ericson
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mozes P K Blom
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin, Germany
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50
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Ausmees K, Sanchez-Quinto F, Jakobsson M, Nettelblad C. An empirical evaluation of genotype imputation of ancient DNA. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:6575448. [PMID: 35482488 PMCID: PMC9157144 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
With capabilities of sequencing ancient DNA to high coverage often limited by sample quality or cost, imputation of missing genotypes presents a possibility to increase the power of inference as well as cost-effectiveness for the analysis of ancient data. However, the high degree of uncertainty often associated with ancient DNA poses several methodological challenges, and performance of imputation methods in this context has not been fully explored. To gain further insights, we performed a systematic evaluation of imputation of ancient data using Beagle v4.0 and reference data from phase 3 of the 1000 Genomes project, investigating the effects of coverage, phased reference, and study sample size. Making use of five ancient individuals with high-coverage data available, we evaluated imputed data for accuracy, reference bias, and genetic affinities as captured by principal component analysis. We obtained genotype concordance levels of over 99% for data with 1× coverage, and similar levels of accuracy and reference bias at levels as low as 0.75×. Our findings suggest that using imputed data can be a realistic option for various population genetic analyses even for data in coverage ranges below 1×. We also show that a large and varied phased reference panel as well as the inclusion of low- to moderate-coverage ancient individuals in the study sample can increase imputation performance, particularly for rare alleles. In-depth analysis of imputed data with respect to genetic variants and allele frequencies gave further insight into the nature of errors arising during imputation, and can provide practical guidelines for postprocessing and validation prior to downstream analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristiina Ausmees
- Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 751 05, Sweden
| | - Federico Sanchez-Quinto
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), Mexico City 14610, Mexico.,Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 752 36, Sweden
| | - Mattias Jakobsson
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 752 36, Sweden
| | - Carl Nettelblad
- Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 751 05, Sweden
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