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Aourangzaib M, Chandra M, Maham R, Naz A, Malathi H, Qadeer S, Mateen RM, Parveen R. Solving the twin paradox-forensic strategies to identify the identical twins. Forensic Sci Int 2024; 363:112205. [PMID: 39213915 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112205] [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: 07/31/2024] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Identical twins are also called monozygotic twins which originate from the same zygote that possesses the same genetic make-up. To discriminate between identical monozygotic twins, short tandem repeats has not been found effective, therefore, various techniques, including next-generation sequencing (NGS), are applied. Monozygotic twins can be identified through germ line genomes, through speech using deep learning networks, and through epigenetic analysis. Fingerprint analysis has also been used to distinguish between identical twins, as human beings have unique fingerprints. Two distinct levels of fingerprint are used to distinguish between monozygotic twins based upon the differences in the minutiae points. Examination of the methylation pattern of the genome has an enormous potential to differentiate between identical twins, as the methylation of DNA occurs uniquely to each individual. This article offers an insight into the latest methods and techniques used for the differentiation between the identical twins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Aourangzaib
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muktesh Chandra
- Marwadi University Research Centre, Department of Bioinformatics, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Marwadi University, Rajkot, Gujrat 360003, India
| | - Rabiya Maham
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Alisha Naz
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - H Malathi
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetics, School of Sciences, JAIN (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Saima Qadeer
- Department of Zoology, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Rana Muhammad Mateen
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
| | - Rukhsana Parveen
- Cenre for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
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2
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Zhuang F, Huang S, Liu L. MALSU1-mediated regulation of mitochondrial function governs proliferation and doxorubicin resistance in triple-negative breast cancer cells. Mol Cell Biochem 2024:10.1007/s11010-024-05053-6. [PMID: 38896203 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-024-05053-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) poses a formidable challenge in oncology due to its aggressive nature and limited treatment options. Although doxorubicin, a widely used chemotherapeutic agent, shows efficacy in TNBC treatment, acquired resistance remains a significant obstacle. Our study explores the role of MALSU1, a regulator of mitochondrial translation, in TNBC and its impact on cell proliferation and doxorubicin resistance. We observed increased MALSU1 expression in TNBC, correlating with poor patient prognosis. MALSU1 knockdown in TNBC cells significantly reduced proliferation, indicating its pivotal role in sustaining cell growth. Mechanistically, MALSU1 depletion resulted in decreased activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes, cellular ATP levels, and mitochondrial respiration. Notably, exogenous addition of normal mitochondria restored proliferation and mitochondrial respiration in MALSU1-depleted TNBC cells. Importantly, MALSU1 knockdown enhanced the sensitivity of doxorubicin-resistant TNBC cells to doxorubicin treatment. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of mitochondrial translation using tigecycline and chloramphenicol mimicked the effects of MALSU1 knockdown, suggesting mitochondrial translation as a potential therapeutic target. Taken together, our findings not only elucidate the intricate role of MALSU1 in TNBC biology and doxorubicin resistance but also lay the groundwork for future investigations targeting MALSU1 and/or mitochondrial translation as a promising avenue for developing innovative therapeutic strategies against TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feifei Zhuang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, Shandong Province, China
| | - Shaoyan Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, Shandong Province, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, Shandong Province, China.
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3
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Zhuang F, Huang S, Liu L. PYCR3 modulates mtDNA copy number to drive proliferation and doxorubicin resistance in triple-negative breast cancer. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2024; 171:106581. [PMID: 38642827 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2024.106581] [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: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) poses significant challenges in treatment due to its aggressive nature and limited therapeutic targets. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms driving TNBC progression and chemotherapy resistance is imperative for developing effective therapeutic strategies. Thus, in this study, we aimed to elucidate the role of pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 3 (PYCR3) in TNBC pathogenesis and therapeutic response. We observed that PYCR3 is significantly upregulated in TNBC specimens compared to normal breast tissues, correlating with a poorer prognosis in TNBC patients. Knockdown of PYCR3 not only suppresses TNBC cell proliferation but also reverses acquired resistance of TNBC cells to doxorubicin, a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent. Mechanistically, we identified the mitochondrial localization of PYCR3 in TNBC cells and demonstrated its impact on TNBC cell proliferation and sensitivity to doxorubicin through the regulation of mtDNA copy number and mitochondrial respiration. Importantly, Selective reduction of mtDNA copy number using the mtDNA replication inhibitor 2', 3'-dideoxycytidine effectively recapitulates the phenotypic effects observed in PYCR3 knockout, resulting in decreased TNBC cell proliferation and the reversal of doxorubicin resistance through apoptosis induction. Thus, our study underscores the clinical relevance of PYCR3 and highlight its potential as a therapeutic target in TNBC management. By elucidating the functional significance of PYCR3 in TNBC, our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of TNBC biology and provide a foundation for developing novel therapeutic strategies aimed at improving patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feifei Zhuang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Shaoyan Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, Shandong, China.
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4
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Smith M, Miller S. The Evolution of Forensic Genomics: Regulating Massively Parallel Sequencing. JOURNAL OF BIOETHICAL INQUIRY 2024; 21:365-372. [PMID: 37966660 DOI: 10.1007/s11673-023-10316-w] [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: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Forensic genomics now enables law enforcement agencies to undertake rapid and detailed analysis of suspect samples using a technique known as massively parallel sequencing (MPS), including information such as physical traits, biological ancestry, and medical conditions. This article discusses the implications of MPS and provides ethical analysis, drawing on the concept of joint rights applicable to genomic data, and the concept of collective moral responsibility (understood as joint moral responsibility) that are applicable to law enforcement investigations that utilize genomic data. The widespread and unconstrained use of this technology without appropriate legal protections of individual moral rights and associated accountability mechanisms, could potentially not only involve violations of individual moral rights but also lead to an unacceptable shift in the balance of power between governments and the citizenry. We argue that in light of the rights of victims and the security benefits for society, there is a collective moral responsibility for individuals to submit their DNA to law enforcement and for MPS to be used where other, less invasive techniques are not effective. However, this application should be limited by legislation, including that any data obtained should be directly relevant to the investigation and should be destroyed at the conclusion of the investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Smith
- Charles Sturt University, 10 Brisbane Avenue, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
| | - Seumas Miller
- Charles Sturt University, 10 Brisbane Avenue, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
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5
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Ferreira T, Rodriguez S. Mitochondrial DNA: Inherent Complexities Relevant to Genetic Analyses. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:617. [PMID: 38790246 PMCID: PMC11121663 DOI: 10.3390/genes15050617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) exhibits distinct characteristics distinguishing it from the nuclear genome, necessitating specific analytical methods in genetic studies. This comprehensive review explores the complex role of mtDNA in a variety of genetic studies, including genome-wide, epigenome-wide, and phenome-wide association studies, with a focus on its implications for human traits and diseases. Here, we discuss the structure and gene-encoding properties of mtDNA, along with the influence of environmental factors and epigenetic modifications on its function and variability. Particularly significant are the challenges posed by mtDNA's high mutation rate, heteroplasmy, and copy number variations, and their impact on disease susceptibility and population genetic analyses. The review also highlights recent advances in methodological approaches that enhance our understanding of mtDNA associations, advocating for refined genetic research techniques that accommodate its complexities. By providing a comprehensive overview of the intricacies of mtDNA, this paper underscores the need for an integrated approach to genetic studies that considers the unique properties of mitochondrial genetics. Our findings aim to inform future research and encourage the development of innovative methodologies to better interpret the broad implications of mtDNA in human health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Ferreira
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UD, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SL, UK
| | - Santiago Rodriguez
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UD, UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1QU, UK
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6
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Chiao A, Ge J. Determining lineages between individuals with high-density mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Electrophoresis 2024; 45:843-851. [PMID: 38010138 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202300142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Genetic genealogy has been more frequently used in forensic investigations in identifying criminals. However, the current genetic genealogy applications usually do not consider lineage markers (including both Y and mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)), which is probably because not all distant relatives share the same lineage markers. In addition, there is no study to show how to use lineage markers and what methods or thresholds should be applied in genetic genealogy. In this study, we developed a method to quickly determine if two single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) profiles are from the same paternal or material lineages by using a mismatch frequency of the SNPs in Y-chromosomal or mitochondrial DNA. For both Y and mitochondrial SNPs, profile pairs from the same or different lineages can be decided with high accuracies (i.e., 0.380% or 0.157% error rates with Y and mitochondrial DNA, respectively). With kinship coefficient filtering based on autosomal SNPs, the accuracies of determining maternal and paternal lineage can be further improved (i.e., 0.120% or 0.057% error rates with Y and mitochondrial DNA, respectively, using a threshold of kinship coefficient >0). This study shows that lineage markers can be very powerful tools with high accuracies to determine lineages, which could help solve cases and reduce costs for genetic genealogy investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Chiao
- Center for Human Identification, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Jianye Ge
- Center for Human Identification, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
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7
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Castagnola MJ, Medina-Paz F, Zapico SC. Uncovering Forensic Evidence: A Path to Age Estimation through DNA Methylation. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4917. [PMID: 38732129 PMCID: PMC11084977 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094917] [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: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Age estimation is a critical aspect of reconstructing a biological profile in forensic sciences. Diverse biochemical processes have been studied in their correlation with age, and the results have driven DNA methylation to the forefront as a promising biomarker. DNA methylation, an epigenetic modification, has been extensively studied in recent years for developing age estimation models in criminalistics and forensic anthropology. Epigenetic clocks, which analyze DNA sites undergoing hypermethylation or hypomethylation as individuals age, have paved the way for improved prediction models. A wide range of biomarkers and methods for DNA methylation analysis have been proposed, achieving different accuracies across samples and cell types. This review extensively explores literature from the past 5 years, showing scientific efforts toward the ultimate goal: applying age prediction models to assist in human identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Josefina Castagnola
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Tiernan Hall 365, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; (M.J.C.); (F.M.-P.)
| | - Francisco Medina-Paz
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Tiernan Hall 365, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; (M.J.C.); (F.M.-P.)
| | - Sara C. Zapico
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Tiernan Hall 365, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; (M.J.C.); (F.M.-P.)
- Department of Anthropology and Laboratories of Analytical Biology, National Museum of Natural History, MRC 112, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
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8
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McDonald C, Taylor D, Linacre A. PCR in Forensic Science: A Critical Review. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:438. [PMID: 38674373 PMCID: PMC11049589 DOI: 10.3390/genes15040438] [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: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has played a fundamental role in our understanding of the world, and has applications across a broad range of disciplines. The introduction of PCR into forensic science marked the beginning of a new era of DNA profiling. This era has pushed PCR to its limits and allowed genetic data to be generated from trace DNA. Trace samples contain very small amounts of degraded DNA associated with inhibitory compounds and ions. Despite significant development in the PCR process since it was first introduced, the challenges of profiling inhibited and degraded samples remain. This review examines the evolution of the PCR from its inception in the 1980s, through to its current application in forensic science. The driving factors behind PCR evolution for DNA profiling are discussed along with a critical comparison of cycling conditions used in commercial PCR kits. Newer PCR methods that are currently used in forensic practice and beyond are examined, and possible future directions of PCR for DNA profiling are evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin McDonald
- College of Science & Engineering, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia; (C.M.); (A.L.)
| | - Duncan Taylor
- College of Science & Engineering, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia; (C.M.); (A.L.)
- Forensic Science SA, GPO Box 2790, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Adrian Linacre
- College of Science & Engineering, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia; (C.M.); (A.L.)
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9
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Worrapitirungsi W, Sathirapatya T, Sukawutthiya P, Vongpaisarnsin K, Varrathyarom P. Assessing the feasibility of free DNA for disaster victim identification and forensic applications. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5411. [PMID: 38443390 PMCID: PMC10914783 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53040-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
In tropical disaster victim identification (DVI) scenarios, challenging environmental conditions lead to accelerated DNA degradation in remains. To further enhance the utilization of leached DNA from tissue in the preservative solution (termed "free DNA") as an alternative source, we incorporated new results by assessing its integrity in postmortem and decomposing cadavers preserved in DNA/RNA Shield™ and modified TENT, with silica-based purification (QIAquick®) for faster processing. The psoas muscle tissues of one decomposed and ten cadavers were preserved in each solution at 25 °C and 35 °C for 3 months. Free DNA efficiency was compared with individual reference samples for reliable results in quantity, quality, and STR profiles. The findings revealed that DNA/RNA Shield™ effectively preserves free DNA integrity for extended storage, while modified TENT is more suitable for short-term storage due to higher degradation levels. Moreover, the use of free DNA samples with massive parallel sequencing displays potential for forensic DNA analysis. Successful amplification of the mtDNA control region enables variant calling and heteroplasmy analysis while also serving as quality control using ACTB and enabling differentiation within the 16S rRNA region for microbiome analysis. The simplicity of handling free DNA for PCR-based forensic analysis adds to its potential for various applications, including DVI and field-based analysis of biological evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wikanda Worrapitirungsi
- Forensic Genetics Research Unit, Ratchadapiseksompotch Fund, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Tikumphorn Sathirapatya
- Forensic Genetics Research Unit, Ratchadapiseksompotch Fund, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Poonyapat Sukawutthiya
- Forensic Genetics Research Unit, Ratchadapiseksompotch Fund, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kornkiat Vongpaisarnsin
- Forensic Genetics Research Unit, Ratchadapiseksompotch Fund, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Forensic Serology and DNA, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital and Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Pagparpat Varrathyarom
- Forensic Genetics Research Unit, Ratchadapiseksompotch Fund, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Forensic Serology and DNA, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital and Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand.
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10
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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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11
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Vajpayee K, Dash HR, Parekh PB, Shukla RK. PCR inhibitors and facilitators - Their role in forensic DNA analysis. Forensic Sci Int 2023; 349:111773. [PMID: 37399774 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Since its inception, DNA typing technology has been practiced as a robust tool in criminal investigations. Experts usually utilize STR profiles to identify and individualize the suspect. However, mtDNA and Y STR analyses are also considered in some sample-limiting conditions. Based on DNA profiles thus generated, forensic scientists often opine the results as Inclusion, exclusion, and inconclusive. Inclusion and exclusion were defined as concordant results; the inconclusive opinions create problems in conferring justice in a trial- since nothing concrete can be interpreted from the profile generated. The presence of inhibitor molecules in the sample is the primary factor behind these indefinite results. Recently, researchers have been emphasizing studying the sources of PCR inhibitors and their mechanism of inhibition. Furthermore, several mitigation strategies- to facilitate the DNA amplification reaction -have now found their place in the routine DNA typing assays with compromised biological samples. The present review paper attempts to provide a comprehensive review of PCR inhibitors, their source, mechanism of inhibition, and ways to mitigate their effect using PCR facilitators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamayani Vajpayee
- Biological and Life Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Central Campus, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Hirak Ranjan Dash
- National Forensic Science University, New Delhi Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Prakshal B Parekh
- Biological and Life Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Central Campus, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Ritesh K Shukla
- Biological and Life Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Central Campus, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
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12
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Hernández CL. Mitochondrial DNA in Human Diversity and Health: From the Golden Age to the Omics Era. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1534. [PMID: 37628587 PMCID: PMC10453943 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081534] [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: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a small fraction of our hereditary material. However, this molecule has had an overwhelming presence in scientific research for decades until the arrival of high-throughput studies. Several appealing properties justify the application of mtDNA to understand how human populations are-from a genetic perspective-and how individuals exhibit phenotypes of biomedical importance. Here, I review the basics of mitochondrial studies with a focus on the dawn of the field, analysis methods and the connection between two sides of mitochondrial genetics: anthropological and biomedical. The particularities of mtDNA, with respect to inheritance pattern, evolutionary rate and dependence on the nuclear genome, explain the challenges of associating mtDNA composition and diseases. Finally, I consider the relevance of this single locus in the context of omics research. The present work may serve as a tribute to a tool that has provided important insights into the past and present of humankind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candela L Hernández
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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13
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Cardinali I, Tancredi D, Lancioni H. The Revolution of Animal Genomics in Forensic Sciences. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108821. [PMID: 37240167 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, the coexistence between humans and domestic animals (especially dogs and cats) has become a common scenario of daily life. Consequently, during a forensic investigation in civil or criminal cases, the biological material from a domestic animal could be considered "evidence" by law enforcement agencies. Animal genomics offers an important contribution in attacks and episodes of property destruction or in a crime scene where the non-human biological material is linked to the victim or perpetrator. However, only a few animal genetics laboratories in the world are able to carry out a valid forensic analysis, adhering to standards and guidelines that ensure the admissibility of data before a court of law. Today, forensic sciences focus on animal genetics considering all domestic species through the analysis of STRs (short tandem repeats) and autosomal and mitochondrial DNA SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). However, the application of these molecular markers to wildlife seems to have gradually gained a strong relevance, aiming to tackle illegal traffic, avoid the loss of biodiversity, and protect endangered species. The development of third-generation sequencing technologies has glimmered new possibilities by bringing "the laboratory into the field", with a reduction of both the enormous cost management of samples and the degradation of the biological material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Cardinali
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Domenico Tancredi
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Hovirag Lancioni
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
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14
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Higgins S, Kurouski D. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy is capable of precise differentiation between re-dyed hair samples. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7063. [PMID: 37127736 PMCID: PMC10151316 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34398-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Scalp hairs are readily present at most crime scenes because an average person sheds around 100 hairs a day. Forensic experts analyze hair found at crime scenes to identify suspects involved in a crime. Many people color their hair on a regular basis. Therefore, confirmatory analysis of hair colorants can be extremely useful in forensic investigation of hair evidence. However, most currently available methods for analysis of hair colorants are invasive, destructive, or not reliable. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a minimally invasive, fast, and highly accurate technique that can be used to identify colorants present on hair. SERS is based on 106-108 enhancement of Raman scattering from molecules present in the close proximity to noble metal nanostructures. In this study, we investigate the extent to which SERS can be used to reveal coloration history of hair. We found that SERS enables nearly 100% identification of dyes of different color if those were applied on hair in the sequential order. The same accuracy was observed for colorants of different brand and type. Furthermore, SERS was capable of revealing the order in which two colorants were applied on hair. Finally, we demonstrated that SERS could be used to reveal hair coloration history if two randomly selected dyes of different color, brand and type were used to color the hair. These findings facilitate the need for forensic experts to account for hair that has been redyed and can be identified against a library of the same colorant combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Higgins
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
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15
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Mitochondrial Damage Induced by T-2 Mycotoxin on Human Skin-Fibroblast Hs68 Cell Line. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28052408. [PMID: 36903658 PMCID: PMC10005480 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
T-2 toxin is produced by different Fusarium species and belongs to the group of type A trichothecene mycotoxins. T-2 toxin contaminates various grains, such as wheat, barley, maize, or rice, thus posing a risk to human and animal health. The toxin has toxicological effects on human and animal digestive, immune, nervous and reproductive systems. In addition, the most significant toxic effect can be observed on the skin. This in vitro study focused on T-2 toxicity on human skin fibroblast Hs68 cell line mitochondria. In the first step of this study, T-2 toxin's effect on the cell mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was determined. The cells were exposed to T-2 toxin, which resulted in dose- and time-dependent changes and a decrease in MMP. The obtained results revealed that the changes of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the Hs68 cells were not affected by T-2 toxin. A further mitochondrial genome analysis showed that T-2 toxin in a dose- and time-dependent manner decreased the number of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copies in cells. In addition, T-2 toxin genotoxicity causing mtDNA damage was evaluated. It was found that incubation of Hs68 cells in the presence of T-2 toxin, in a dose- and time-dependent manner, increased the level of mtDNA damage in both tested mtDNA regions: NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (ND1) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (ND5). In conclusion, the results of the in vitro study revealed that T-2 toxin shows adverse effects on Hs68 cell mitochondria. T-2 toxin induces mitochondrial dysfunction and mtDNA damage, which may cause the disruption of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis and, in consequence, cell death.
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16
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Stasi A, Mir TUG, Pellegrino A, Wani AK, Shukla S. Forty years of research and development on forensic genetics: A bibliometric analysis. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2023; 63:102826. [PMID: 36640637 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2023.102826] [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: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The current study aims to investigate the research publication trends in the field of forensic genetics using Bibliometric analysis. An extensive search of the Scopus database was conducted to identify scholarly articles on forensic genetics published between 1977 and 2022, and a data set comprising 2945 articles was obtained. The analysis was carried out using VOSviewer, RStudio, MS Excel and MS Access to investigate the annual publication trend, most productive journals, organizations/authors/countries, authorship and citation patterns, most cited documents/articles and co-occurrence of keywords. The results revealed the first article in the field of forensic genetics was published in 1977. By the end of 1999, only 15 articles were published. Since then, there has been a considerable increase in the yearly number of publications and post-2006, there were more than 100 yearly published articles. USA, China, Spain, Germany and United Kingdom were found to be the most productive countries. Among various organizations, the Institute of Legal Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University, Austria was found to be the most productive organization. In terms of the number of publications and citations, Morling N. was found to be the most prolific author. The highest number of articles were published in Forensic Science International: Genetics, contributing about 34% of the total articles published in different sources/journals. The document with the highest number of citations was "HOMER N, 2008, PLOS GENET", with a total of 750 citations. The most frequent keywords were forensic genetics and forensic science, followed by STR, population genetics, DNA, mt-DNA and DNA-typing. The results also revealed that there had been collaborative research among countries, organizations and authors, which helps in the exchange of ideas across disciplines, developing new skills, getting access to financial resources and generating quality results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Stasi
- Mahidol University International College, 999 Phutthamonthon Sai 4 Rd, Salaya, Phutthamonthon District, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand.
| | - Tahir Ul Gani Mir
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, Punjab, India.
| | - Alfonso Pellegrino
- Sasin School of Management, Chulalongkorn University, Chula soi 12, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
| | - Atif Khurshid Wani
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, Punjab, India.
| | - Saurabh Shukla
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, Punjab, India.
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17
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From collected stamps to hair locks: ethical and legal implications of testing DNA found on privately owned family artifacts. Hum Genet 2023; 142:331-341. [PMID: 36456648 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-022-02508-y] [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: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Biological samples containing DNA that is attributed to deceased relatives, can now undergo genetic testing at a reasonable cost due to revolutionary improvements in sampling, sequencing, and analytical techniques. This artifact DNA testing, or 'artDNA', includes genetic analysis of hair locks, stamps, envelopes with saliva traces or teeth. ArtDNA can reveal valuable information about a deceased relative or one's genetic background, but it also presents novel ethical dilemmas and legal uncertainties for genetic researchers and commercial testing services. In this paper, we provide an analysis of some of the unique ethical and legal risks of such testing and provide needed recommendations for practitioners of private family artDNA testing. ArtDNA testing generates ethical and legal risks regarding the privacy and autonomy of deceased individuals, the rights of living relatives over their ancestor's genetic information, and the rights of living persons to control their own genetic information. To mitigate these risks, practitioners can conduct certain preliminary testing to ascertain the identity of a DNA donor and estimate the time that has elapsed postmortem. Generally, the ethical and legal concerns will be higher when a shorter period has passed between the death of the DNA donor and the time of artifact DNA testing. Regardless, all artDNA testing present some risks, and practitioners should exercise professional judgement as necessary.
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18
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Legati A, Ghezzi D, Viscomi C. Mitochondrial DNA Sequencing and Heteroplasmy Quantification by Next Generation Sequencing. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2615:381-395. [PMID: 36807805 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2922-2_26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Over the last 10 years, next generation sequencing (NGS) became the gold standard for both diagnosis and discovery of new disease genes responsible for heterogeneous disorders, such as mitochondrial encephalomyopathies. The application of this technology to mtDNA mutations poses extra challenges compared to other genetic conditions because of the peculiarities of mitochondrial genetics and the requirement for proper NGS data management and analysis. Here, we describe a detailed, clinically relevant protocol to sequence the whole mtDNA and quantify heteroplasmy levels of mtDNA variants, starting from total DNA through the generation of a single PCR amplicon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Legati
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Ghezzi
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy.,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Lab of Neurogenetics and Mitochondrial Disorders, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta/Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Carlo Viscomi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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19
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Application of Forensic DNA Phenotyping for Prediction of Eye, Hair and Skin Colour in Highly Decomposed Bodies. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11050647. [PMID: 36900653 PMCID: PMC10000573 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11050647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last few years, predicting externally visible characteristics (EVCs) by adopting informative DNA molecular markers has become a method in forensic genetics that has increased its value, giving rise to an interesting field called "Forensic DNA Phenotyping" (FDP). The most meaningful forensic applications of EVCs prediction are those in which, having only a DNA sample isolated from highly decomposed remains, it is essential to reconstruct the physical appearance of a person. Through this approach, we set out to evaluate 20 skeletal remains of Italian provenance in order to associate them with as many cases of missing persons as possible. To achieve the intended goal, in this work we applied the HIrisPlex-S multiplex system through the conventional short tandem repeats (STR) method to confirm the expected identity of subjects by evaluating phenotypic features. To investigate the reliability and accuracy of the DNA-based EVCs prediction, pictures of the cases were compared as they were available to researchers. Results showed an overall prediction accuracy greater than 90% for all three phenotypic features-iris, hair, and skin colour-at a probability threshold of 0.7. The experimental analysis showed inconclusive results in only two cases; this is probably due to the characteristics of subjects who had an intermediate eye and hair colour, for which the DNA-based system needs to improve the prediction accuracy.
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20
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Park J, Baruch-Torres N, Yin YW. Structural and Molecular Basis for Mitochondrial DNA Replication and Transcription in Health and Antiviral Drug Toxicity. Molecules 2023; 28:1796. [PMID: 36838782 PMCID: PMC9961925 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28041796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a 16.9 kbp double-stranded, circular DNA, encoding subunits of the oxidative phosphorylation electron transfer chain and essential RNAs for mitochondrial protein translation. The minimal human mtDNA replisome is composed of the DNA helicase Twinkle, DNA polymerase γ, and mitochondrial single-stranded DNA-binding protein. While the mitochondrial RNA transcription is carried out by mitochondrial RNA polymerase, mitochondrial transcription factors TFAM and TFB2M, and a transcription elongation factor, TEFM, both RNA transcriptions, and DNA replication machineries are intertwined and control mtDNA copy numbers, cellular energy supplies, and cellular metabolism. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms governing these main pathways and the mtDNA diseases that arise from mutations in transcription and replication machineries from a structural point of view. We also address the adverse effect of antiviral drugs mediated by mitochondrial DNA and RNA polymerases as well as possible structural approaches to develop nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor and ribonucleosides analogs with reduced toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joon Park
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Noe Baruch-Torres
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Y. Whitney Yin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
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21
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Liu Z, Simayijiang H, Wang Q, Yang J, Sun H, Wu R, Yan J. DNA and protein analyses of hair in forensic genetics. Int J Legal Med 2023; 137:613-633. [PMID: 36732435 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-023-02955-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Hair is one of the most common pieces of biological evidence found at a crime scene and plays an essential role in forensic investigation. Hairs, especially non-follicular hairs, are usually found at various crime scenes, either by natural shedding or by forcible shedding. However, the genetic material in hairs is usually highly degraded, which makes forensic analysis difficult. As a result, the value of hair has not been fully exploited in forensic investigations and trials. In recent years, with advances in molecular biology, forensic analysis of hair has achieved remarkable strides and provided crucial clues in numerous cases. This article reviews recent developments in DNA and protein analysis of hair and attempts to provide a comprehensive solution to improve forensic hair analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyong Liu
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Halimureti Simayijiang
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong, Shanxi, 030600, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiangwei Wang
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingyi Yang
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongyu Sun
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Riga Wu
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China. .,Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jiangwei Yan
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong, Shanxi, 030600, People's Republic of China.
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22
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Panthum T, Ariyaphong N, Wattanadilokchatkun P, Singchat W, Ahmad SF, Kraichak E, Dokkaew S, Muangmai N, Han K, Duengkae P, Srikulnath K. Quality control of fighting fish nucleotide sequences in public repositories reveals a dark matter of systematic taxonomic implication. Genes Genomics 2023; 45:169-181. [PMID: 36512198 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-022-01353-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The number of nucleotide sequences in public repositories has exploded recently. However, the data contain errors, leading to incorrect species identification. Several fighting fish (Betta spp.) are poorly described, with unresolved cryptic species complexes masking undescribed species. Here, DNA barcoding was used to detect erroneous sequences in public repositories. OBJECTIVE This study reflects the current quantitative and qualitative status of DNA barcoding in fighting fish and provides a rapid and reliable identification tool. METHODS A total of 1034 barcode sequences were analyzed from mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cytb) genes from 71 fighting fish species. RESULTS The nearest neighbor test showed the highest percentage of intraspecific nearest neighbors at 93.41% for COI and 91.67% for Cytb, which can be used as reference barcodes for certain taxa. Intraspecific variation was usually less than 13%, while most species differed by more than 54%. The barcoding gap, calculated from the difference between inter- and intraspecific sequence divergences, was negative in the COI data set indicating overlapping intra- and interspecific sequence divergence. Sequence saturation was observed in the Cytb data set but not in the COI data set. CONCLUSION The COI gene should thus be used as the main barcoding marker for fighting fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thitipong Panthum
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Faculty of Science, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Bioscience, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Nattakan Ariyaphong
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Pish Wattanadilokchatkun
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Master of Science Program in Fishery Science and Technology (International Program), Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Worapong Singchat
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Syed Farhan Ahmad
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Ekaphan Kraichak
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Sahabhop Dokkaew
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Narongrit Muangmai
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Department of Fishery Biology, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Kyudong Han
- Department of Microbiology, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Korea
- Center for Bio-Medical Engineering Core Facility, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Korea
| | - Prateep Duengkae
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Kornsorn Srikulnath
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Unit (AGB Research Unit), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
- Faculty of Science, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Bioscience, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
- Master of Science Program in Fishery Science and Technology (International Program), Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1, Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima, 739-8526, Japan.
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23
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Role of Myeloid Cell-Specific TLR9 in Mitochondrial DNA-Induced Lung Inflammation in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24020939. [PMID: 36674451 PMCID: PMC9864555 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24020939] [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: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction is common in various pathological conditions including obesity. Release of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) during mitochondrial dysfunction has been shown to play a role in driving the pro-inflammatory response in leukocytes including macrophages. However, the mechanisms by which mtDNA induces leukocyte inflammatory responses in vivo are still unclear. Moreover, how mtDNA is released in an obese setting has not been well understood. By using a mouse model of TLR9 deficiency in myeloid cells (e.g., macrophages), we found that TLR9 signaling in myeloid cells was critical to mtDNA-mediated pro-inflammatory responses such as neutrophil influx and chemokine production. mtDNA release by lung macrophages was enhanced by exposure to palmitic acid (PA), a major saturated fatty acid related to obesity. Moreover, TLR9 contributed to PA-mediated mtDNA release and inflammatory responses. Pathway analysis of RNA-sequencing data in TLR9-sufficient lung macrophages revealed the up-regulation of axon guidance molecule genes and down-regulation of metabolic pathway genes by PA. However, in TLR9-deficient lung macrophages, PA down-regulated axon guidance molecule genes, but up-regulated metabolic pathway genes. Our results suggest that mtDNA utilizes TLR9 signaling in leukocytes to promote lung inflammatory responses in hosts with increased PA. Moreover, TLR9 signaling is involved in the regulation of axon guidance and metabolic pathways in lung macrophages exposed to PA.
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24
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Higgins S, Kurouski D. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy enables highly accurate identification of different brands, types and colors of hair dyes. Talanta 2023; 251:123762. [DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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25
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Abstract
This review paper covers the forensic-relevant literature in biological sciences from 2019 to 2022 as a part of the 20th INTERPOL International Forensic Science Managers Symposium. Topics reviewed include rapid DNA testing, using law enforcement DNA databases plus investigative genetic genealogy DNA databases along with privacy/ethical issues, forensic biology and body fluid identification, DNA extraction and typing methods, mixture interpretation involving probabilistic genotyping software (PGS), DNA transfer and activity-level evaluations, next-generation sequencing (NGS), DNA phenotyping, lineage markers (Y-chromosome, mitochondrial DNA, X-chromosome), new markers and approaches (microhaplotypes, proteomics, and microbial DNA), kinship analysis and human identification with disaster victim identification (DVI), and non-human DNA testing including wildlife forensics. Available books and review articles are summarized as well as 70 guidance documents to assist in quality control that were published in the past three years by various groups within the United States and around the world.
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26
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Harrison TMR, Rudar J, Ogden N, Steeves R, Lapen DR, Baird D, Gagné N, Lung O. In silico identification of multiple conserved motifs within the control region of Culicidae mitogenomes. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21920. [PMID: 36536037 PMCID: PMC9763401 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26236-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes are important vectors for human and animal diseases. Genetic markers, like the mitochondrial COI gene, can facilitate the taxonomic classification of disease vectors, vector-borne disease surveillance, and prevention. Within the control region (CR) of the mitochondrial genome, there exists a highly variable and poorly studied non-coding AT-rich area that contains the origin of replication. Although the CR hypervariable region has been used for species differentiation of some animals, few studies have investigated the mosquito CR. In this study, we analyze the mosquito mitogenome CR sequences from 125 species and 17 genera. We discovered four conserved motifs located 80 to 230 bp upstream of the 12S rRNA gene. Two of these motifs were found within all 392 Anopheles (An.) CR sequences while the other two motifs were identified in all 37 Culex (Cx.) CR sequences. However, only 3 of the 304 non-Culicidae Dipteran mitogenome CR sequences contained these motifs. Interestingly, the short motif found in all 37 Culex sequences had poly-A and poly-T stretch of similar length that is predicted to form a stable hairpin. We show that supervised learning using the frequency chaos game representation of the CR can be used to differentiate mosquito genera from their dipteran relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M R Harrison
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, 1015 Arlington St. Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3M 3E4, Canada
| | - Josip Rudar
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, 1015 Arlington St. Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3M 3E4, Canada
| | - Nicholas Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Royce Steeves
- Gulf Fisheries Centre, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - David R Lapen
- Ottawa Research Development Centre, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0C6, Canada
| | - Donald Baird
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Rivers Institute, Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
| | - Nellie Gagné
- Gulf Fisheries Centre, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Oliver Lung
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, 1015 Arlington St. Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3M 3E4, Canada.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
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27
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Alqaisi MHM, Ekka MM, Patel BC. Forensic evaluation of mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy in Gujarat population, India. Ann Hum Biol 2022; 49:332-341. [PMID: 36343161 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2022.2144447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Owing to its high copy number and its small size, mtDNA analysis is the most reliable choice when biological materials from crime scenes are degraded or have mixed STR profiles. AIM To examine the occurrence of heteroplasmy along with its frequency and pattern in both HV1 and HV2 regions of the mtDNA among unrelated individuals from India. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Mitochondrial DNA control region [hypervariable region one (HV1) and hypervariable region two (HV2)] were analysed in blood and buccal tissues of 104 unrelated individuals from the Indian state of Gujarat. RESULTS A high frequency of point heteroplasmy (PH) and length heteroplasmy (LH) was revealed. PH was detected in 7.69% of the population, with a higher frequency observed in blood than in buccal samples. However, there were no statistically significant differences in PH between the two tissues (Chi-square = 0.552, p ≥ 0.05). A total of six PH positions were detected: three at HV1, and another three at HV2. The studied population showed 46.15% LH in the HV1 and HV2 regions of both tissues. The LH positions observed in the Gujarat population were the same as those previously reported at HV1 np16184-16193 and HV2 np303-315. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that differences in the pattern of heteroplasmy found in different tissues can complicate the forensic analysis, on the other hand, the probability of a match between the questioned and reference samples increases when the heteroplasmy is identical in both tissues. Variability of PH among persons and even within tissues recommends analysing multiple tissue samples before drawing a conclusion in forensic mtDNA analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed H M Alqaisi
- Laboratory of Forensic Biology and Biotechnology, National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Molina Madhulika Ekka
- Laboratory of Forensic Biology and Biotechnology, National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Bhargav C Patel
- Laboratory of Forensic Biology and Biotechnology, National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
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28
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Mitochondrial genes as strong molecular markers for species identification. THE NUCLEUS 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13237-022-00393-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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29
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Ip EKK, Troup M, Xu C, Winlaw DS, Dunwoodie SL, Giannoulatou E. Benchmarking the Effectiveness and Accuracy of Multiple Mitochondrial DNA Variant Callers: Practical Implications for Clinical Application. Front Genet 2022; 13:692257. [PMID: 35350246 PMCID: PMC8957813 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.692257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations contribute to human disease across a range of severity, from rare, highly penetrant mutations causal for monogenic disorders to mutations with milder contributions to phenotypes. mtDNA variation can exist in all copies of mtDNA or in a percentage of mtDNA copies and can be detected with levels as low as 1%. The large number of copies of mtDNA and the possibility of multiple alternative alleles at the same DNA nucleotide position make the task of identifying allelic variation in mtDNA very challenging. In recent years, specialized variant calling algorithms have been developed that are tailored to identify mtDNA variation from whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data. However, very few studies have systematically evaluated and compared these methods for the detection of both homoplasmy and heteroplasmy. A publicly available synthetic gold standard dataset was used to assess four mtDNA variant callers (Mutserve, mitoCaller, MitoSeek, and MToolBox), and the commonly used Genome Analysis Toolkit “best practices” pipeline, which is included in most current WGS pipelines. We also used WGS data from 126 trios and calculated the percentage of maternally inherited variants as a metric of calling accuracy, especially for homoplasmic variants. We additionally compared multiple pathogenicity prediction resources for mtDNA variants. Although the accuracy of homoplasmic variant detection was high for the majority of the callers with high concordance across callers, we found a very low concordance rate between mtDNA variant callers for heteroplasmic variants ranging from 2.8% to 3.6%, for heteroplasmy thresholds of 5% and 1%. Overall, Mutserve showed the best performance using the synthetic benchmark dataset. The analysis of mtDNA pathogenicity resources also showed low concordance in prediction results. We have shown that while homoplasmic variant calling is consistent between callers, there remains a significant discrepancy in heteroplasmic variant calling. We found that resources like population frequency databases and pathogenicity predictors are now available for variant annotation but still need refinement and improvement. With its peculiarities, the mitochondria require special considerations, and we advocate that caution needs to be taken when analyzing mtDNA data from WGS data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eddie K K Ip
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,St. Vincent's Clinical School, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Troup
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Colin Xu
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - David S Winlaw
- Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre, Heart Institute, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Sally L Dunwoodie
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,St. Vincent's Clinical School, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Eleni Giannoulatou
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,St. Vincent's Clinical School, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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30
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Wang H, Chen M, Chen C, Fang Y, Cui W, Lei F, Zhu B. Genetic Background of Kirgiz Ethnic Group From Northwest China Revealed by Mitochondrial DNA Control Region Sequences on Massively Parallel Sequencing. Front Genet 2022; 13:729514. [PMID: 35281833 PMCID: PMC8906502 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.729514] [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: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been used to trace population evolution and apply to forensic identification due to the characteristics including lack of recombination, higher copy number and matrilineal inheritance comparing with nuclear genome DNA. In this study, mtDNA control region sequences of 91 Kirgiz individuals from the Northwest region of China were sequenced to identify genetic polymorphisms and gain insight into the genetic background of the Kirgiz ethnic group. MtDNA control region sequences of Kirgiz individuals presented relatively high genetic polymorphisms. The 1,122 bp sequences of mtDNA control region could differ among unrelated Kirgiz individuals, which suggested the mtDNA control region sequences have a good maternal pedigree tracing capability among different Kirgiz individuals. The neutrality test, mismatch distribution, Bayesian phylogenetic inference, Bayesian skyline analysis, and the median network analyses showed that the Kirgiz group might occurred population expansion, and the expansion could be observed at about ∼53.41 kilo years ago (kya) when ancestries of modern humans began to thrive in Eurasia. The pairwise population comparisons, principal component analyses, and median network analyses were performed based on haplogroup frequencies or mtDNA control region sequences of 5,886 individuals from the Kirgiz group and the 48 reference populations all over the world. And the most homologous haplotypes were found between Kirgiz individuals and the East Asian individuals, which indicated that the Kirgiz group might have gene exchanges with the East Asian populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongdan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Medical Genetic Institute of Henan Province, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Man Chen
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Multi-Omics Innovative Research Center of Forensic Identification, Department of Forensic Genetics, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yating Fang
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Multi-Omics Innovative Research Center of Forensic Identification, Department of Forensic Genetics, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Cui
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Multi-Omics Innovative Research Center of Forensic Identification, Department of Forensic Genetics, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fanzhang Lei
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Multi-Omics Innovative Research Center of Forensic Identification, Department of Forensic Genetics, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bofeng Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Multi-Omics Innovative Research Center of Forensic Identification, Department of Forensic Genetics, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
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31
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Govender P, Fashoto SG, Maharaj L, Adeleke MA, Mbunge E, Olamijuwon J, Akinnuwesi B, Okpeku M. The application of machine learning to predict genetic relatedness using human mtDNA hypervariable region I sequences. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263790. [PMID: 35180257 PMCID: PMC8856515 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human identification of unknown samples following disaster and mass casualty events is essential, especially to bring closure to family and friends of the deceased. Unfortunately, victim identification is often challenging for forensic investigators as analysis becomes complicated when biological samples are degraded or of poor quality as a result of exposure to harsh environmental factors. Mitochondrial DNA becomes the ideal option for analysis, particularly for determining the origin of the samples. In such events, the estimation of genetic parameters plays an important role in modelling and predicting genetic relatedness and is useful in assigning unknown individuals to an ethnic group. Various techniques exist for the estimation of genetic relatedness, but the use of Machine learning (ML) algorithms are novel and presently the least used in forensic genetic studies. In this study, we investigated the ability of ML algorithms to predict genetic relatedness using hypervariable region I sequences; that were retrieved from the GenBank database for three race groups, namely African, Asian and Caucasian. Four ML classification algorithms; Support vector machines (SVM), Linear discriminant analysis (LDA), Quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) and Random Forest (RF) were hybridised with one-hot encoding, Principal component analysis (PCA) and Bags of Words (BoW), and were compared for inferring genetic relatedness. The findings from this study on WEKA showed that genetic inferences based on PCA-SVM achieved an overall accuracy of 80–90% and consistently outperformed PCA-LDA, PCA-RF and PCA-QDA, while in Python BoW-PCA-RF achieved 94.4% accuracy which outperformed BoW-PCA-SVM, BoW-PCA-LDA and BoW-PCA-QDA respectively. ML results from the use of WEKA and Python software tools displayed higher accuracies as compared to the Analysis of molecular variance results. Given the results, SVM and RF algorithms are likely to also be useful in other sequence classification applications, making it a promising tool in genetics and forensic science. The study provides evidence that ML can be utilized as a supplementary tool for forensic genetics casework analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Govender
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, South Africa
| | - Stephen Gbenga Fashoto
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Computer Science, Computational Intelligence and Health Informatics Research Group, University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni, Kingdom of Eswatini
| | - Leah Maharaj
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, South Africa
| | - Matthew A. Adeleke
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, South Africa
| | - Elliot Mbunge
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Computer Science, Computational Intelligence and Health Informatics Research Group, University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni, Kingdom of Eswatini
| | - Jeremiah Olamijuwon
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Computer Science, Computational Intelligence and Health Informatics Research Group, University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni, Kingdom of Eswatini
| | - Boluwaji Akinnuwesi
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Computer Science, Computational Intelligence and Health Informatics Research Group, University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni, Kingdom of Eswatini
| | - Moses Okpeku
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, South Africa
- * E-mail:
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32
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McElhoe JA, Wilton PR, Parson W, Holland MM. Exploring statistical weight estimates for mitochondrial DNA matches involving heteroplasmy. Int J Legal Med 2022; 136:671-685. [PMID: 35243529 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-022-02774-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Massively parallel sequencing (MPS) of mitochondrial (mt) DNA allows forensic laboratories to report heteroplasmy on a routine basis. Statistical approaches will be needed to determine the relative frequency of observing an mtDNA haplotype when including the presence of a heteroplasmic site. Here, we examined 1301 control region (CR) sequences, collected from individuals in four major population groups (European, African, Asian, and Latino), and covering 24 geographically distributed haplogroups, to assess the rates of point heteroplasmy (PHP) on an individual and nucleotide position (np) basis. With a minor allele frequency (MAF) threshold of 2%, the data was similar across population groups, with an overall PHP rate of 37.7%, and the majority of heteroplasmic individuals (77.3%) having only one site of heteroplasmy. The majority (75.2%) of identified PHPs had an MAF of 2-10%, and were observed at 12.6% of the nps across the CR. Both the broad and phylogenetic testing suggested that in many cases the low number of observations of heteroplasmy at any one np results in a lack of statistical association. The posterior frequency estimates, which skew conservative to a degree depending on the sample size in a given haplogroup, had a mean of 0.152 (SD 0.134) and ranged from 0.031 to 0.83. As expected, posterior frequency estimates decreased in accordance with 1/n as the sample size (n) increased. This provides a proposed conservative statistical framework for assessing haplotype/heteroplasmy matches when applying an MPS technique in forensic cases and will allow for continual refinement as more data is generated, both within the CR and across the mitochondrial genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A McElhoe
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Forensic Science Program, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 014 Thomas Building, State College, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - Peter R Wilton
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- 23andMe Inc, Sunnyvale, CA, 94086, USA
| | - Walther Parson
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Forensic Science Program, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 014 Thomas Building, State College, PA, 16802, USA
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstraße 44, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Mitchell M Holland
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Forensic Science Program, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 014 Thomas Building, State College, PA, 16802, USA
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33
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Food forensics: techniques for authenticity determination of food products. Forensic Sci Int 2022; 333:111243. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2022.111243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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34
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Zavala EI, Thomas JT, Sturk-Andreaggi K, Daniels-Higginbotham J, Meyers KK, Barrit-Ross S, Aximu-Petri A, Richter J, Nickel B, Berg GE, McMahon TP, Meyer M, Marshall C. Ancient DNA Methods Improve Forensic DNA Profiling of Korean War and World War II Unknowns. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13010129. [PMID: 35052469 PMCID: PMC8774965 DOI: 10.3390/genes13010129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The integration of massively parallel sequencing (MPS) technology into forensic casework has been of particular benefit to the identification of unknown military service members. However, highly degraded or chemically treated skeletal remains often fail to provide usable DNA profiles, even with sensitive mitochondrial (mt) DNA capture and MPS methods. In parallel, the ancient DNA field has developed workflows specifically for degraded DNA, resulting in the successful recovery of nuclear DNA and mtDNA from skeletal remains as well as sediment over 100,000 years old. In this study we use a set of disinterred skeletal remains from the Korean War and World War II to test if ancient DNA extraction and library preparation methods improve forensic DNA profiling. We identified an ancient DNA extraction protocol that resulted in the recovery of significantly more human mtDNA fragments than protocols previously used in casework. In addition, utilizing single-stranded rather than double-stranded library preparation resulted in increased attainment of reportable mtDNA profiles. This study emphasizes that the combination of ancient DNA extraction and library preparation methods evaluated here increases the success rate of DNA profiling, and likelihood of identifying historical remains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena I. Zavala
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (A.A.-P.); (J.R.); (B.N.); (M.M.)
- Correspondence: (E.I.Z.); (C.M.)
| | - Jacqueline Tyler Thomas
- Armed Forces Medical Examiner System’s Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL), Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE 19902, USA; (J.T.T.); (K.S.-A.); (J.D.-H.); (K.K.M.); (S.B.-R.); (T.P.M.)
- SNA International, Contractor Supporting the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
| | - Kimberly Sturk-Andreaggi
- Armed Forces Medical Examiner System’s Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL), Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE 19902, USA; (J.T.T.); (K.S.-A.); (J.D.-H.); (K.K.M.); (S.B.-R.); (T.P.M.)
- SNA International, Contractor Supporting the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-751 08 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jennifer Daniels-Higginbotham
- Armed Forces Medical Examiner System’s Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL), Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE 19902, USA; (J.T.T.); (K.S.-A.); (J.D.-H.); (K.K.M.); (S.B.-R.); (T.P.M.)
- SNA International, Contractor Supporting the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
| | - Kerriann K. Meyers
- Armed Forces Medical Examiner System’s Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL), Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE 19902, USA; (J.T.T.); (K.S.-A.); (J.D.-H.); (K.K.M.); (S.B.-R.); (T.P.M.)
- SNA International, Contractor Supporting the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
| | - Suzanne Barrit-Ross
- Armed Forces Medical Examiner System’s Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL), Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE 19902, USA; (J.T.T.); (K.S.-A.); (J.D.-H.); (K.K.M.); (S.B.-R.); (T.P.M.)
| | - Ayinuer Aximu-Petri
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (A.A.-P.); (J.R.); (B.N.); (M.M.)
| | - Julia Richter
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (A.A.-P.); (J.R.); (B.N.); (M.M.)
| | - Birgit Nickel
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (A.A.-P.); (J.R.); (B.N.); (M.M.)
| | - Gregory E. Berg
- Defense Personnel Accounting Agency, Central Identification Laboratory, Hickam Air Force Base, Oahu, HI 96853, USA;
| | - Timothy P. McMahon
- Armed Forces Medical Examiner System’s Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL), Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE 19902, USA; (J.T.T.); (K.S.-A.); (J.D.-H.); (K.K.M.); (S.B.-R.); (T.P.M.)
- SNA International, Contractor Supporting the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
| | - Matthias Meyer
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (A.A.-P.); (J.R.); (B.N.); (M.M.)
| | - Charla Marshall
- Armed Forces Medical Examiner System’s Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL), Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE 19902, USA; (J.T.T.); (K.S.-A.); (J.D.-H.); (K.K.M.); (S.B.-R.); (T.P.M.)
- SNA International, Contractor Supporting the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
- Forensic Science Program, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
- Correspondence: (E.I.Z.); (C.M.)
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Cortes-Figueiredo F, Carvalho FS, Fonseca AC, Paul F, Ferro JM, Schönherr S, Weissensteiner H, Morais VA. From Forensics to Clinical Research: Expanding the Variant Calling Pipeline for the Precision ID mtDNA Whole Genome Panel. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12031. [PMID: 34769461 PMCID: PMC8584537 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222112031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite a multitude of methods for the sample preparation, sequencing, and data analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the demand for innovation remains, particularly in comparison with nuclear DNA (nDNA) research. The Applied Biosystems™ Precision ID mtDNA Whole Genome Panel (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA) is an innovative library preparation kit suitable for degraded samples and low DNA input. However, its bioinformatic processing occurs in the enterprise Ion Torrent Suite™ Software (TSS), yielding BAM files aligned to an unorthodox version of the revised Cambridge Reference Sequence (rCRS), with a heteroplasmy threshold level of 10%. Here, we present an alternative customizable pipeline, the PrecisionCallerPipeline (PCP), for processing samples with the correct rCRS output after Ion Torrent sequencing with the Precision ID library kit. Using 18 samples (3 original samples and 15 mixtures) derived from the 1000 Genomes Project, we achieved overall improved performance metrics in comparison with the proprietary TSS, with optimal performance at a 2.5% heteroplasmy threshold. We further validated our findings with 50 samples from an ongoing independent cohort of stroke patients, with PCP finding 98.31% of TSS's variants (TSS found 57.92% of PCP's variants), with a significant correlation between the variant levels of variants found with both pipelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe Cortes-Figueiredo
- VMorais Lab—Mitochondria Biology & Neurodegeneration, Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal; (F.C.-F.); (F.S.C.)
- NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Filipa S. Carvalho
- VMorais Lab—Mitochondria Biology & Neurodegeneration, Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal; (F.C.-F.); (F.S.C.)
| | - Ana Catarina Fonseca
- José Ferro Lab—Clinical Research in Non-communicable Neurological Diseases, Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal; (A.C.F.); (J.M.F.)
- Serviço de Neurologia, Hospital de Santa Maria, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, 1649-035 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Friedemann Paul
- NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany;
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - José M. Ferro
- José Ferro Lab—Clinical Research in Non-communicable Neurological Diseases, Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal; (A.C.F.); (J.M.F.)
- Serviço de Neurologia, Hospital de Santa Maria, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, 1649-035 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sebastian Schönherr
- Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Genetics and Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
| | - Hansi Weissensteiner
- Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Genetics and Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
| | - Vanessa A. Morais
- VMorais Lab—Mitochondria Biology & Neurodegeneration, Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal; (F.C.-F.); (F.S.C.)
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36
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García-Olivares V, Muñoz-Barrera A, Lorenzo-Salazar JM, Zaragoza-Trello C, Rubio-Rodríguez LA, Díaz-de Usera A, Jáspez D, Iñigo-Campos A, González-Montelongo R, Flores C. A benchmarking of human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup classifiers from whole-genome and whole-exome sequence data. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20510. [PMID: 34654896 PMCID: PMC8519921 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99895-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) is of interest for a range of fields including evolutionary, forensic, and medical genetics. Human mitogenomes can be classified into evolutionary related haplogroups that provide ancestral information and pedigree relationships. Because of this and the advent of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technology, there is a diversity of bioinformatic tools for haplogroup classification. We present a benchmarking of the 11 most salient tools for human mtDNA classification using empirical whole-genome (WGS) and whole-exome (WES) short-read sequencing data from 36 unrelated donors. We also assessed the best performing tool in third-generation long noisy read WGS data obtained with nanopore technology for a subset of the donors. We found that, for short-read WGS, most of the tools exhibit high accuracy for haplogroup classification irrespective of the input file used for the analysis. However, for short-read WES, Haplocheck and MixEmt were the most accurate tools. Based on the performance shown for WGS and WES, and the accompanying qualitative assessment, Haplocheck stands out as the most complete tool. For third-generation HTS data, we also showed that Haplocheck was able to accurately retrieve mtDNA haplogroups for all samples assessed, although only after following assembly-based approaches (either based on a referenced-based assembly or a hybrid de novo assembly). Taken together, our results provide guidance for researchers to select the most suitable tool to conduct the mtDNA analyses from HTS data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor García-Olivares
- Genomics Division, Instituto Tecnológico Y de Energías Renovables (ITER), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Adrián Muñoz-Barrera
- Genomics Division, Instituto Tecnológico Y de Energías Renovables (ITER), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - José M Lorenzo-Salazar
- Genomics Division, Instituto Tecnológico Y de Energías Renovables (ITER), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | | | - Luis A Rubio-Rodríguez
- Genomics Division, Instituto Tecnológico Y de Energías Renovables (ITER), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Ana Díaz-de Usera
- Genomics Division, Instituto Tecnológico Y de Energías Renovables (ITER), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - David Jáspez
- Genomics Division, Instituto Tecnológico Y de Energías Renovables (ITER), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Antonio Iñigo-Campos
- Genomics Division, Instituto Tecnológico Y de Energías Renovables (ITER), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Rafaela González-Montelongo
- Genomics Division, Instituto Tecnológico Y de Energías Renovables (ITER), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
- Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas (ITB), Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Carlos Flores
- Genomics Division, Instituto Tecnológico Y de Energías Renovables (ITER), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
- Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas (ITB), Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
- Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
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37
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Complete mitogenome in a population sample from Cameroon. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2021; 55:102597. [PMID: 34560341 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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38
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Interpretation of DNA data within the context of UK forensic science - investigation. Emerg Top Life Sci 2021; 5:395-404. [PMID: 34151948 PMCID: PMC8457768 DOI: 10.1042/etls20210165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This article is the second part of a review of the interpretation of DNA data in forensic science. The first part describes the evaluation of autosomal profile for criminal trials where an evidential weight is assigned to the profile of a person of interest (POI) and a crime-scene profile. This part describes the state of the art and future advances in the interpretation of forensic DNA data for providing intelligence information during an investigation. Forensic DNA is crucial in the investigative phase of an undetected crime where a POI needs to be identified. A sample taken from a crime scene is profiled using a range of forensic DNA tests. This review covers investigation using autosomal profiles including searching national and international crime and reference DNA databases. Other investigative methodologies described are kinship analysis; familial searching; Y chromosome (Y-STR) and mitochondrial (mtDNA) profiles; appearance prediction and geographic ancestry; forensic genetic genealogy; and body identification. For completeness, the evaluation of Y-STRs, mtDNA and kinship analysis are briefly described. Taken together, parts I and II, cover the range of interpretation of DNA data in a forensic context.
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Faccinetto C, Sabbatini D, Serventi P, Rigato M, Salvoro C, Casamassima G, Margiotta G, De Fanti S, Sarno S, Staiti N, Luiselli D, Marino A, Vazza G. Internal validation and improvement of mitochondrial genome sequencing using the Precision ID mtDNA Whole Genome Panel. Int J Legal Med 2021; 135:2295-2306. [PMID: 34491421 PMCID: PMC8523450 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-021-02686-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
With the recent advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS), mitochondrial whole-genome sequencing has begun to be applied to the field of the forensic biology as an alternative to the traditional Sanger-type sequencing (STS). However, experimental workflows, commercial solutions, and output data analysis must be strictly validated before being implemented into the forensic laboratory. In this study, we performed an internal validation for an NGS-based typing of the entire mitochondrial genome using the Precision ID mtDNA Whole Genome Panel (Thermo Fisher Scientific) on the Ion S5 sequencer (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Concordance, repeatability, reproducibility, sensitivity, and heteroplasmy detection analyses were assessed using the 2800 M and 9947A standard control DNA as well as typical casework specimens, and results were compared with conventional Sanger sequencing and another NGS sequencer in a different laboratory. We discuss the strengths and limitations of this approach, highlighting some issues regarding noise thresholds and heteroplasmy detection, and suggesting solutions to mitigate these effects and improve overall data interpretation. Results confirmed that the Precision ID Whole mtDNA Genome Panel is highly reproducible and sensitive, yielding useful full mitochondrial DNA sequences also from challenging DNA specimens, thus providing further support for its use in forensic practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Faccinetto
- Reparto Carabinieri Investigazioni Scientifiche Di Parma, Sezione Biologia, Parma, Italy.
| | - Daniele Sabbatini
- Department of Neurosciences DNS, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Patrizia Serventi
- Reparto Carabinieri Investigazioni Scientifiche Di Parma, Sezione Biologia, Parma, Italy
| | - Martina Rigato
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Gianluca Casamassima
- Reparto Carabinieri Investigazioni Scientifiche Di Parma, Sezione Biologia, Parma, Italy
| | - Gianluca Margiotta
- Reparto Carabinieri Investigazioni Scientifiche Di Parma, Sezione Biologia, Parma, Italy
| | - Sara De Fanti
- Department of Biological Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Interdepartmental Centre Alma Mater Research Institute On Global Challenges and Climate Change (Alma Climate), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefania Sarno
- Department of Biological Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Nicola Staiti
- Reparto Carabinieri Investigazioni Scientifiche Di Parma, Sezione Biologia, Parma, Italy
| | - Donata Luiselli
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Alberto Marino
- Reparto Carabinieri Investigazioni Scientifiche Di Parma, Sezione Biologia, Parma, Italy
| | - Giovanni Vazza
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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40
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Mandape SN, Smart U, King JL, Muenzler M, Kapema KB, Budowle B, Woerner AE. MMDIT: A tool for the deconvolution and interpretation of mitochondrial DNA mixtures. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2021; 55:102568. [PMID: 34416654 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Short tandem repeats of the nuclear genome have been the preferred markers for analyzing forensic DNA mixtures. However, when nuclear DNA in a sample is degraded or limited, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers provide a powerful alternative. Though historically considered challenging, the interpretation and analysis of mtDNA mixtures have recently seen renewed interest with the advent of massively parallel sequencing. However, there are only a few software tools available for mtDNA mixture interpretation. To address this gap, the Mitochondrial Mixture Deconvolution and Interpretation Tool (MMDIT) was developed. MMDIT is an interactive application complete with a graphical user interface that allows users to deconvolve mtDNA (whole or partial genomes) mixtures into constituent donor haplotypes and estimate random match probabilities on these resultant haplotypes. In cases where deconvolution might not be feasible, the software allows mixture analysis directly within a binary framework (i.e. qualitatively, only using data on allele presence/absence). This paper explains the functionality of MMDIT, using an example of an in vitro two-person mtDNA mixture with a ratio of 1:4. The uniqueness of MMDIT lies in its ability to resolve mixtures into complete donor haplotypes using a statistical phasing framework before mixture analysis and evaluating statistical weights employing a novel graph algorithm approach. MMDIT is the first available open-source software that can automate mtDNA mixture deconvolution and analysis. The MMDIT web application can be accessed online at https://www.unthsc.edu/mmdit/. The source code is available at https://github.com/SammedMandape/MMDIT_UI and archived on zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4770184).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sammed N Mandape
- Center for Human Identification, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp, Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Utpal Smart
- Center for Human Identification, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp, Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Jonathan L King
- Center for Human Identification, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp, Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Melissa Muenzler
- Center for Human Identification, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp, Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Kapema Bupe Kapema
- Center for Human Identification, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp, Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Bruce Budowle
- Center for Human Identification, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp, Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA; Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - August E Woerner
- Center for Human Identification, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp, Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA; Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA.
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41
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Ta MTA, Nguyen NN, Tran DM, Nguyen TH, Vu TA, Le DT, Le PT, Do TTH, Hoang H, Chu HH. Massively parallel sequencing of human skeletal remains in Vietnam using the precision ID mtDNA control region panel on the Ion S5™ system. Int J Legal Med 2021; 135:2285-2294. [PMID: 34196785 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-021-02649-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis using Sanger sequencing has been a routine practice for the identification of human skeletal remains. However, this process is usually challenging since DNA from the remains is highly degraded and at low concentration. Recently, the advent and implementation of massively parallel sequencing (MPS) have been offered the ability to improve mtDNA sequence data for forensic analysis. To assess the utility of the Ion S5™ system - an MPS platform for mtDNA analysis in challenging samples, we sequenced the mitochondrial control region of 52 age-old skeletal remains. Using the Precision ID mtDNA Control Region Panel, 50 full and two partial control region haplotypes at relatively high mean coverage of 2494 × were achieved for variant calling. Further variant analysis at 10% threshold for point heteroplasmy showed high degradation degree in terms of DNA damage in our bone samples. A higher point heteroplasmy threshold of 20% was required to diminish most of background noise caused by the damage. The results from this study indicated the potential application of the Ion S5™ system in sequencing degraded samples in Vietnam and provided valuable data sources for forensic analyses in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- May Thi Anh Ta
- Centre for DNA Identification, Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Nam Ngoc Nguyen
- Centre for DNA Identification, Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Duc Minh Tran
- Centre for DNA Identification, Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Trang Hong Nguyen
- National Key Laboratory of Gene Technology, Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, 100000, Vietnam
| | - Tuan Anh Vu
- Centre for DNA Identification, Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Dung Thi Le
- Centre for DNA Identification, Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Phuong Thi Le
- Centre for DNA Identification, Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Thu Thi Hong Do
- Centre for DNA Identification, Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Ha Hoang
- Centre for DNA Identification, Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam.,National Key Laboratory of Gene Technology, Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, 100000, Vietnam
| | - Hoang Ha Chu
- National Key Laboratory of Gene Technology, Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, 100000, Vietnam. .,Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam.
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42
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Gargouri H, Moalla N, Kacem HH. PCR–RFLP and species-specific PCR efficiency for the identification of adulteries in meat and meat products. Eur Food Res Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00217-021-03778-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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43
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Abstract
As nations strengthen borders and restrict refugee admissions, national security officials are screening for fraudulent nationality claims. One tool to investigate nationality claims is DNA testing, either for claimed relationships or for ancestral origins. At the same time, the plight of global statelessness leaves millions without documentation of their nationality, and DNA testing might be the only recourse to provide evidence of heritage or relationships. DNA testing has been used sparsely to date to determine ancestral origin as a proxy for nationality but could increase as border controls tighten. Given the historic lessons in eugenics and the potential for misuse of personal genetic information, it is essential to consider the ethical parameters in order to guide the implementation of genetic data for such purposes. Here, we break down examples of the use of DNA testing for nationality, and the risks and benefits of genetic testing for this purpose. Important ethical considerations discussed include (1) empowerment of stateless individuals with evidence for citizenship proceedings; (2) imprecise correlation between genetic heritage and nationality; (3) effective protection of state interests; and (4) practicalities of DNA testing.
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44
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Mita Y, Fukagawa T, Watahiki H, Kitayama T, Fujii K, Mizuno N, Sekiguchi K. Developmental validation for Sanger sequencing of HV1 and HV2 in mitochondrial DNA. FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL: REPORTS 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fsir.2020.100159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
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45
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Isolation and characterization of human DNA recovered from Cimex hemipterus (F.) (Hemiptera:Cimicidae). Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2020; 16:664-670. [DOI: 10.1007/s12024-020-00318-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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46
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Al Thwiby NM, Hussien NA, Bayoumy ES, Shokary M. HV2 fragment mutations in β-thalassemia patients and a new base pair insertion of high-altitude cases. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BLOOD RESEARCH 2020; 10:283-293. [PMID: 33224572 PMCID: PMC7675125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide, thalassemia represents one of the most common genetic disorders. There is a prevalence of Beta-thalassemia in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), however there is a genetic counseling availability and an existence of mandatory premarital testing policy. Few studies detect molecular mutations of thalassemia genes in different KSA governates, including Makkah, Hufuf, Qatif, and Dammam but in our peer knowledge there is no reports on high altitude Taif region. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the molecular mutation analysis of β-thalassemia gene in El Taif province (as a high-altitude area) patients of KSA and to estimate the iron overload toxicity due to thalassemia syndrome on the hotspot noncoding D-loop region (hypervariable, HV2 gene fragment) of mtDNA. Blood samples were collected from total 25 β-thalassemia patients and 25 normal control that were used for HPLC, hematological analysis and different molecular evaluations. Extracted nuclear DNA from blood sample was used to detect known mutations accompanied with β-thalassemia in other countries using PCR-ARMS technique targeting IVSII-1, IVSI-5, Codon 8/9, Cd44 and Cd5 genes' mutations. Moreover, mtDNA was used to detect point of mutation of HV2 fragment in the D-loop region using PCR-SSCP and then sequencing. Results show significant increase in the level of HbA2 and decrease of HbA in comparison to control by using HPLC. PCR-ARMS reports that all β-thalassemia patients have heterozygous alleles of wild and mutated regions with nucleotide transition/transversion of IVSI-5 (AC>AG), Codon 8/9 (CT>CC), and Cd44 (GG>GA), however no point of mutation was detected in IVSII-1 (AC>AT) Cd5 (CT>CG) genes. Moreover, PCR-SSCP shows points of mutations for β-thalassemia HV2 fragment that were confirmed by sequencing in the form of base pairs deletion, insertion and transition/transversion. For the first time, the present study reports the presence of 2 bps found in HV2 region that might be specific to KSA nations and not found in other countries. In conclusion, our results were in concurrent with other studies in the presence of specific genetic mutations in β-thalassemia patients that is accompanied with points of mutations in HV2 region of high altitude Taif governate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nsreen M Al Thwiby
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Taif UniversityAl-Hawyeia 888, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Nahed A Hussien
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Taif UniversityAl-Hawyeia 888, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo UniversityGiza 12613, Egypt
| | - Eman S Bayoumy
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Taif UniversityAl-Hawyeia 888, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar UniversityCairo, Egypt
| | - Mohammed Shokary
- Haematology Department, King Abdulaziz Specialist HospitalTAIF, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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47
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Otten ABC, Kamps R, Lindsey P, Gerards M, Pendeville-Samain H, Muller M, van Tienen FHJ, Smeets HJM. Tfam Knockdown Results in Reduction of mtDNA Copy Number, OXPHOS Deficiency and Abnormalities in Zebrafish Embryos. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:381. [PMID: 32596237 PMCID: PMC7303330 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
High mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy numbers are essential for oogenesis and embryogenesis and correlate with fertility of oocytes and viability of embryos. To understand the pathology and mechanisms associated with low mtDNA copy numbers, we knocked down mitochondrial transcription factor A (tfam), a regulator of mtDNA replication, during early zebrafish development. Reduction of tfam using a splice-modifying morpholino (MO) resulted in a 42 ± 17% decrease in mtDNA copy number in embryos at 4 days post fertilization. Morphant embryos displayed abnormal development of the eye, brain, heart, and muscle, as well as a 50 ± 22% decrease in ATP production. Transcriptome analysis revealed a decrease in protein-encoding transcripts from the heavy strand of the mtDNA, and down-regulation of genes involved in haem production and the metabolism of metabolites, which appear to trigger increased rRNA and tRNA synthesis in the nucleoli. However, this stress or compensatory response appears to fall short as pathology emerges and expression of genes related to eye development are severely down-regulated. Taken together, this study highlights the importance of sufficient mtDNA copies for early zebrafish development. Zebrafish is an excellent model to manipulate the mtDNA bottleneck and study its effect on embryogenesis rapidly and in large numbers of offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auke B. C. Otten
- Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- School for Oncology and Developmental Biology (GROW), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Rick Kamps
- Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neurosciences (MHeNS), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Patrick Lindsey
- Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- School for Oncology and Developmental Biology (GROW), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Mike Gerards
- Maastricht Centre for Systems Biology (MaCSBio), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | | | - Marc Muller
- Laboratory of Organogenesis and Regeneration, Univérsité Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Florence H. J. van Tienen
- Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neurosciences (MHeNS), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Hubert J. M. Smeets
- Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- School for Oncology and Developmental Biology (GROW), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neurosciences (MHeNS), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands
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48
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Dard L, Blanchard W, Hubert C, Lacombe D, Rossignol R. Mitochondrial functions and rare diseases. Mol Aspects Med 2020; 71:100842. [PMID: 32029308 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2019.100842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondria are dynamic cellular organelles responsible for a large variety of biochemical processes as energy transduction, REDOX signaling, the biosynthesis of hormones and vitamins, inflammation or cell death execution. Cell biology studies established that 1158 human genes encode proteins localized to mitochondria, as registered in MITOCARTA. Clinical studies showed that a large number of these mitochondrial proteins can be altered in expression and function through genetic, epigenetic or biochemical mechanisms including the interaction with environmental toxics or iatrogenic medicine. As a result, pathogenic mitochondrial genetic and functional defects participate to the onset and the progression of a growing number of rare diseases. In this review we provide an exhaustive survey of the biochemical, genetic and clinical studies that demonstrated the implication of mitochondrial dysfunction in human rare diseases. We discuss the striking diversity of the symptoms caused by mitochondrial dysfunction and the strategies proposed for mitochondrial therapy, including a survey of ongoing clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Dard
- Bordeaux University, 33000, Bordeaux, France; INSERM U1211, 33000, Bordeaux, France; CELLOMET, CGFB-146 Rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux, France
| | - W Blanchard
- Bordeaux University, 33000, Bordeaux, France; INSERM U1211, 33000, Bordeaux, France; CELLOMET, CGFB-146 Rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux, France
| | - C Hubert
- Bordeaux University, 33000, Bordeaux, France; INSERM U1211, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - D Lacombe
- Bordeaux University, 33000, Bordeaux, France; INSERM U1211, 33000, Bordeaux, France; CHU de Bordeaux, Service de Génétique Médicale, F-33076, Bordeaux, France
| | - R Rossignol
- Bordeaux University, 33000, Bordeaux, France; INSERM U1211, 33000, Bordeaux, France; CELLOMET, CGFB-146 Rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux, France.
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49
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De Simone G, Pasquadibisceglie A, Proietto R, Polticelli F, Aime S, J M Op den Camp H, Ascenzi P. Contaminations in (meta)genome data: An open issue for the scientific community. IUBMB Life 2019; 72:698-705. [PMID: 31869003 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, the high throughput and the low cost of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have led to an increase of the amount of (meta)genomic data, revolutionizing genomic research studies. However, the quality of sequencing data could be affected by experimental errors derived from defective methods and protocols. This represents a serious problem for the scientific community with a negative impact on the correctness of studies that involve genomic sequence analysis. As a countermeasure, several alignment and taxonomic classification tools have been developed to uncover and correct errors. In this critical review some of these integrated software tools and pipelines used to detect contaminations in reference genome databases and sequenced samples are reported. In particular, case studies of bacterial contaminations, contaminations of human origin, mitochondrial contaminations of ancient DNA, and cross contaminations are examined.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Silvio Aime
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Huub J M Op den Camp
- Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, Nijmegen, AJ, The Netherlands
| | - Paolo Ascenzi
- Interdepartmental Laboratory for Electron Microscopy, Roma Tre University, Roma, Italy
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