Role of short tandem repeat DNA in forensic casework in the UK--past, present, and future perspectives

The analysis of short tandem repeat (STR) DNA sequences is of fundamental importance to forensic science because they have become the recognized standard in constructing national public databases. Consequently, considerable effort has been expended in developing multiplexed (one tube) reactions that analyze several loci in combination. The implementation of STRs in casework cannot take place without a full understanding of the systems used. The purpose of validation is to characterize multiplexes when one is challenged with forensic samples. For example, mixtures are often encountered that may be particularly difficult to interpret against a background of allelic artifacts. By increasing the number of PCR amplification cycles, it is possible to dramatically boost the sensitivity of the system so that just a handful of cells may be successfully analyzed. However, interpretation is much more complex because the origin of DNA profiles may be less certain and complicated by issues such as contamination, the potential for innocent transfer and a predominance of mixtures. This review provides a brief historical background of the development of STRs in forensic casework that culminated in the creation of national DNA databases. The development of guidelines to interpret complex DNA profiles, such as mixtures, is outlined. Finally, the recent innovation of low copy number DNA profiling is explained along with the special considerations needed to report in court.     

A large population genetic study of 15 autosomal short tandem repeat loci for establishment of Korean DNA Profile Database

Genotyping of highly polymorphic short tandem repeat (STR) markers is widely used for the genetic identification of individuals in forensic DNA analyses and in paternity disputes. The National DNA Profile Databank recently established by the DNA Identification Act in Korea contains the computerized STR DNA profiles of individuals convicted of crimes. For the establishment of a large autosomal STR loci population database, 1805 samples were obtained at random from Korean individuals and 15 autosomal STR markers were analyzed using the AmpFlSTR Identifiler PCR Amplification kit. For the 15 autosomal STR markers, no deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were observed. The most informative locus in our data set was the D2S1338 with a discrimination power of 0.9699. The combined matching probability was 1.521 × 10⁻¹⁷. This large STR profile dataset including atypical alleles will be important for the establishment of the Korean DNA database and for forensic applications.     

Short tandem repeat typing technologies used in human identity testing

Short tandem repeat (STR) typing methods are widely used today for human identity testing applications including forensic DNA analysis. Following multiplex PCR amplification, DNA samples containing the length-variant STR alleles are typically separated by capillary electrophoresis and genotyped by comparison to an allelic ladder supplied with a commercial kit. This article offers a brief perspective on the technologies and issues involved in STR typing.     

Validation of 4 type-STR analysis for identification of 50 Korean

Short tandem repeat (STR) analysis provides genetic fingerprinting of individuals and is an indispensable technique for forensic human identification. Recently, this technique has been used in social areas, such as the identification of The Korean War, descendants of national merit, and missing children. STR analysis is performed by analyzing iteration number of repeating bases in the human genome, and currently FBI provides the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) based on DNA databases. Among them, we used the autosomal short tandem repeats of loci D13S317, D16S539, D21S11, and amelogenin to validate this technique for identification. The samples were collected from unrelated 50 Korean individuals, and 4 STR loci of these samples were analyzed by ABI 3130 genetic analyzer. We demonstrated that 47 samples out of 50 were classified completely with only 4 STR markers, and perfect sex identification could be accomplished with amelogenin analysis.     

Common benzothiazole and benzoxazole fluorescent DNA intercalators for studying Alzheimer Aβ1-42 and prion amyloid peptides

DNA-based methods for human identification principally rely upon genotyping of short tandem repeat (STR) loci. Electrophoretic-based techniques for variable-length classification of STRs are universally utilized, but are limited in that they have relatively low throughput and do not yield nucleotide sequence information. High-throughput sequencing technology may provide a more powerful instrument for human identification, but is not currently validated for forensic casework. Here, we present a systematic method to perform high-throughput genotyping analysis of the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) STR loci using short-read (150 bp) massively parallel sequencing technology. Open source reference alignment tools were optimized to evaluate PCR-amplified STR loci using a custom designed STR genome reference. Evaluation of this approach demonstrated that the 13 CODIS STR loci and amelogenin (AMEL) locus could be accurately called from individual and mixture samples. Sensitivity analysis showed that as few as 18,500 reads, aligned to an in silico referenced genome, were required to genotype an individual (>99% confidence) for the CODIS loci. The power of this technology was further demonstrated by identification of variant alleles containing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the development of quantitative measurements (reads) for resolving mixed samples.     

Evaluation of multiple displacement amplification in a 5 cM STR genome-wide scan

Multiple displacement amplification (MDA) has emerged as a promising new method of whole genome amplification (WGA) with the potential to generate virtually unlimited genome-equivalent DNA from only a small amount of seed DNA. To date, genome-wide high marker density assessments of MDA–DNA have focussed mainly upon suitability for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping applications. Suitability for short tandem repeat (STR) genotyping has not been investigated in great detail, despite their inherent instability during DNA replication, and the obvious challenge that this presents to WGA techniques. Here, we aimed to assess the applicability of MDA in STR genotyping by conducting a genome-wide scan of 768 STR markers for MDAs of 15 high quality genomic DNAs. We found that MDA genotyping call and accuracy rates were only marginally lower than for genomic DNA. Pooling of three replicate MDAs resulted in a small increase in both call rate and genotyping accuracy. We identified 34 STRs (4.4% of total markers) of which five essentially failed with MDA samples, and 29 of which showed elevated genotyping failures/discrepancies in the MDAs. We emphasise the importance of DNA and MDA quality checks, and the use of appropriate controls to identify problematic STR markers.     

Evaluation of reliability on STR typing at leukemic patients used for forensic purposes

Over the past decades, main advances in the field of molecular biology, coupled with benefits in genomic technologies, have led to detailed molecular investigations in the genetic diversity generated by researchers. Short tandem repeat (STR) loci are polymorphic loci found throughout all eukaryotic genome. DNA profiling identification, parental testing and kinship analysis by analysis of STR loci have been widely used in forensic sciences since 1993. Malignant tissues may sometimes be the source of biological material for forensic analysis, including identification of individuals or paternity testing. There are a number of studies on microsatellite instability in different types of tumors by comparing the STR profiles of malignant and healthy tissues on the same individuals. Defects in DNA repair pathways (non-repair or mis-repair) and metabolism lead to an accumulation of microsatellite alterations in genomic DNA of various cancer types that result genomic instabilities on forensic analyses. Common forms of genomic instability are loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and microsatellite instability (MSI). In this study, the applicability of autosomal STR markers, which are routinely used in forensic analysis, were investigated in order to detect genotypes in blood samples collected from leukemic patients to estimate the reliability of the results when malignant tissues are used as a source of forensic individual identification. Specimens were collected from 90 acute and 10 chronic leukemia volunteers with oral swabs as well as their paired peripheral blood samples from the Oncology Centre of the Department of Hematology at Istanbul University, during the years 2010–2011. Specimens were tested and compared with 16 somatic STR loci (CSFIPO, THO1, TPOX, vWA, D2S1338, D3S1358, D5S818, D7S820, D8S1179, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, D19S433, D21S11 and FGA) widely used in forensic identification and kinship. Only two STR instabilities were encountered among 100 specimens. An MSI in the FGA loci and a LOH in the D2S1338 loci were determined in two individuals separately. Our results demonstrate that the use of the biological samples from leukemia patients in forensic identification and kinship testing is questionable, especially if known microsatellite instability is available. Genetic instabilities may alter the STR polymorphism, leading to potential errors on forensic identification of individuals. Therefore, typing of autosomal STRs from leukemia patients should be performed with both healthy and malignant tissue samples of individual as references.     

改良的PEP方法在无创性产前基因诊断中的应用

应用显微操作技术获取孕妇外周血中的单个有核红细胞,改良的PEP方法扩增单个有核红细胞的全基因组DNA;在此基础上,应用荧光标记聚合酶链反应扩增9个微卫星片段,进行基因型分析判定单个有核红细胞来源。综合性别和DMD基因内的数个STR位点连锁分析进行DMD基因诊断,应用PCR-STR连锁分析进行PKU基因诊断。结果显示,对10例DMD高危胎儿中的6例成功地进行了无创性产前基因诊断。同时对1例PKU也成功地进行了无创性产前基因诊断。改良的PEP方法扩增单个细胞的全基因组可以满足基因诊断的要求,是无创性产前基因诊断中一种极有价值的全基因组扩增的方法。 Abstract：We investigated the feasibility of using improved primer extension preamplificat ion method to diagnose DMD and PKU. The fetal nucleated red blood cells from the peripheral blood of pregnant women were detected and individually retrieved into glass capillary pipettes using a micromanipulator under microscopic observation. The whole genome of a single cell was amplified by improved primer extension preamplification (PEP).Genotypes were analyzed by amplifying the 9 STR fragments using fluorescence?PCR technique and NRBC's(nucleated red blood cell) origin w as determined.We diagnosed DMD prenatally using sex determination and linkage an alysis of several STR sites of dystrophin,and we diagnosed PKU prenatally using PCR?STR linkage analysis.6 of 10 potential DMD patients were diagnosed,includin g 1 male fetal patient,1 potential PKU patient was also diagnosed.The improved P EP method is a very valuable method of amplifying the whole genome of single cel ls,and the products of amplification are enough to the requirements of DNA in no n-invasive prenatal diagnosis.     

An isothermal method for whole genome amplification of fresh and degraded DNA for comparative genomic hybridization, genotyping and mutation detection.

Molecular genotyping has important biomedical and forensic applications. However, limiting amounts of human biological material often yield genomic DNA (gDNA) in insufficient quantity and of poor quality for a reliable analysis. This motivated the development of an efficient whole genome amplification method with quantitatively unbiased representation usable on fresh and degraded gDNA. Amplification of fresh frozen, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) and DNase-degraded DNA using degenerate oligonucleotide-primed PCR or primer extension amplification using a short primer sequence bioinformatically optimized for coverage of the human genome was compared with amplification using current primers by chromosome-based and BAC-array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), genotyping at short tandem repeats (STRs) and single base mutation detection. Compared with current primers, genome amplification using the bioinformatically optimized primer was significantly less biased on CGH in self-self hybridizations, and replicated tumour genome copy number aberrations, even from FFPE tissue. STR genotyping could be performed on degraded gDNA amplified using our technique but failed with multiple displacement amplification. Of the 18 different single base mutations 16 (89.5%) were correctly identified by sequencing gDNA amplified from clinical samples using our technique. This simple and efficient isothermal method should be helpful for genetic research and clinical and forensic applications.     

STR Polymorphisms of the Henan Population and Investigation of the Central Plains Han Origin of Chaoshanese

Allele frequencies for 15 short tandem repeat (STR) loci were obtained from a Chinese Han population in Henan province of middle China. No deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium was observed for the STR loci except for D3S1358. The 15 STR loci are potentially useful for paternity testing and forensic casework in the Henan population. A phylogenetic tree based on CODIS STR allele frequencies of 25 Han populations revealed noticeable but far less clear distinctions between southern and northern Chinese populations; the Henan Han population was located at an intermediate position between south and north Chinese Han populations, relatively closer to Chaoshan and Minnan Han. Moreover, admixture analysis showed a large proportion of Central Plains Han origin in Chaoshanese and Minnanese. Admixture and phylogenetic analysis also reflected the genetic similarity shared by these two groups.     

Sequence analysis and characterization of stutter products at the tetranucleotide repeat locus vWA.

The PCR amplification of tetranucleotide short tandem repeat (STR) loci typically produces a minor product band 4 bp shorter than the corresponding main allele band; this is referred to as the stutter band. Sequence analysis of the main and stutter bands for two sample alleles of the STR locus vWA reveals that the stutter band lacks one repeat unit relative to the main allele. Sequencing results also indicate that the number and location of the different 4 bp repeat units vary between samples containing a typical verses low proportion of stutter product. The results also suggest that the proportion of stutter product relative to the main allele increases as the number of uninterrupted core repeat units increases. The sequence analysis and results obtained using various DNA polymerases appear to support the slipped strand displacement model as a potential explanation for how these stutter products are generated.     

Multiple Displacement Amplification for Generating an Unlimited Source of DNA for Genotyping in Nonhuman Primate Species

We evaluated a whole genome amplification method—multiple displacement amplification (MDA)—as a means to conserve valuable nonhuman primate samples. We tested 148 samples from a variety of species and sample sources, including blood, tissue, cell-lines, plucked hair and noninvasively collected semen. To evaluate genotyping success and accuracy of MDA, we used routine genotyping methods, including short tandem repeat (STR) analysis, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), Alu repeat analysis, direct sequencing, and nucleotide detection by tag-array minisequencing. We compared genotyping results from MDA products to genotypes generated from the original (non-MD amplified) DNA samples. All genotyping methods showed good results with the MDA products as a DNA template, and for some samples MDA improved genotyping success. We show that the MDA procedure has the potential to provide a long-lasting source of DNA for genetic studies, which would be highly valuable for the primate research field, in which genetic resources are limited and for other species in which similar sampling constraints apply.     

Mouse cell line authentication

The scientific community has responded to the misidentification of human cell lines with validated methods to authenticate these cells; however, few assays are available for nonhuman cell line identification. We have developed a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay that targets nine tetranucleotide short tandem repeat (STR) markers in the mouse genome. Unique profiles were obtained from seventy-two mouse samples that were used to determine the allele distribution for each STR marker. Correlations between allele fragment length and repeat number were determined with DNA Sanger sequencing. Genotypes for L929 and NIH3T3 cell lines were shown to be stable with increasing passage numbers as there were no significant differences in fragment length with samples of low passage when compared to high passage samples. In order to detect cell line contaminants, primers for two human STR markers were incorporated into the multiplex assay to facilitate detection of human and African green monkey DNA. This multiplex assay is the first of its kind to provide a unique STR profile for each individual mouse sample and can be used to authenticate mouse cell lines.     

STR-genotyping of archaeological human bone: experimental design to improve reproducibility by optimisation of DNA extraction

The analysis of degraded DNA with the help of short tandem repeat loci (STRs) is an important source of information both in forensic casework and in the anthropological context. The reproducibility of STR-genotyping of highly degraded or "ancient" DNA can be reduced by the generation of artifacts during PCR amplification. The frequency and amount of these artifacts--allelic dropout and the generation of shadow bands--are related to the quality and quantity of the extracted DNA amplified in a PCR reaction. Therefore, one important strategy to increase the reproducibility of STR-genotyping of samples containing degraded DNA is the optimisation of the DNA extraction.     

Polymorphic distribution and forensic effectiveness study of eight miniSTR in Chinese Uyghur ethnic group

We obtained the allelic frequencies and forensic efficiency data for eight mini short tandem repeat loci including Penta E, D12S391, D6S1043, D2S1338, D19S433, CSF1PO, Penta D and D19S253 loci from a sample of 128 unrelated Uyghur individuals from China. The amplification products of the eight STR loci are <240 bp in size. A total of 94 alleles were observed and the corresponding allelic frequencies ranged from 0.0039 to 0.3438 in the present study. Observed genotype distributions for each locus do not show deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium expectations. The combined power of discrimination, combined power of exclusion and combined matching probability of the eight STR loci equaled to 0.999999999963373, 0.9997770 and 3.6627 × 10^?11, respectively. Because of the small fragment length of PCR products and the high degree of polymorphisms, the eight STR loci are highly beneficial for the forensic analysis of degraded DNA samples which are commonly observed in forensic cases. The STR data of the Uyghur group were compared with the previously published population STR data of other groups from different ethnic or areas, and significant differences were observed among these groups at some loci.     

PCR analysis of four length-polymorphic loci in Korean population for genotyping

On human chromosomes, a short sequence of DNA is known to repeat a number of times. These repeats are called variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) or short tandem repeat (STR) which has a short repeat core. VNTR and STR are used in the field of forensic science, evolution, and anthropology. In this work, we examined allele frequencies of one VNTR (YNZ22) and three STRs (NeuR, D21S11, Humth01) in a Korean population sample by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by high-resolution polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) with silver stain. Subsequently, the polymorphism information content (PIC) was calculated: the highest PIC was observed in the NeuR locus (0.95680) and lowest in the Humth01 locus (0.75809).     

Whole-genome multiple displacement amplification from single cells

Multiple displacement amplification (MDA) is a recently described method of whole-genome amplification (WGA) that has proven efficient in the amplification of small amounts of DNA, including DNA from single cells. Compared with PCR-based WGA methods, MDA generates DNA with a higher molecular weight and shows better genome coverage. This protocol was developed for preimplantation genetic diagnosis, and details a method for performing single-cell MDA using the phi29 DNA polymerase. It can also be useful for the amplification of other minute quantities of DNA, such as from forensic material or microdissected tissue. The protocol includes the collection and lysis of single cells, and all materials and steps involved in the MDA reaction. The whole procedure takes 3 h and generates 1-2 microg of DNA from a single cell, which is suitable for multiple downstream applications, such as sequencing, short tandem repeat analysis or array comparative genomic hybridization.     

High-throughput sequencing of core STR loci for forensic genetic investigations using the Roche Genome Sequencer FLX platform

The analysis and profiling of short tandem repeat (STR) loci is routinely used in forensic genetics. Current methods to investigate STR loci, including PCR-based standard fragment analyses and capillary electrophoresis, only provide amplicon lengths that are used to estimate the number of STR repeat units. These methods do not allow for the full resolution of STR base composition that sequencing approaches could provide. Here we present an STR profiling method based on the use of the Roche Genome Sequencer (GS) FLX to simultaneously sequence multiple core STR loci. Using this method in combination with a bioinformatic tool designed specifically to analyze sequence lengths and frequencies, we found that GS FLX STR sequence data are comparable to conventional capillary electrophoresis-based STR typing. Furthermore, we found DNA base substitutions and repeat sequence variations that would not have been identified using conventional STR typing.     

An ultra-high discrimination Y chromosome short tandem repeat multiplex DNA typing system

In forensic casework, Y chromosome short tandem repeat markers (Y-STRs) are often used to identify a male donor DNA profile in the presence of excess quantities of female DNA, such as is found in many sexual assault investigations. Commercially available Y-STR multiplexes incorporating 12-17 loci are currently used in forensic casework (Promega's PowerPlex Y and Applied Biosystems' AmpFlSTR Yfiler). Despite the robustness of these commercial multiplex Y-STR systems and the ability to discriminate two male individuals in most cases, the coincidence match probabilities between unrelated males are modest compared with the standard set of autosomal STR markers. Hence there is still a need to develop new multiplex systems to supplement these for those cases where additional discriminatory power is desired or where there is a coincidental Y-STR match between potential male participants. Over 400 Y-STR loci have been identified on the Y chromosome. While these have the potential to increase the discrimination potential afforded by the commercially available kits, many have not been well characterized. In the present work, 91 loci were tested for their relative ability to increase the discrimination potential of the commonly used 'core' Y-STR loci. The result of this extensive evaluation was the development of an ultra high discrimination (UHD) multiplex DNA typing system that allows for the robust co-amplification of 14 non-core Y-STR loci. Population studies with a mixed African American and American Caucasian sample set (n = 572) indicated that the overall discriminatory potential of the UHD multiplex was superior to all commercial kits tested. The combined use of the UHD multiplex and the Applied Biosystems' AmpFlSTR Yfiler kit resulted in 100% discrimination of all individuals within the sample set, which presages its potential to maximally augment currently available forensic casework markers. It could also find applications in human evolutionary genetics and genetic genealogy.     

Brief communication: Ancient nuclear DNA and kinship analysis: the case of a medieval burial in San Esteban Church in Cuellar (Segovia, Central Spain)

The aim of this work was to investigate a very common situation in the archaeological and anthropological context: the study of a burial site containing several individuals, probably related genetically, using ancient DNA techniques. We used available ancient DNA and forensic protocols to obtain reliable results on archaeological material. The results also enabled molecular sex determination to be compared with osteological data. Specifically, a modified ancient DNA extraction method combined with the amplification of nuclear markers with the AmpFlSTR®MiniFiler? kit(Applied Biosystems) was used. Seven medieval individuals buried in four niches dated in the 15th Century at San Esteban Church in Cuellar (Segovia, Central Spain) were analyzed by the proposed method, and four of seven provided complete autosomal short tandem repeat (STRs) profiles. Kinship analyses comprising paternity and sibship relations were carried out with pedigree‐specific software used in forensic casework. A 99.98% paternity probability was established between two individuals, although lower percentages (68%) were obtained in other cases, and some hypothetical kinship relations were excluded. The overall results could eventually provide evidence for reconstructing the historical record. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.