Scotland Out the Union? The Rise and Rise of the Nationalist Agenda

The election of the Scottish National party as a majority government in 2011 is as challenging to the British state as it was unexpected. While explanations for SNP success focused on Labour's faulty campaign and poor leadership, the last half‐century has seen the rise and rise of the nationalist agenda in Scotland. Scotland's politics are now more different from England's than at any time since the 1950s. The Scottish parliament is the effect of that change rather than its cause, while party competition between Labour and the SNP north of the border has shifted political gravity centre‐left in contrast with England. It is not inevitable, however, that Scots would vote for Independence in a referendum. Nevertheless, Scotland is a more semi‐detached country than at any point in the history of the Union, and the future of the British state, at least in its present form, cannot be taken for granted.     

Y chromosome SNP analysis in a Portuguese population sample using a multiplex PCR and minisequencing strategy

The study of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located on the Y chromosome specific region Y-SNPs (92R7, M70, M22, Tat, P25, SRY10831, M173, M213 and M9) was used to characterize a population sample from Central Portugal, in order to investigate the frequency distribution of the male lineages and to compare the observed results with those obtained in other Portuguese regions.The genotyping strategy was according to the described by Brion et al. [M. Brion, et al., Int. J. Legal Med. 119 (2004) 10-15].In this population sample from Central Portugal a typical Western European haplogroup composition was found. The majority of samples (almost 70%) were assigned inside haplogroup R. As for other Iberian populations, the most frequent haplogroup was R1b-P25 (52.2%), followed by F(xK)-M213 (15.2%), E-B-SRY10831.1, R1(xR1a,b)-M173 and R1a-SRY10831.2 (each of them with a 8.7% frequency), K2-M70 (4.3%) and L-M22 (2.2%). When comparing our sample with other samples from Portugal, no significant differences were found.     

法医学相关SNP的分类

法医学的样本通常已经高度腐败降解或是只残留很少的DNA模板，因此，需要改变原有的遗传标记和分析的方法以便更好地应用于日常工作和案件。单核苷酸多态性（SNP）为法DNA分析提供了可能。SNP标记将在具有挑战性的法医学样本分析中发挥重要作用．如分析过度降解的检材．提高对于身份不明和走失者亲缘关系鉴定的能力．或在某些案件中提供嫌疑人的线索。SNP的法医学应用可分为四个方面：身份鉴定SNP、系谱推断SNP、始祖推断SNP和表型推断SNP。     

Y-chromosome haplotype mismatch in different haplogroups: Coincidence or evidence of SNP mutation?

The analysis of 240 individuals from the populations of the Madeira and Azores archipelagos for both Y-chromosome STRs and SNPs allows the determination of a correlation between the haplotype and haplogroup for each individual.The variability within each haplogroup was analysed and coalescence age calculated. These results led to the detection of some founder effects in both populations.It was found that some individuals share the same haplotype but belong to different Y-chromosome haplogroup suggesting that SNP mutations may occur frequently. We propose using SNP and STR information together, which provides a more reliable characterization of an individual in terms of Y-chromosome origin, minimizing the risk of misassigment due to mutation.     

生物质谱技术在法医遗传学中的应用展望

随着基质辅助激光解吸电离质谱 (MALDI MS)和电喷雾离子化质谱 (ESI MS)两种技术的迅速发展 ,生物质谱技术已经成为生命科学研究中的重要工具。由于直接检测分子的质量 ,质谱技术同其他方法相比更加准确。生物质谱技术在核酸序列分析中具有快速性、微量化、和高通量的特点。利用MALDI TOF MS技术可以分析降解检材的SNP遗传标记 ,这在法医学中将有着重要的意义。本文对生物质谱技术的原理、进展、面临的困难以及在法医遗传学中的应用前景作了评述     

单核苷酸多态性分析方法

SNP是第三代遗传标记,在法庭科学及其领域中具有重要作用。当前,已建立了许多SNP分析方法,本文介绍变性高压液相色谱法、时间飞行质谱熔解曲线法、熔解温度曲线法、等位基因特异扩增结合熔解曲线法、分子信号和TaqMan等新的SNP分析方法。     

采用Pyrosequencing和Pooling技术对SNP位点多态性分析

目的建立基于pyrosequencing和Pooling技术进行SNP位点的法医学多态性分析技术。方法对50名无关个体样本建立一适合pyrosequencing检测的组池;采用PyroMark Assay Design 2.0软件进行SNP位点等位基因定量分析的引物设计;对组池样本PCR产物进行焦磷酸测序检测。结果检测的3个SNP位点多态性良好,其中位点rs220028与以往人群调查后频率数据无显著差异。结论采用pyrosequencing和Pooling技术对SNP位点进行多态性分析,适合于位点的初筛及大规模群体调查。该技术准确可靠,方便快捷。     

用ESI-TOF-MS分型技术检测线粒体DNA高变区碱基组成的多态性

目的 用ESI-TOF-MS分型技术检测线粒体DNA的D环高变区,通过碱基组成分析其多态性.方法 在PLEX-ID技术平台上,分别对mtDNA高变区1(HVⅠ,15924-16428nt)和mtDNA高变区Ⅱ(HVⅡ,31-576 nt)进行碱基组成分析,考察mtDNA在华东汉族人群的多态性,并将该技术应用于一例特殊的亲子鉴定案件.结果 用ESI-TOF-MS分型技术检测线粒体DNA,在高变区Ⅰ的8个区段检见碱基组成的多态性,在mtDNA高变区Ⅱ的10个区段检见多态性.在所应用的亲子鉴定案例中,线粒体DNA标记成了常染色体STR基因座的重要补充,经高变区Ⅰ和高变区Ⅱ的碱基组成检测,最后排除了非母.结论 ESI-TOF-MS检测mtDNA的技术具有良好的应用前景,在一些特殊的案件中,该法可为最终获得可靠鉴定结论提供技术支撑.     

Duplications of the Y-chromosome specific loci P25 and 92R7 and forensic implications

In the present study, we demonstrate that two commonly used Y-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), P25 and 92R7, are paralogous sequence variants (PSVs) originating from segmental duplications and that at least one of the sequence variants in each group of loci is polymorphic. Several methodologies were used in order to detect the SNP alleles and the PSVs of the loci. All results obtained with the various typing techniques supported the conclusion. The allele distributions of the binary markers were analysed in more than 600 males with seven different haplogroups. For P25, the ancestral allele C was found in several samples from different haplogroups. The derived allele A was always present with an additional C variant. Haplogroup P was defined by the derived allele A at the 92R7 locus. However, the ancestral allele G was always associated with an A variant due to the duplication.