Evaluation of Degradation in DNA from Males with a Quantitative Gender Typing,Endpoint PCR Multiplex |
| |
Authors: | Byron C Smith MSFS Emily Vandegrift MSFS Valerie Mattimore Fuller PhD Robert W Allen PhD School of Forensic Sciences |
| |
Institution: | 1. Forensic Laboratory, Tulsa Police Department, 1111 W. 17th Street, Building E, 2nd Floor, Tulsa, OK;2. Tennessee Department of Public Safety, Nashville, TN;3. National Forensic Science Laboratory, Ministry of Legal Affairs, Government of Saint Lucia, Tapion Castries, West Indies;4. School of Forensic Sciences, Oklahoma State University, 1111 West 17th Street, Tulsa, OK;5. Additional information and reprint requests:;6. Robert W. Allen, Ph.D.;7. School of Forensic Sciences;8. Center for Health Sciences;9. 1111 West 17th Street;10. Tulsa, OK 74107;11. E‐mail: |
| |
Abstract: | Evidentiary samples submitted to a forensic DNA laboratory occasionally yield DNA that is degraded. Samples of intact chromosomal DNA (both nuclear and mitochondrial) were subjected to a heating protocol to induce DNA degradation. The DNAs were then analyzed using a multiplex PCR assay that amplifies targets of low and high molecular weight on the X/Y and mitochondrial chromosomes. If degradation is random, the amplification of larger DNA targets should be more adversely affected by degradation than smaller targets. In nuclear and mitochondrial DNA from a male donor, exhibiting degradation, DNA quantity estimates based upon higher molecular weight amplicons (HMW) are significantly lower than estimates made using low molecular weight (LMW) Q‐TAT amplicons. DNA degradation estimated using this approach correlated well with actual fluorescence associated with HMW and LMW STR alleles amplified from the same genomic DNA templates. Q‐TAT is thus useful not only as a quantitation tool, but also as an indicator of template degradation. |
| |
Keywords: | forensic science DNA degradation endpoint PCR amelogenin
SRY
quantitative fluorescence Q‐TAT assay |
|
|