MicroRNA分析技术在同卵双生子甄别中的可行性分析

同卵双生子具有相同的基因组DNA序列,因而无法使用常规的DNA分型方法如短串联重复序列即STR分析对其作鉴别区分。故破获涉及同卵双生子的案件有非常大的挑战性,因此在法医物证学领域迫切需要新的技术方法来应对并解决这一难题。随着表观遗传学的发展,转录组学成为法医学研究的新切入点。MicroRNA(miRNA)作为一类内源性的非编码小RNA分子,在机体中参与调节多种生理学过程,是转录组学研究的重要对象。研究表明,miRNA具有高保守性、分子量小、表达时序性及组织特异性强等特点,表现出法医物证应用方面的巨大潜力。本文综合分析了miRNA检测技术在同卵双生子甄别中的应用可行性,并综述了近年来miRNA在同卵双生子甄别上的研究进展。

Feasibility for MicroRNA Profi ling to Identify Monozygotic Twins

It is extremely problematic to discriminate between monozygotic twins(MZTs)because they share same genomic DNA sequence,causing them difficult to identify through the traditional DNA-sequence-based analytic methods such as STR(short tandem repeat)profi ling.Therefore,the cases involving MZTs are posing great challenges to forensic scientists.Thus,new technical methods are demanded about forensic biological evidence.With the progressing development of epigenetics,the transcriptome has been becoming a new attraction for forensic researchers.MicroRNAs(miRNAs),among the important epigenetic research subjects,are endogenous small non-coding-for-protein RNA molecules,participating into many physiological regulatory processes.Accordingly,owing to the characteristics of high invariability,low molecular weight,ubiquitous abundance,temporal correlation and strong tissue-specifi city,miRNAs have been showing potential in forensi c applications.This paper reviews the recent research progress of miRNAs for eligible identifi cation of monozygotic twins into forensic genetics.