Utility validation of extraction of genomic DNA from hard tissues, bone and nail, using PrepFiler™ Forensic DNA Extraction Kit

STR profiling using hard tissues obtained from a severely decomposed body is sometimes a laborious work. There is now on a market a new DNA extraction kit, PrepFiler™ Forensic DNA Extraction Kit (AppliedBiosystems), and we tested it for missing persons. Postmortem intervals ranged from weeks to several years. Fifteen bone fragments and eleven nails were used in this report. Genomic DNA was quantified by QuantiFiler^® DUO Quantification Kit (AppliedBiosystems), and STRs were analyzed using AmpFlSTR^® Identifiler^® PCR Amplification Kit (AppliedBiosystems). The profiling of 16 STR loci was successful in all nail samples. However, STR profiling was successful in only 6 of 15 bone materials. Nine cases failed to analyze STR polymorphisms using another DNA extraction kit, the QIAamp DNA Mini Kit (QIAGEN). For bone samples, it seems that STR profiling depends on the quality of samples.