ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 15

A Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Method for Sex and Species Determination with Novel Controls for Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Template Length
Grosso, DA
Professor and director, research associate, and graduate research assistant, Forensic Sciences Program and Laboratories, University of New Haven, CT

Messina, D
Research associate, supervisory criminalist, senior criminalist, and chief criminalist and director, Connecticut State Police Forensic Science Laboratory, CT

Pagliaro, EM
Research associate, supervisory criminalist, senior criminalist, and chief criminalist and director, Connecticut State Police Forensic Science Laboratory, CT

Ruano, G
Research associate, supervisory criminalist, senior criminalist, and chief criminalist and director, Connecticut State Police Forensic Science Laboratory, CT

Lee, HC
Research associate, supervisory criminalist, senior criminalist, and chief criminalist and director, Connecticut State Police Forensic Science Laboratory, CT

Berka, KM
Professor and director, research associate, and graduate research assistant, Forensic Sciences Program and Laboratories, University of New Haven, CT

Gaensslen, RE
Professor and director, research associate, and graduate research assistant, Forensic Sciences Program and Laboratories, University of New Haven, CT

(Received 12 June 1991; accepted 27 June 1991)

Abstract

Human X and Y chromosome α-satellite sequences lying within higher order repeats were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) isolated from blood, bone, and several other tissues and specimens of potential forensic science interest. X and Y sequences could be coamplified under some of the PCR conditions employed. Monomorphic sequences in the 3′-apolipoprotein B gene (designated “H”) and in an α-satellite higher order repeat on Chromosome 17 (p17H8, D17Z1) were likewise amplified in the specimens. X and Y sequence amplification can provide information about the sex of origin. Amplification of the X, H, and D17Z1 sequences was found to be primate-specific among the common animals tested and can thus provide species of origin information about a specimen. The authors suggest that amplification of X and D17Z1 or H sequences might provide “relaxed” and “stringent” controls for appropriate PCR amplification tests on forensic science specimens. Testing was carried out using PCR protocols that employed Thermophilus aquaticus (Taq) and Thermus flavis (Replinase) thermostable DNA polymerases.

Keywords:
forensic science, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), human identification, species identification, bone DNA, tissue DNA, sexing, species, X chromosome, Y chromosome, amplification, monomorphic sequences, D17Z1, p17H8, apolipoprotein B gene

Paper ID: JFS13207J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS13207J
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