Forensic identification by DNA fingerprinting and mitochondrial DNA taping

Abstract

Short tandem repeats (STRs), that represent an important source of highly polymorphic markers in human genome, and mitochondria! DNA (mtDNA) typing, that its sequences were conserved within the same maternal lineage, facilitated by use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) provide a powerful tool for forensic identification. We report the analysis of 9 STR loci and mtDNA typing of a muscle biopsied sample with 2 months postmortem by comparison with the genotype of the relative. The DNA profile showed common alleles with that of the relative but only 12 from 20 alleles (60%) were identifiable. Then, we performed mt DNA sequencing of the hypervariable region I (HV I) and obtained 100 per cent homology with that of the relative. In conclusion, personal identification can be performed precisely by the data of DNA profile and mtDNA typing compared to the genotype of the relative.