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Challenging DNA samples solved with MiniSTR analysis. Brief overview

Authors :
Carmen Constantinescu
Ligia Elena Barbarii
Cristian Bogdan Iancu
Daniela Iancu
Georgiana Girbea
Andrea Constantinescu
Elena Neagu
Source :
Romanian Journal of Legal Medicine. 20:51-56
Publication Year :
2012
Publisher :
Romanian Society of Legal Medicine, 2012.

Abstract

The recovery of genetic information from highly degraded or minute amount of biological samples needs special approaches together with conventional STR multiplex assays. In this respect, the "mini-STR" technology is considered to be remarkable for its capacity to decrease the rate of failures and inconclusive results in forensic casework. By using miniSTRs, the PCR efficiency is significantly improved as shorter PCR amplicons are generated with STR primers located closer to the repeat regions. In this article we aimed to present several practical considerations regarding the miniSTR genotyping for challenging forensic samples. Looking for a robust protocol to re-investigate some of our cases with inconclusive or no typing results we studied the efficiency of a miniSTR approach. We report by comparison our results obtained with a commercial miniSTR multiplex assay on samples previously tested with two different 16 STR commercial kits. Our conclusion is definitely in favor of including in the routine protocol the miniSTR assay as it was able to improve the results, providing better or even complete DNA profiles for the difficult samples where the conventional STR kits failed.

Details

ISSN :
18448585 and 12218618
Volume :
20
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Romanian Journal of Legal Medicine
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........fd1ed7207e1f2ddf5086b2af9760694c
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.4323/rjlm.2012.51