scholarly journals Mitochondrial DNA in forensic use

Author(s):  
Denise Syndercombe Court

Genetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has always been a useful tool for forensic geneticists, mainly because of its ubiquitous presence in biological material, even in the absence of nuclear DNA. Sequencing, however, is not a skill that is part of the routine forensic analysis because of the relative rarity of requests, and the need for retention of necessary skill sets and associated accreditation issues. While standard Sanger sequencing may be relatively simple, many requests are made in the face of compromised biological samples. Newer technologies, provided through massively parallel sequencing (MPS), will increase the opportunity for scientists to include this tool in their routine, particularly for missing person investigations. MPS has also enabled a different approach to sequencing that can increase sensitivity in a more targeted approach. In these circumstances it is likely that only a laboratory that specialises in undertaking forensic mtDNA analysis will be able to take these difficult cases forward, more so because reviews of the literature have revealed significantly high levels of typing errors in publications reporting mtDNA sequences. The forensic community has set out important guidelines, not only in the practical aspects of analysis, but also in the interpretation of that sequence to ensure that accurate comparisons can be made. Analysis of low-level, compromised and ancient DNA is not easy, however, as contamination is extremely difficult to eliminate and circumstances leading to sequencing errors are all too easily introduced. These problems, and solutions, are discussed in the article in relation to several historic cases.

Author(s):  
F. Monchoux ◽  
A. Rocher ◽  
J.L. Martin

Interphase sliding is an important phenomenon of high temperature plasticity. In order to study the microstructural changes associated with it, as well as its influence on the strain rate dependence on stress and temperature, plane boundaries were obtained by welding together two polycrystals of Cu-Zn alloys having the face centered cubic and body centered cubic structures respectively following the procedure described in (1). These specimens were then deformed in shear along the interface on a creep machine (2) at the same temperature as that of the diffusion treatment so as to avoid any precipitation. The present paper reports observations by conventional and high voltage electron microscopy of the microstructure of both phases, in the vicinity of the phase boundary, after different creep tests corresponding to various deformation conditions.Foils were cut by spark machining out of the bulk samples, 0.2 mm thick. They were then electropolished down to 0.1 mm, after which a hole with thin edges was made in an area including the boundary


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahmawati Rahmawati ◽  
Trimayasari Trimayasari ◽  
Ghozali Akhmad Mustaqim ◽  
Wening Dwi Prastiwi ◽  
Emas Agus Prastyo Wibowo

AbstractSoap facial cleanser is needed to keep the facial skin to keep them clean and healthy. The purpose of this study to make soap cleanser with natural materials such as hard water deposits leri. This is because the use of leri water starch or starch granules of fine particles contained in water leri dansel dust can shed the dead skin on the face because of the essential amino acids contained can regenerate skin cells. In addition, water leri can brighten the face because the leri water oryzanol contain substances that can update the development and formation of the pigment melanin, which is effectively to ward off ultraviolet rays. The process of making soap using the principle of saponification reaction, namely the reaction between the oil and the KOH/NaOH. Facial cleansing soap made in this study is solid soap. Based on the results of quality test, soap solid leri water has a pH of 11.1, saponification number is 33, the water content of 46% as well as respondents to the test aspects of aroma and foam shows good results so this water leri treatment can be an alternative solution to prevent the use of soap facial cleansers that contain harmful chemicals. Keywords: air leri, soap cleanser, saponification  AbstrakSabun pembersih wajah sangat diperlukan untuk menjaga kulit wajah agar tetap bersih dan sehat. Tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk membuat sabun pembersih wajah dengan bahan alami berupa endapan air leri. Penggunaan air leri ini dikarenakan butiran partikel starch atau pati halus yang terdapat dalam air leri dapat merontokkan debu dansel kulit mati pada wajah karena asam amino esensial yang terkandung dapat meregenerasi sel-sel kulit. Selain itu, air leri dapat mencerahkan wajah karena air leri mengandung zat oryzanol yang dapat memperbarui perkembangan dan pembentukan pigmen melanin, yang efektif guna menangkal sinar ultraviolet. Proses pembuatan sabun menggunakan prinsip reaksi saponifikasi, yaitu reaksi antara minyak dan KOH/NaOH. Sabun pembersih wajah yang dibuat dalam penelitian ini ialah sabun padat. Berdasarkan hasil uji mutu, sabun air leri padat memiliki pH 11,1, angka penyabunan sebesar 33 kadar air 46 kadar air 46 % serta uji responden terhadap aspek aroma dan busa yang menunjukkan hasil cukup baik sehingga pengolahan air leri ini dapat menjadi solusi alternative untuk mencegah penggunaan sabun pembersih wajah yang mengandung bahan kimia berbahaya. Kata kunci: air leri, sabun pembersih wajah, saponifikasi 


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 5100
Author(s):  
Paulina Kozakiewicz ◽  
Ludmiła Grzybowska-Szatkowska ◽  
Marzanna Ciesielka ◽  
Jolanta Rzymowska

The mitochondria are essential for normal cell functioning. Changes in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) may affect the occurrence of some chronic diseases and cancer. This process is complex and not entirely understood. The assignment to a particular mitochondrial haplogroup may be a factor that either contributes to cancer development or reduces its likelihood. Mutations in mtDNA occurring via an increase in reactive oxygen species may favour the occurrence of further changes both in mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. Mitochondrial DNA mutations in postmitotic cells are not inherited, but may play a role both in initiation and progression of cancer. One of the first discovered polymorphisms associated with cancer was in the gene NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase chain 3 (mt-ND3) and it was typical of haplogroup N. In prostate cancer, these mutations and polymorphisms involve a gene encoding subunit I of respiratory complex IV cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (COI). At present, a growing number of studies also address the impact of mtDNA polymorphisms on prognosis in cancer patients. Some of the mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms occur in both chronic disease and cancer, for instance polymorphism G5913A characteristic of prostate cancer and hypertension.


2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (8) ◽  
pp. 527-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. Patterson ◽  
Anna M. Duncan ◽  
Kelsey C. McIntyre ◽  
Vett K. Lloyd

Ixodes scapularis Say, 1821 (the black-legged tick) is becoming established in Canada. The northwards expansion of I. scapularis leads to contact between I. scapularis and Ixodes cookei Packard, 1869, a well-established tick species in Eastern Canada. Examination of I. cookei and I. scapularis collected from New Brunswick revealed ticks with ambiguous morphologies, with either a mixture or intermediate traits typical of I. scapularis and I. cookei, including in characteristics typically used as species identifiers. Genetic analysis to determine if these ticks represent hybrids revealed that four had I. cookei derived mitochondrial DNA but I. scapularis nuclear DNA. In one case, the nuclear sequence showed evidence of heterozygosity for I. scapularis and I. cookei sequences, whereas in the others, the nuclear DNA appeared to be entirely derived from I. scapularis. These data strongly suggest genetic hybridization between these two species. Ixodes cookei and hybrid ticks were readily collected from humans and companion animals and specimens infected with Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson et al., 1984, the causative agent of Lyme disease, were identified. These findings raise the issue of genetic introgression of I. scapularis genes into I. cookei and warrant reassessment of the capacity of I. cookei and I. cookei × I. scapularis hybrids to vector Borrelia infection.


Author(s):  
George B. Stefano ◽  
Richard M. Kream

AbstractMitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) heteroplasmy is the dynamically determined co-expression of wild type (WT) inherited polymorphisms and collective time-dependent somatic mutations within individual mtDNA genomes. The temporal expression and distribution of cell-specific and tissue-specific mtDNA heteroplasmy in healthy individuals may be functionally associated with intracellular mitochondrial signaling pathways and nuclear DNA gene expression. The maintenance of endogenously regulated tissue-specific copy numbers of heteroplasmic mtDNA may represent a sensitive biomarker of homeostasis of mitochondrial dynamics, metabolic integrity, and immune competence. Myeloid cells, monocytes, macrophages, and antigen-presenting dendritic cells undergo programmed changes in mitochondrial metabolism according to innate and adaptive immunological processes. In the central nervous system (CNS), the polarization of activated microglial cells is dependent on strategically programmed changes in mitochondrial function. Therefore, variations in heteroplasmic mtDNA copy numbers may have functional consequences in metabolically competent mitochondria in innate and adaptive immune processes involving the CNS. Recently, altered mitochondrial function has been demonstrated in the progression of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Accordingly, our review is organized to present convergent lines of empirical evidence that potentially link expression of mtDNA heteroplasmy by functionally interactive CNS cell types to the extent and severity of acute and chronic post-COVID-19 neurological disorders.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 4594
Author(s):  
Andrea Stoccoro ◽  
Fabio Coppedè

Epigenetic modifications of the nuclear genome, including DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNA post-transcriptional regulation, are increasingly being involved in the pathogenesis of several human diseases. Recent evidence suggests that also epigenetic modifications of the mitochondrial genome could contribute to the etiology of human diseases. In particular, altered methylation and hydroxymethylation levels of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been found in animal models and in human tissues from patients affected by cancer, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, environmental factors, as well as nuclear DNA genetic variants, have been found to impair mtDNA methylation patterns. Some authors failed to find DNA methylation marks in the mitochondrial genome, suggesting that it is unlikely that this epigenetic modification plays any role in the control of the mitochondrial function. On the other hand, several other studies successfully identified the presence of mtDNA methylation, particularly in the mitochondrial displacement loop (D-loop) region, relating it to changes in both mtDNA gene transcription and mitochondrial replication. Overall, investigations performed until now suggest that methylation and hydroxymethylation marks are present in the mtDNA genome, albeit at lower levels compared to those detectable in nuclear DNA, potentially contributing to the mitochondria impairment underlying several human diseases.


2016 ◽  
Vol 04 (03) ◽  
pp. 156-164
Author(s):  
Deepak Bansal ◽  
Shruti Sharma ◽  
Manjit Kumar ◽  
Amrit Khosla

AbstractAn altered facial appearance is more difficult to face, than problems related to ill-fitting denture or eating. The selection of maxillary anterior teeth for complete denture has long posed problem in clinical practice and a controversy about the best method to employ still exists. An attempt is made in the present study to clinically correlate the face form with maxillary central incisor tooth form in males and females of Davangere population. In 1914, Leon William's projected the “the form method” where he classified facial forms as square, tapering, and ovoid. Maxillary central incisors were selected according to the facial forms.Of total 100 subjects four different tooth forms and face forms were evaluated. They are: square, ovoid, square-tapered, tapered. No significant correlation existed between face form in male and females. Females exhibited greater correlation between face forms and inverted tooth form but that correlation is not sufficient to serve as a guide for selection of anterior teeth.


1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 515-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Om P. Rajora ◽  
John D. Mahon

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nuDNA) variations were examined in six cultivars of Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris and two (mtDNA) or one (nuDNA) accession(s) of L. culinaris ssp. orientalis. Total leaf DNA was digested with up to 15 restriction endonucleases, separated by agarose gel electrophoresis and trasferred to nylon membranes. To examine mtDNA variation, blots were probed with mtDNA coding for cytochrome c oxidase I (coxI) and ATPase 6 (atp6) of both wheat and maize as well as apocytochrome b (cob) and Orf25 (orf25) of wheat. Sixteen combinations of mtDNA probes and restriction enzymes revealed 34 fragments that discriminated between at least two lentil accessions. For nuDNA analysis, probes from cDNA and genomic DNA clones of lentil were used to probe the same blots, and identified 46 diagnostic fragments from 19 probe/enzyme combinations. Each lentil accession could be unequivocably distinguished from all others on the basis of both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA fragment patterns. The mitochondrial restriction fragment similarities ranged from 0.944 to 0.989, with a mean of 0.970 but nuclear restriction fragment similarities varied from 0.582 to 0.987, with a mean of 0.743. The apparent genetic relationships among accessions differed according to the source of DNA examined, although the commercial varieties Laird, Brewer and Redchief showed similarly high levels of mean similarity with both nuclear (0.982) and mitochondrial DNA (0.983). Key words: Lens culinaris Medik., genetic variation, mitochondrial, nuclear, DNA, lentil


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