Hao-Tian Meng

Developmental validation of the AGCU 21+1 STR kit: A novel multiplex assay for forensic application

In this study, we describe the developmental validation assay performed on a novel designed STR multiplex system, AGCU 21+1 STR kit. This kit contains a sex‐determining locus amelogenin and 21 noncombined DNA index system STR loci, that are, D6S474, D12ATA63, D22S1045, D10S1248, D1S1677, D11S4463, D1S1627, D3S4529, D2S441, D6S1017, D4S2408, D19S433, D17S1301, D1GATA113, D18S853, D20S482, D14S1434, D9S1122, D2S1776, D10S1435, and D5S2500. The 21+1 kit was validated by a series of tests including optimized PCR conditions, sensitivity, precision and accuracy, stutter ratio, DNA mixture, inhibitors, and species specificity according to the revised validation guidelines issued by the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM). Our results in this study show that the kit is a useful tool for forensic application.

Genetic profile characterization and population study of 21 autosomal STR in Chinese Kazak ethnic minority group

Short tandem repeat loci have been recognized as useful tools in the routine forensic application and in recent decades, more and more new short tandem repeat (STR) loci have been constantly discovered, studied, and applied in forensic caseworks. In this study, we investigated the genetic polymorphisms of 21 STR loci in the Kazak ethnic minority as well as the genetic relationships between the Kazak ethnic minority and other populations. Allelic frequencies of 21 STR loci were obtained from 114 unrelated healthy Kazak individuals in the Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region of China. We observed a total of 159 alleles in the group with the allelic diversity values ranging from 0.0044 to 0.5088. The highest polymorphism was found at D19S433 locus and the lowest was found at D1S1627. Statistical analysis of the generated data indicated no deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibriums at all 21 STR loci. In order to estimate the population differentiation, allelic frequencies of all STR loci of the Kazak were compared with those of other neighboring populations using analysis of molecular variance method. Statistically significant differences were found between the studied population and other populations at 2–7 STR loci. A neighbor‐joining tree was constructed based on allelic frequencies of the 21 STR loci and phylogenetic analysis indicates that the Kazak has a close genetic relationship with the Uigur ethnic group. The present results may provide useful information for forensic sciences and population genetics studies, and can also increase our understanding of the genetic background of this group. The present findings showed that all the 21 STR loci are highly genetically polymorphic in the Kazak group, which provided valuable population genetic data for the genetic information study, forensic human individual identification, and paternity tests.

Genetic polymorphism analyses of 30 InDels in Chinese Xibe ethnic group and its population genetic differentiations with other groups

In the present study, we obtained population genetic data and forensic parameters of 30 InDel loci in Chinese Xibe ethnic group from northwestern China and studied the genetic relationships between the studied Xibe group and other reference groups. The observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.1704 at HLD118 locus to 0.5247 at HLD92 locus while the expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.1559 at HLD118 locus to 0.4997 at HLD101 locus. The cumulative power of exclusion and total probability of discrimination power in the studied group were 0.9867 and 0.9999999999902 for the 30 loci, respectively. Analyses of structure, PCA, interpopulation differentiations and phylogenetic tree revealed that the Xibe group had close genetic relationships with South Korean, Beijing Han and Guangdong Han groups. The results indicated that these 30 loci should only be used as a complement for autosomal STRs in paternity cases but could provide an acceptable level of discrimination in forensic identification cases in the studied Xibe group. Further studies should be conducted for better understanding of the Xibe genetic background.

Genetic Variability and Phylogenetic Analysis of Han Population from Guanzhong Region of China based on 21 non-CODIS STR Loci

In the present study, we presented the population genetic data and their forensic parameters of 21 non-CODIS autosomal STR loci in Chinese Guanzhong Han population. A total of 166 alleles were observed with corresponding allelic frequencies ranging from 0.0018 to 0.5564. No STR locus was observed to deviate from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and linkage disequilibriums after applying Bonferroni correction. The cumulative power of discrimination and probability of exclusion of all the 21 STR loci were 0.99999999999999999993814 and 0.999998184, respectively. The results of genetic distances, phylogenetic trees and principal component analysis revealed that the Guanzhong Han population had a closer relationship with Ningxia Han, Tujia and Bai groups than other populations tested. In summary, these 21 STR loci showed a high level of genetic polymorphisms for the Guanzhong Han population and could be used for forensic applications and the studies of population genetics.

Population genetics and forensic efficiency of twenty-one novel microsatellite loci of Chinese Yi ethnic group

In this study, we investigated polymorphic distributions of allelic frequencies and forensic genetic parameters of 21 novel autosomal microsatellite loci from 110 unrelated healthy individuals of Chinese Yi ethnic group. Expected heterozygosity, power of discrimination, and polymorphic information content ranged from 0.617 to 0.812, 0.777 to 0.936 and 0.560 to 0.790. The microsatellite loci showed high forensic efficiency. The total discrimination power and cumulate probability of exclusion were 0.99999999999999999986902 and 0.999998818, respectively. Locus‐by‐locus allelic frequencies were compared using analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) method, and the statistically significant differences were observed between Yi group and Russian, Tujia, Kazak, Bai, Ningxia Han, Salar, Tibetan, and Uigur groups at 5, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 12, and 13 loci, respectively. The results of genetic distance comparisons, genetic structure analyses, and principal component analysis all indicated that the Yi group showed relatively short genetic relationships with Russian, Salar, and Bai group. The experimental results showed that the 21 loci in the multiplex system provided highly polymorphic information and forensic efficiency for forensic individual identification and paternity testing, also basic population data for population genetics and anthropological research.

Genetic diversities of 20 novel autosomal STRs in Chinese Xibe ethnic group and its genetic relationships with neighboring populations.

In the present study, we investigated the genetic polymorphisms of 20 novel STR loci and one previously studied locus in the Xibe ethnic group from China, as well as its genetic relationships with neighboring populations. Totally 226 unrelated healthy Xibe individuals were involved in the study. At least 5 alleles were observed for each locus, with the minimum and maximum allelic frequencies of 0.0022 and 0.5221, respectively. We obtained the lowest and highest observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity at locus D1S1627 and D19S433, respectively. The values of combined power of discrimination and probability of exclusion of all the 21 STR loci were 0.99999999999999999997310 and 0.999998650, respectively. Analyses of interpopulation differentiation, principal component analysis, genetic distance and phylogenetic tree revealed the relationships between Xibe group and its neighboring groups, showing that the studied Xibe group had a close genetic relationship with the Mongolian group. The present results indicated that these 21 STR loci had high genetic polymorphisms in the studied Xibe group, and were capable for the paternity testing and individual identification in forensic application.

Genetic polymorphism analyses of a novel panel of 19 X-STR loci in the Chinese Uygur ethnic minority.

The population genetic data and forensic parameters of 19 X-chromosome short tandem repeat (X-STR) loci in Chinese Uygur ethnic minority are presented. These loci were detected in a sample of 233 (94 males and 139 females) unrelated healthy individuals. We observed 238 alleles at the 19 X-STR loci, with the corresponding gene frequencies spanning the range from 0.0021 to 0.5644. After Bonferroni correction (P>0.0026), there were no significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The cumulative power of discrimination in females and males, and the probability of exclusion of the 19 X-STR loci were 0.999 999 999 999 999 999 998 091, 0.999 999 999 999 966, and 0.999 999 986 35, respectively. The cumulative mean exclusion chance was 0.999 999 992 849 in deficiency cases, 0.999 999 999 999 628 in normal trios, and 0.999 999 998 722 in duo cases. The high value of the forensic parameters mentioned above revealed that the novel panel of 19 loci had important values for forensic applications in the Uygur group.中文概要目的研究新疆维吾尔族人群19 个X 染色体短串联重 复序列(X-STR)基因座和他们组成的7 组连锁 基因座的单倍型多样性,评价19 个X-STR 新组 合位点的多态信息量和累积个体识别力。为群体 遗传学和法医学的应用基础研究提供数据支持; 并比较维吾尔族和11 个民族在共有的X-STR 基 因座的遗传学差异。创新点首次应用一个新的复合扩增检测体系,研究19 个X-STR 基因座新的组合(DXS8378、DXS7423、 DXS10148、DXS10159、DXS10134、DXS7424、 DXS10164、DXS10162、DXS7132、DXS10079、 DXS6789、DXS101、DXS10103、DXS10101、 HPRTB、DXS6809、DXS10075、DXS10074 和 DXS10135)在新疆维吾尔族的遗传多态性。方法从233 个新疆维吾尔族无关、健康个体的血痕中 提取基因组DNA。应用一个新的复合扩增体系, 同时对19 个X-STR 基因座进行扩增,用毛细管 电泳进行基因扫描和分型。系统分析和评价这些 X-STR 基因座常用的各种法医学参数及应用价 值;并对7 组连锁的基因座组成的单倍型进行分 析。基于分子方差分析的方法对新疆维吾尔族和 其他11 个民族共有的X-STR 基因座进行比较研 究,探寻这些群体在等位基因频率分布上的差异。结论研究19 个X-STR 基因座共发现238 个等位基因, 相应的基因频率分布在0.0021∼0.5644;女性累积 个体识别力为0.999 999 999 999 999 999 998 091, 男性为0.999 999 999 999 966,累积非父排除率 为0.999 999 986 35。分子方差分析的结果显示 新疆维吾尔族人群与格陵兰和索马里人群差异 最大,有8 个基因座存在差异;与马来西亚和关 中汉族人群差异最小,仅3 个基因座存在差异。 结果表明:这19 个X-STR 基因座多态性高、且 具有较高的累积个体识别力,可很好地应用于法 医学及群体遗传学研究,也为新疆维吾尔族人群 的遗传背景的研究提供基础资料。

Allele and haplotype diversity of new multiplex of 19 ChrX-STR loci in Han population from Guanzhong region (China).

X‐chromosomal short tandem repeats (X‐STRs) have been proved to be useful for some deficiency paternity cases in recent years. Here, we studied the genetic polymorphisms of 19 X‐STR loci (DXS10148‐DXS10135‐DXS8378, DXS10159‐DXS10162‐DXS10164, DXS7132‐DXS10079‐DXS10074‐DXS10075, DXS6809‐DXS6789, DXS7424‐DXS101, DXS10103‐HPRTB‐DXS10101 and DXS7423‐DXS10134) in 252 male and 222 female individuals from Guanzhong Han population, China. No deviation for all 19 loci was observed from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. The polymorphism information content values of the panel of 19 loci were more than 0.5 with the exception of the locus DXS7423. The combined power of discrimination were 0.9999999999999999999994340 in females and 0.9999999999997662 in males, respectively; and the combined mean exclusion chances were 0.999999993764 in duos and 0.999999999997444 in trios, respectively. The haplotype diversities for all the seven clusters of linked loci were more than 0.9. The results showed that the panel of 19 X‐STR loci were powerful for forensic applications in Guanzhong Han population. Locus by locus population comparisons showed significant differences at more than seven loci between Guanzhong Han population and the groups from North America, Europe and Africa.

Forensic evaluation and population genetic study of 30 insertion/deletion polymorphisms in a Chinese Yi group.

Insertion/deletion polymorphisms have become a research hot spot in forensic science due to their tremendous potential in recent years. In the present study, we investigated 30 indel loci in a Chinese Yi ethnic group. The allele frequencies of the short allele of the 30 indel loci were in the range of 0.1025–0.9221. The power of discrimination values were observed ranging from to 0.2630 (HLD111 locus) to 0.6607 (HLD70 locus) and probability of exclusion values ranged from 0.0189 (HLD111 locus) to 0.2343 (HLD56 locus). The combined power of discrimination and power of exclusion for 30 loci in the studied Yi group were 0.99999999995713 and 0.97746, respectively, which showed tremendous potential for forensic personal identification in the Yi group. Moreover, the DA distances, phylogenetic tree, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis showed the Yi group had close genetic relationships with the Tibetan, South Korean, Chinese Han, and She groups.

Genetic diversity and haplotype structure of 24 Y-chromosomal STR in Chinese Hui ethnic group and its genetic relationships with other populations

In the present study, 24 Y‐chromosomal short tandem repeat (Y‐STR) loci were analyzed in 115 unrelated Hui male individuals from Haiyuan county or Tongxin county, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China, to evaluate the forensic application of the 24 STR loci and to analyze interpopulation differentiations by making comparisons between the Hui group data and previously published data of other 13 populations. A total of 115 different haplotypes were observed on these 24 Y‐STR loci. The gene diversities ranged from 0.4049 (DYS437) to 0.9729 (DYS385a, b). The overall haplotype diversity was 1 at AGCU 24 Y‐STR loci level, while the values were reduced to 0.999237, 0.996949, and 0.996644 at the Y‐filer 17 loci, 11 Y‐STR loci of extended haplotype and 9 Y‐STR loci of minimal haplotype levels, respectively; whereas, haplotype diversity for additional 7 loci (not included in Y‐filer 17 loci) was 0.995271. The pairwise FST, multidimensional scaling plot and neighbor‐joining tree indicated the Hui group had the closest genetic relationship with Sala in the paternal lineage in the present study. In summary, the results in our study indicated the 24 Y‐STRs had a high level of polymorphism in Hui group and hence could be a powerful tool for forensic application and population genetic study.