Title

The identification of newborns using messenger RNA profiling analysis

Authors

Authors

M. Alvarez;J. Ballantyne

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

Anal. Biochem.

Keywords

forensic science; forensic biochemistry; biological age; age; determination; newborn; hemoglobin; Isoforms; multiplex quantitative; RT-PCR; GENE-EXPRESSION PROFILE; MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA; 4977-BP DELETION; HUMAN; TISSUES; AGE; PIGMENTATION; ACCUMULATION; MUTATIONS; SEQUENCE; HUMANS; Biochemical Research Methods; Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Chemistry, Analytical

Abstract

The ability to determine the physical characteristics of an individual depositing a bloodstain at a crime scene would be an invaluable tool to investigators, akin to eyewitness information. One useful biometric that may be amenable to molecular genetic analysis is the biological age of an individual. In theory, it may be possible to determine patterns of gene expression that are age specific, thereby permitting the distinction among tissue samples originating from individuals of different ages (e.g., newborn, adolescent, middle-age, elderly). We have discovered two novel isoforms of gamma hemoglobin messenger RNA, designated HBG1n and HBG2n, which exhibit an extremely restricted pattern of gene expression, being confined to newborn individuals. Multiplex quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRTPCR) assays incorporating these novel mRNAs have been designed, tested, and evaluated for their potential forensic use. The results indicate that the assays provide the ability to determine whether a bloodstain originated from a newborn. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Journal Title

Analytical Biochemistry

Volume

357

Issue/Number

1

Publication Date

1-1-2006

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

21

Last Page

34

WOS Identifier

WOS:000240631600004

ISSN

0003-2697

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