Investigating the Epigenetic Discrimination of Identical Twins Using Buccal Swabs, Saliva, and Cigarette Butts in the Forensic Setting

Genes
Athina VidakiManfred Kayser

Abstract

Monozygotic (MZ) twins are typically indistinguishable via forensic DNA profiling. Recently, we demonstrated that epigenetic differentiation of MZ twins is feasible; however, proportions of twin differentially methylated CpG sites (tDMSs) identified in reference-type blood DNA were not replicated in trace-type blood DNA. Here we investigated buccal swabs as typical forensic reference material, and saliva and cigarette butts as commonly encountered forensic trace materials. As an analog to a forensic case, we analyzed one MZ twin pair. Epigenome-wide microarray analysis in reference-type buccal DNA revealed 25 candidate tDMSs with >0.5 twin-to-twin differences. MethyLight quantitative PCR (qPCR) of 22 selected tDMSs in trace-type DNA revealed in saliva DNA that six tDMSs (27.3%) had >0.1 twin-to-twin differences, seven (31.8%) had smaller (<0.1) but robustly detected differences, whereas for nine (40.9%) the differences were in the opposite direction relative to the microarray data; for cigarette butt DNA, results were 50%, 22.7%, and 27.3%, respectively. The discrepancies between reference-type and trace-type DNA outcomes can be explained by cell composition differences, method-to-method variation, and other technical reasons i...Continue Reading

References

Feb 11, 1988·Nucleic Acids Research·S A MillerH F Polesky
May 29, 2002·Clinica Chimica Acta; International Journal of Clinical Chemistry·Johan K M ApsLuc C Martens
Oct 29, 2004·Nature Reviews. Genetics·Mark A Jobling, Peter Gill
Jan 18, 2005·Nucleic Acids Research·Gábor E TusnádyTamás Arányi
Jul 13, 2005·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Mario F FragaManel Esteller
Nov 14, 2007·Epigenetics : Official Journal of the DNA Methylation Society·Udo BaronSven Olek
Jan 20, 2009·Nature Genetics·Zachary A KaminskyArt Petronis
Jun 10, 2009·Epigenetics & Chromatin·Cecilia De BustosBarbara J Trask
Nov 7, 2009·Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology·Jesús Espada, Manel Esteller
Jan 25, 2011·Trends in Genetics : TIG·Jordana T Bell, Tim D Spector
Feb 19, 2011·Nature Reviews. Genetics·Manfred Kayser, Peter de Knijff
Apr 14, 2011·Nucleic Acids Research·Evgeny A MoskalevJörg D Hoheisel
May 20, 2011·Epigenetics : Official Journal of the DNA Methylation Society·Juan SandovalManel Esteller
Dec 20, 2011·Forensic Science International. Genetics·Michael KrawczakJörg Schmidtke
May 10, 2012·BMC Bioinformatics·Eugene Andres HousemanKarl T Kelsey
Jul 4, 2012·Ageing Research Reviews·Qihua TanKaare Christensen
Jan 18, 2013·Genome Research·Katherine E VarleyRichard M Myers
Jan 30, 2013·Fertility and Sterility·Michal Inbar-FeigenbergRosanna Weksberg
May 8, 2013·Molecular Biology Reports·Chengtao LiYiping Hou
Mar 22, 2014·Scientific Reports·Ekaterina Olkhov-MitselBharati Bapat
Dec 9, 2014·Genome Medicine·Juan E Castillo-FernandezJordana T Bell
Feb 1, 2015·BMC Biology·Marc Jung, Gerd P Pfeifer
Jul 30, 2015·Forensic Science International. Genetics·Jie XuBin Cong
Oct 27, 2015·Twin Research and Human Genetics : the Official Journal of the International Society for Twin Studies·Qingqing DuBin Cong
Nov 19, 2015·BioMed Research International·Kosuke EndoNaoharu Iwai
Apr 8, 2016·Nature Communications·Jenny van DongenDorret I Boomsma
Jun 15, 2016·Translational Psychiatry·K MalkiM G Tosto
Jun 24, 2016·BMC Genomics·Jie Liu, Kimberly D Siegmund
Mar 4, 2017·Forensic Science International. Genetics·Athina VidakiDenise Syndercombe Court

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

May 21, 2019·Electrophoresis·Haneul LeeYong-Bin Eom
Jan 2, 2021·Forensic Science International : Synergy·John M Butler, Sheila Willis
Apr 2, 2021·Emerging Topics in Life Sciences·Penelope R Haddrill

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
methylation profiling
PCR
Methylation
Methylation Array

Software Mentioned

SWAN
GenomeStudio
MethyLight
FUNNORM
BiSearch
Ensemble genome browser
Bioconductor
AutoDimer
Minfi

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.