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Assessment of ForenSeq mtDNA Whole Genome Kit for forensic application

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Abstract

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is an indispensable genetic marker in forensic genetics. The emergence and development of massively parallel sequencing (MPS) makes it possible to obtain complete mitochondrial genome sequences more quickly and accurately. The study evaluated the advantages and limitations of the ForenSeq mtDNA Whole Genome Kit in the practical application of forensic genetics by detecting human genomic DNA standards and thirty-three case samples. We used control DNA with different amount to determine sensitivity of the assay. Even when the input DNA is as low as 2.5 pg, most of the mitochondrial genome sequences could still be covered. For the detection of buccal swabs and aged case samples (bloodstains, bones, teeth), most samples could achieve complete coverage of mitochondrial genome. However, when ancient samples and hair samples without hair follicles were sequenced by the kit, it failed to obtain sequence information. In general, the ForenSeq mtDNA Whole Genome Kit has certain applicability to forensic low template and degradation samples, and these results provide the data basis for subsequent forensic applications of the assay. The overall detection process and subsequent analysis are easy to standardize, and it has certain application potential in forensic cases.

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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in the results of this article.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the participants who volunteered for this study.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82271929), the Chengdu Science and Technology Program (No. 2022-YF05-02026-SN), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2022M722246).

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Author notes

  1. Guihong Liu and Yazi Zheng contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forensic Genetics, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China

    Guihong Liu, Yazi Zheng, Qiushuo Wu, Dezhi Chen, Miao Liao, Weibo Liang, Lin Zhang & Shengqiu Qu

  2. Criminal Investigation Bureau, Chengdu Public Security Bureau, Criminal Science and Technology Division, Chengdu, 610000, Sichuan, China

    Tao Feng, Yu Xia, Dan Chen, Li Ren, Xiaogang Bai & Qingqing Li

  3. Department of Immunology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China

    Meili Lv

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  1. Guihong Liu
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Contributions

Guihong Liu and Yazi Zheng: conceptualization, project administration, data curation, methodology, formal analysis, visualization, writing—original draft, and writing—review and editing.

Qiushuo Wu: validation, methodology, visualization, and formal analysis.

Tao Feng and Yu Xia: validation, resources, and investigation.

Dan Chen, Li Ren, Xiaogang Bai, and Qingqing Li: data curation, methodology, and resources.

Dezhi Chen, Meili Lv, and Miao Liao: visualization, validation, and formal analysis.

Weibo Liang, Lin Zhang, and Shengqiu Qu: funding acquisition, project administration, and supervision.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Lin Zhang or Shengqiu Qu.

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The research protocol was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University (approval reference number: KS2022770).

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Liu, G., Zheng, Y., Wu, Q. et al. Assessment of ForenSeq mtDNA Whole Genome Kit for forensic application. Int J Legal Med 137, 1693–1703 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-023-03084-0

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