Current Molecular Genetic Developments in Forensic DNA Analysis

Abstract

DNA analysis obtained from forensic biological evidence provides strong evidence in identifying the perpetrator associated with the incident. The interindividual difference in the number of repeats in short tandem repeat (STR) regions and the low mutation rate in these regions have made STRs preferred as genetic markers for donor identification. However, if the amount of DNA in the forensic biological material is too low or the DNA is corrupted to such an extent that it does not allow analysis, the short tandem repeat regions, which are frequently used in forensic genetic methods, cannot be determined. In the case of doubt, when there is no match to the STR profile, any information that can assist in identifying the sample's donor would be invaluable. Therefore, in the forensic genetics, in the diagnosis of the identity of biological samples that are difficult to analyze, determining the additional information about the physical appearence of the donor such as age, hair and eyes colours with forensic DNA phenotyping, also such as body fluid and tissue type determination with mRNA and miRNA analyses, new current molecular methods have started to develop in the genetic and epigenetic field. In this review, for analysis of STRs and other markers we review recent advances in this field to maximize the analysis potential in identifying the phenotype of interest, largely through the application of massive parallel sequencing (MPS), developments in the interpretation of mixture DNA profiles containing genetic material of more than one person, RNA profiling for body fluid identification, and inclusion of epigenetic methods such as examination of methylation profiles.