Molecular identification of forensically relevant Diptera inferred from short mitochondrial genetic marker

Abstract

Dipterans are attracted to and colonize decomposing corpses immediately after death. From the forensic perspective, their identification is mandatory for postmortem interval estimation. Morphological identification may be difficult or even impossible. Thus, molecular identification has been suggested as an alternative. Many workers suggested that the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene is the most suitable gene, but the assignment of a genetic marker within that gene has not been determined yet. Previous study has shown the efficacy of a 296-bp sequence in the COI gene in discrimination of species belonging to one dipterous family (Sarcophagidae) from the Czech Republic. Because of the genetic variations in insects from different geographical origin, these data should not be applied to any other location until they have been validated. Moreover, it is important to examine more than one dipterous family to simulate the condition after database construction (4). Therefore, the present study evaluated the 296-bp COI sequence as mitochondrial genetic marker for identification of dipterous samples from China and Egypt. © 2013 Sanaa Mohamed Aly and Jifang Wen.