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Constructing a DNA profile frequency database for South Africa using the Qiagen Investigator 24plex GO! Kit

DNA profiling is routinely used in the forensic setting to identify individuals during criminal and medico-legal investigations. Its principle is based on the molecular analysis of DNA to produce a string of alpha-numeric characters which can be matched to a known reference sample. The use of allele...

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Main Author: Nel, Lorraine
Other Authors: Heathfield, Laura J
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Division of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology 2018
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access_status_str Open Access
author Nel, Lorraine
author2 Heathfield, Laura J
author_browse Heathfield, Laura J
Nel, Lorraine
author_facet Heathfield, Laura J
Nel, Lorraine
author_sort Nel, Lorraine
collection Thesis
description DNA profiling is routinely used in the forensic setting to identify individuals during criminal and medico-legal investigations. Its principle is based on the molecular analysis of DNA to produce a string of alpha-numeric characters which can be matched to a known reference sample. The use of allele frequencies from the background population aids the statistical interpretation of a match and can be used to calculate the random match probability. In South Africa, allele frequency data for the background population is currently limited, which can hinder the discriminatory value of DNA evidence, particularly when only a partial profile is obtained. Therefore, the aim of this study was to generate DNA allele frequency data for four South African population groups using the QIAGEN Investigator® 24PLEX GO! Kit, which has six markers for which data does not yet exist for the South African population. Full forensic DNA profiles were generated from 655 unrelated individuals from four population groups in South Africa: Black African (n = 172), Coloured (n = 195), Indian/Asian (n = 88) and White (n = 200). A 98% first time success rate was observed using the direct PCR approach. Allele frequencies were significantly different between all four population groups at three markers (D8S1179, D2S1338 and D2S441) after a Bonferroni correction (ρ < 0.001) and sixteen novel alleles were observed. Two genetic anomalies were observed, namely triallelic patterns at the TPOX marker (n = 9) and a null allele at amelogenin (n = 1). While the sample size for the Indian/Asian population group was limited in this study, the data generated here nevertheless prospects to contribute towards the data currently published for South Africa. This, in turn, will allow for more DNA markers to be analysed during forensic casework in South Africa, as the data for its statistical interpretation is now available.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:31:38.662Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2018
publishDateRange 2018
publishDateSort 2018
publisher Division of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology
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spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/28054 Constructing a DNA profile frequency database for South Africa using the Qiagen Investigator 24plex GO! Kit Nel, Lorraine Heathfield, Laura J Biomedical Forensic Science DNA profiling is routinely used in the forensic setting to identify individuals during criminal and medico-legal investigations. Its principle is based on the molecular analysis of DNA to produce a string of alpha-numeric characters which can be matched to a known reference sample. The use of allele frequencies from the background population aids the statistical interpretation of a match and can be used to calculate the random match probability. In South Africa, allele frequency data for the background population is currently limited, which can hinder the discriminatory value of DNA evidence, particularly when only a partial profile is obtained. Therefore, the aim of this study was to generate DNA allele frequency data for four South African population groups using the QIAGEN Investigator® 24PLEX GO! Kit, which has six markers for which data does not yet exist for the South African population. Full forensic DNA profiles were generated from 655 unrelated individuals from four population groups in South Africa: Black African (n = 172), Coloured (n = 195), Indian/Asian (n = 88) and White (n = 200). A 98% first time success rate was observed using the direct PCR approach. Allele frequencies were significantly different between all four population groups at three markers (D8S1179, D2S1338 and D2S441) after a Bonferroni correction (ρ < 0.001) and sixteen novel alleles were observed. Two genetic anomalies were observed, namely triallelic patterns at the TPOX marker (n = 9) and a null allele at amelogenin (n = 1). While the sample size for the Indian/Asian population group was limited in this study, the data generated here nevertheless prospects to contribute towards the data currently published for South Africa. This, in turn, will allow for more DNA markers to be analysed during forensic casework in South Africa, as the data for its statistical interpretation is now available. 2018-05-14T12:26:14Z 2018-05-14T12:26:14Z 2018 Master Thesis Masters MPhil http://hdl.handle.net/11427/28054 eng application/pdf Division of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology Faculty of Health Sciences University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Biomedical Forensic Science
Nel, Lorraine
Constructing a DNA profile frequency database for South Africa using the Qiagen Investigator 24plex GO! Kit
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Constructing a DNA profile frequency database for South Africa using the Qiagen Investigator 24plex GO! Kit
title_full Constructing a DNA profile frequency database for South Africa using the Qiagen Investigator 24plex GO! Kit
title_fullStr Constructing a DNA profile frequency database for South Africa using the Qiagen Investigator 24plex GO! Kit
title_full_unstemmed Constructing a DNA profile frequency database for South Africa using the Qiagen Investigator 24plex GO! Kit
title_short Constructing a DNA profile frequency database for South Africa using the Qiagen Investigator 24plex GO! Kit
title_sort constructing a dna profile frequency database for south africa using the qiagen investigator 24plex go kit
topic Biomedical Forensic Science
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/28054
work_keys_str_mv AT nellorraine constructingadnaprofilefrequencydatabaseforsouthafricausingtheqiageninvestigator24plexgokit