Ethical considerations for Forensic Genetic Frequency databases: First Report conception and development.

The Forensic Databases Advisory Board (FDAB), an independent board that assists the International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG), has presented a First Report on ethical aspects of the following Forensic Genetic Frequency Databases (FGFD): EMPOP, STRidER and YHRD. The FDAB designed an ethical framework to evaluate the content of these FGFD, and the factors to be considered for retention and acceptance of submissions. The FDAB framework proposes to categorize submissions according to the risk of having contravened the universal ethical principles outlined by international organizations, and the guidelines adopted by the ISFG. The report has been open to discussion by the scientific community since 2023. Herein we present the conception and development of the First Report along with a summary of its content, with consideration of the feedback received.

The genetic landscape of South African males: A Y-STR perspective.

The profiles of 2188 SA males obtained with 10 Y-STR highly informative markers were analyzed for their information content for forensic and population studies. The samples comprised a total of 16 populations, represented by Bantu-speaking groups, KhoeSan descendants, out-of-Africa descendants and admixed groups. The country hosts approximately 58 million inhabitants, 80% native and the remaining with ancestry external to Africa and admixed. The forensic parameters indicated high levels of diversity in all populations and lower in the Nguni, who showed elevated number of repeated haplotypes, thus displaying the lowest DC values. Population comparative analysis with MDS showed concordant results with the historical record. Non-hierarchical and hierarchical AMOVA over ethnolinguistic groups and administrative divisions showed significant variation in all cases, with higher differences due to ethnicity than to geopolitical subdivision. The haplotypes were further analyzed by hierarchical kmeans clustering. The identified clusters differed in their relative contribution to the gene pool of the 16 analyzed populations. Geostatistical analysis of the clusters evidenced areas of higher density for some clusters in correspondence with language, while other clusters were more homogeneously distributed. In addition, a few rare microvariants were identified with very restricted geographic occurrence. The results emphasize the forensic value of a highly informative set of markers in a country with high genetic diversity and complex population history.

A GHEP-ISFG collaborative study on the genetic variation of 38 autosomal indels for human identification in different continental populations.

A collaborative effort was carried out by the Spanish and Portuguese Speaking Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics (GHEP-ISFG) to promote knowledge exchange between associate laboratories interested in the implementation of indel-based methodologies and build allele frequency databases of 38 indels for forensic applications. These databases include populations from different countries that are relevant for identification and kinship investigations undertaken by the participating laboratories. Before compiling population data, participants were asked to type the 38 indels in blind samples from annual GHEP-ISFG proficiency tests, using an amplification protocol previously described. Only laboratories that reported correct results contributed with population data to this study. A total of 5839 samples were genotyped from 45 different populations from Africa, America, East Asia, Europe and Middle East. Population differentiation analysis showed significant differences between most populations studied from Africa and America, as well as between two Asian populations from China and East Timor. Low FST values were detected among most European populations. Overall diversities and parameters of forensic efficiency were high in populations from all continents.

Design and validation of a highly discriminatory 10-locus Y-chromosome STR multiplex system.

The Y-chromosome STRs (short tandem repeat) markers are routinely utilized in the resolution of forensic casework related to sexual assault. For this, the forensic community has adopted a set of eleven (core) Y-STR that is incorporated in all commercial diagnostic systems. Our previous studies of Y-STR polymorphisms in the South African population identified low levels of diversity and discrimination capacity for many commercial marker sets, determining a limited applicability of these systems to the local population groups. To overcome this shortcoming, we designed a Y-STR 10-plex system that shows higher discriminatory capacity (DC) than available commercial systems. The markers were selected from a population group of 283 individuals with African, European and Asian ancestry genotyped at 45 Y-STRs, applying an optimization based selection procedure to achieve the highest possible DC with the minimal number of markers. The 10-plex was satisfactorily subjected to developmental validation tests following the SWGDAM guidelines and shows potential for its application to genealogical and evolutionary studies.

Simulation of Y-chromosomal haplotype data.

The non-recombining nature of the Y-chromosome determines the non-independence of alleles between loci. The evolution of short tandem repeat (STR) loci in the Y-chromosome is the result of different factors such as differential mutation rates, mutation modes, gene conversion, selection and demographic processes. The degree of correlation between loci is dependent on the magnitude of these processes. The simulation of data is a routine tool used for testing hypotheses in population and evolutionary studies. The most basic parameters hitherto used in lineage haplotype simulations are the allele frequency distributions and mutation rates, assuming either full independence or linkage between loci. In this study we introduce use of the Spearman correlation coefficient to estimate the degree of dependence between non-recombining loci. Then, both the interdependence between loci and the allele frequency distributions at multi-allelic loci are incorporated in an algorithm for simulating haplotypes. We illustrate the method using published and unpublished Y-chromosome STR data.

Repetitive DNA sequences as an insight into Aeglidae (Crustacea, Anomura) evolution.

The evolutionary relationships of five Atlantic Aeglidae species (Aegla neuquensis affinis, A. humahuaca, A. jujuyana, A. platensis, and A. uruguayana) were studied by (i) satellite DNA analysis using a restriction enzyme digestion and hybridization pattern approach and (ii) genome screening by using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) typing. The identical restriction patterns and intense interspecific hybridization patterns obtained in this study strongly suggest a recent cladogenetic event for the Aeglidae. The species-specific amplification products which were detected using RAPD markers allowed species characterization. A total of 49 amplification products were used to construct trees by cluster analysis. The new scheme agrees in part with previous proposals based on biogeography and morphology. We considered that the subdivision northwestern-platensis species was probably due to the rising of the Andes, which started in the Middle Miocene. Divergence due to altitude is suggested by the different altitudinal distribution of three northwestern species along the same river. The possible role of selection by ecological factor/s was observed at the population level in A. jujuyana, which has a wider altitudinal range distribution. RAPD markers revealed a high level of intraspecific diversity and important genetic flow among populations. However, a few markers showed significant differences in frequency or H between the lowermost population and the other populations, located in a different biogeographical region. The differences were not in relation to geographical distance, and we interpreted them as being due to selection. Repetitive sequences constitute an important reservoir of genetic variation, and these results show their usefulness in testing and proposing evolutionary hypothesis in crabs. These sequences seem to have played an important role in aeglid evolution. Ecological factors related to altitude have probably influenced macro- and microevolutionary processes, at least in northwestern species.