The population history of northeastern Siberia since the Pleistocene.

Northeastern Siberia has been inhabited by humans for more than 40,000 years but its deep population history remains poorly understood. Here we investigate the late Pleistocene population history of northeastern Siberia through analyses of 34 newly recovered ancient genomes that date to between 31,000 and 600 years ago. We document complex population dynamics during this period, including at least three major migration events: an initial peopling by a previously unknown Palaeolithic population of 'Ancient North Siberians' who are distantly related to early West Eurasian hunter-gatherers; the arrival of East Asian-related peoples, which gave rise to 'Ancient Palaeo-Siberians' who are closely related to contemporary communities from far-northeastern Siberia (such as the Koryaks), as well as Native Americans; and a Holocene migration of other East Asian-related peoples, who we name 'Neo-Siberians', and from whom many contemporary Siberians are descended. Each of these population expansions largely replaced the earlier inhabitants, and ultimately generated the mosaic genetic make-up of contemporary peoples who inhabit a vast area across northern Eurasia and the Americas.

Post-mortem analysis of suicide victims shows ABCB1 haplotype 1236T-2677T-3435T as a candidate predisposing factor behind adverse drug reactions in females.

BACKGROUND: Genetic variation in efflux transporter, permeability glycoprotein (P-gp), has recently been associated with completed violent suicides and also violent suicide attempts. As depression is known to be a risk factor for suicide and many antidepressants are P-gp substrates, it has been speculated that inadequate antidepressant treatment response or adverse side effects could be involved. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is an association between the P-gp coding ABCB1 gene and completed suicides in citalopram users. Also, the effect of sex and suicide method used (violent vs. non-violent) was evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All cases included in the study population, 349 completed suicide victims and 284 controls, were shown to be positive for antidepressant citalopram in a post-mortem toxicological drug screen. ABCB1 1236C>T, 2677G>T/A and 3435C>T polymorphisms were determined by TaqMan genotyping assays. Haplotypes were constructed from genotype data using the PHASE software. The association between the manner of death and the ABCB1 haplotype was tested with logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were observed in the ABCB1 allele or genotype frequencies between the suicide and control groups. However, the ABCB1 1236T-2677T-3435T haplotype was associated with completed suicides of female citalopram users (odds ratio: 2.23; 95% confidence interval: 1.22-4.07; P=0.009). After stratification by the method used for suicide, the association emerged in fatal intoxications (odds ratio: 2.51; 95% confidence interval: 1.29-4.87; P=0.007). In other groups, no statistically significant associations were observed. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that female citalopram users with ABCB1 1236T-2677T-3435T are more vulnerable to adverse effects of the drugs as this haplotype was enriched in non-violent suicides of female citalopram users. Even though the biological mechanism behind this observation is unknown, the results provide another example of the importance of sex-based segregation in pharmacogenetics studies.

Serotonergic 5HTTLPR/rs25531 s-allele homozygosity associates with violent suicides in male citalopram users.

Depressive disorders are involved as a background factor in over 50% of suicide cases. The most widely used antidepressants today are serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, not all users benefit from SSRI medication. Although the overall number of suicides in Finland have decreased notably during the last decade, the annual rate is still relatively high, particularly in male population. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the genetic variants associated with decreased citalopram efficiency, 5HTTLPR/rs25531, and increased impulsive behavior, MAOA-uVNTR and HTR2B Q20*, are more frequent among citalopram users committing suicide than among the citalopram users in general. Also the effect of alcohol was evaluated. The study population comprised 349 suicide victims (184 males and 165 females). Based on the suicide method used, cases were divided into two groups; violent (88 males and 49 females) and non-violent (96 males and 116 females). The control group (284; 159 males and 125 females) consisted of citalopram users who died of causes other than suicide. We found that male citalopram users with low functioning s/s genotype of 5HTTLPR/rs25531 were in increased risk to commit violent suicide (OR 2.50, 95%CI 1.15-5.42, p = 0.020). Surprisingly, high blood alcohol concentration was observed to be a risk factor only in non-violent suicides (both males and females), but not in violent ones. No association between suicides and MAOA-uVNTR and HTR2B Q20*, which have been previously connected to violent and impulsive behavior, was detected.

MtDNA and Y-chromosomal diversity in the Chachapoya, a population from the northeast Peruvian Andes-Amazon divide.

OBJECTIVES: The ancient Chachapoya were an aggregate of several ethnic groups that shared a common language, religion, and material culture. They inhabited a territory at the juncture of the Andes and the Amazon basin. Their position between those ecozones most likely influenced their genetic composition. We attempted to better understand their population history by assessing the contemporary genetic diversity in the Chachapoya and three of their immediate neighbors (Huancas, Jivaro, and Cajamarca). We inferred signatures of demographic history and genetic affinities, and contrasted the findings with data from other populations on local and continental scales. METHODS: We studied mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA; hypervariable segment [HVSI and HVSII]) and Y chromosome (23 short tandem repeats (STRs)) marker data in 382 modern individuals. We used Sanger sequencing for mtDNA and a commercially available kit for Y-chromosomal STR typing. RESULTS: The Chachapoya had affinities with various populations of Andean and Amazonian origin. When examining the Native American component, the Chachapoya displayed high levels of genetic diversity. Together with other parameters, for example, large Tajima's D and Fu's Fs, the data indicated no drastic reduction of the population size in the past. CONCLUSION: The high level of diversity in the Chachapoya, the lack of evidence of drift in the past, and genetic affinities with a broad range of populations in the Americas reflects an intricate population history in the region. The new genetic data from the Chachapoya indeed seems to point to a genetic complexity that is not yet resolved but beginning to be elucidated. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:857-867, 2016. © 2016Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Causes and consequences of fine-scale population structure in a critically endangered freshwater seal.

BACKGROUND: Small, genetically uniform populations may face an elevated risk of extinction due to reduced environmental adaptability and individual fitness. Fragmentation can intensify these genetic adversities and, therefore, dispersal and gene flow among subpopulations within an isolated population is often essential for maintaining its viability. Using microsatellite and mtDNA data, we examined genetic diversity, spatial differentiation, interregional gene flow, and effective population sizes in the critically endangered Saimaa ringed seal (Phoca hispida saimensis), which is endemic to the large but highly fragmented Lake Saimaa in southeastern Finland. RESULTS: Microsatellite diversity within the subspecies (HE = 0.36) ranks among the lowest thus far recorded within the order Pinnipedia, with signs of ongoing loss of individual heterozygosity, reflecting very low effective subpopulation sizes. Bayesian assignment analyses of the microsatellite data revealed clear genetic differentiation among the main breeding areas, but interregional structuring was substantially weaker in biparentally inherited microsatellites (FST = 0.107) than in maternally inherited mtDNA (FST = 0.444), indicating a sevenfold difference in the gene flow mediated by males versus females. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic structuring in the population appears to arise from the joint effects of multiple factors, including small effective subpopulation sizes, a fragmented lacustrine habitat, and behavioural dispersal limitation. The fine-scale differentiation found in the landlocked Saimaa ringed seal is especially surprising when contrasted with marine ringed seals, which often exhibit near-panmixia among subpopulations separated by hundreds or even thousands of kilometres. Our results demonstrate that population structures of endangered animals cannot be predicted based on data on even closely related species or subspecies.

Assessment of Traub formula and ketone bodies in cause of death investigations.

Diabetes and alcohol abuse may cause severe metabolic disturbances that can be fatal. These may be difficult to diagnose in autopsies based solely on macroscopical and histological findings. In such cases, metabolic markers, such as postmortem glucose and ketone levels, can provide supporting information. Glucose or combined glucose and lactate, the Traub value, is often used to indicate hyperglycemia. The use of the Traub value, however, has been questioned by some, because the lactate levels are known to elevate in postmortem samples also due to other reasons than glycolysis of glucose molecules. Ketoacidosis can be detected by analyzing ketone body levels, especially beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB). Acetone is also elevated in severe cases of ketoacidosis. Here, we have evaluated the value of these biomarkers for postmortem determination of the metabolic disturbances. Retrospective data of 980 medico-legal autopsies performed in Finland, where glucose, lactate and ketone bodies were analyzed, was collected. Our findings show that the Traub value indicates hyperglycemia, even when glucose levels are low. For diagnosis, evaluation of complementing markers, e.g. ketone bodies and glycated hemoglobin is needed. Our results show that BHB can be used for screening and diagnosis of ketoacidosis. Acetone alone is not sufficient, since it is elevated only in the most severe cases. We also found that alcohol abuse rarely causes severe ketoacidosis. However, sporadic cases do exist where ketone body levels are extremely high. Despite this, alcoholic ketoacidosis is very rarely diagnosed as the cause of death.

Museum specimens of a landlocked pinniped reveal recent loss of genetic diversity and unexpected population connections.

The Saimaa ringed seal (Pusa hispida saimensis) is endemic to Lake Saimaa in Finland. The subspecies is thought to have originated when parts of the ringed seal population of the Baltic region were trapped in lakes emerging due to postglacial bedrock rebound around 9000 years ago. During the 20th century, the population experienced a drastic human-induced bottleneck. Today encompassing a little over 400 seals with extremely low genetic diversity, it is classified as endangered. We sequenced sections of the mitochondrial control region from 60 up to 125-years-old museum specimens of the Saimaa ringed seal. The generated dataset was combined with publicly available sequences. We studied how genetic variation has changed through time in this subspecies and how it is phylogenetically related to other ringed seal populations from the Baltic Sea, Lake Ladoga, North America, Svalbard, and the White Sea. We observed temporal fluctuations in haplotype frequencies and loss of haplotypes accompanied by a recent reduction in female effective population size. In apparent contrast with the traditionally held view of the Baltic origin of the population, the Saimaa ringed seal mtDNA variation also shows affinities to North American ringed seals. Our results suggest that the Saimaa ringed seal has experienced recent genetic drift associated with small population size. The results further suggest that extant Baltic ringed seal is not representative of the ancestral population of the Saimaa ringed seal, which calls for re-evaluation of the deep history of this subspecies.

Similarity in recombination rate and linkage disequilibrium at CYP2C and CYP2D cytochrome P450 gene regions among Europeans indicates signs of selection and no advantage of using tagSNPs in population isolates.

OBJECTIVE: Linkage disequilibrium (LD) and recombination rate variations are known to vary considerably between human genome regions and populations mostly because of the combined effects of mutation, recombination, and demographic history. Thus, the pattern of LD is a key issue to disentangle variants associated with complex traits. Here, we aim to describe the haplotype structure and LD variation at the pharmacogenetically relevant cytochrome P450 CYP2C and CYP2D gene regions among European populations. METHODS: To assess the haplotype structure, LD pattern, and recombination rate variations in the clinically significant CYP2C and CYP2D regions, we genotyped 143 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across these two genome regions in a diverse set of 11 European population samples and one sub-Saharan African sample. RESULTS: Our results showed extended patterns of LD and in general a low rate of recombination at these loci, and a low degree of allele differentiation for the two cytochrome P450 regions among Europeans, with the exception of the Sami and the Finns as European outliers. The Sami sample showed reduced haplotype diversity and higher LD for the two cytochrome P450 regions than the other Europeans, a feature that is proposed to enhance the LD mapping of underlying common complex traits. However, recombination hotspots and LD blocks at these two regions showed highly consistent structures across Europeans including Finns and Sami. Moreover, we showed that the CEPH sample has significantly higher tag transferability among Europeans and a more efficient tagging of both the rare CYP2C9 and the common CYP2C19 functional variants than the Sami. Our data set included CYP2C9*3 (rs1057910) and CYP2C19*2 (rs4244285) enzyme activity-altering variants associated in a recent genome-wide study with acenocoumarol-induced and warfarin-induced anticoagulation or to the antiplatelet effect of clopidogrel, respectively. Including these known activity-altering variants, we showed the haplotype variation and high derived allele frequencies of novel recently identified acenocoumarol genome-wide associated SNPs at CYP2C9 (rs4086116) and CYP2C18 (rs12772169, rs1998591, rs2104543, rs1042194) loci in a comprehensive set of 11 European populations. Furthermore, a significant frequency difference of a CYP2C19*2 gene mutation causing variable drug reactions was observed among Europeans. CONCLUSION: The CEPH sample representing the general European population as such in the HapMap project seems to be the optimal population sample for the LD mapping of common complex traits among Europeans. Nevertheless, it is still argued that the unique pattern of LD in the Sami may offer an advantage for further association mapping, especially if multiple rare variants play a role in disease etiology. However, besides the activity-altering CYP2C9*3 (rs1057910) and CYP2C19*2 (rs4244285) variants, the high derived allele frequencies of novel recently identified acenocoumarol genome-wide associated SNPs at CYP2C9 (rs4086116) and CYP2C18 (rs12772169, rs1998591, rs2104543, rs1042194) loci variants indicated that the CYP2C region may have been influenced by selection. Thus, this fine-scale haplotype map of the CYP2C and CYP2D regions may help to choose markers for further association mapping of complex pharmacogenetic traits at these loci.

Variation in the Substitution Rates among the Human Mitochondrial Haplogroup U Sublineages.

Resolving the absolute timescale of phylogenetic trees stipulates reliable estimates for the rate of DNA sequence evolution. For this end, various calibration methods have been developed and studied intensively. Intraspecific rate variation among distinct genetic lineages, however, has gained less attention. Here, we have assessed lineage-specific molecular rates of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) by performing tip-calibrated Bayesian phylogenetic analyses. Tip-calibration, as opposed to traditional nodal time stamps from dated fossil evidence or geological events, is based on sample ages and becoming ever more feasible as ancient DNA data from radiocarbon-dated samples accumulate. We focus on subhaplogroups U2, U4, U5a, and U5b, the data including ancient mtDNA genomes from 14C-dated samples (n = 234), contemporary genomes (n = 301), and two outgroup sequences from haplogroup R. The obtained molecular rates depended on the data sets (with or without contemporary sequences), suggesting time-dependency. More notable was the rate variation between haplogroups: U4 and U5a stand out having a substantially higher rate than U5b. This is also reflected in the divergence times obtained (U5a: 17,700 years and U5b: 29,700 years), a disparity not reported previously. After ruling out various alternative causes (e.g., selection, sampling, and sequence quality), we propose that the substitution rates have been influenced by demographic histories, widely different among populations where U4/U5a or U5b are frequent. As with the Y-chromosomal subhaplogroup R1b, the mitochondrial U4 and U5a have been associated with remarkable range extensions of the Yamnaya culture in the Bronze Age.

Correlation between genetic and geographic structure in Europe.

Understanding the genetic structure of the European population is important, not only from a historical perspective, but also for the appropriate design and interpretation of genetic epidemiological studies. Previous population genetic analyses with autosomal markers in Europe either had a wide geographic but narrow genomic coverage [1, 2], or vice versa [3-6]. We therefore investigated Affymetrix GeneChip 500K genotype data from 2,514 individuals belonging to 23 different subpopulations, widely spread over Europe. Although we found only a low level of genetic differentiation between subpopulations, the existing differences were characterized by a strong continent-wide correlation between geographic and genetic distance. Furthermore, mean heterozygosity was larger, and mean linkage disequilibrium smaller, in southern as compared to northern Europe. Both parameters clearly showed a clinal distribution that provided evidence for a spatial continuity of genetic diversity in Europe. Our comprehensive genetic data are thus compatible with expectations based upon European population history, including the hypotheses of a south-north expansion and/or a larger effective population size in southern than in northern Europe. By including the widely used CEPH from Utah (CEU) samples into our analysis, we could show that these individuals represent northern and western Europeans reasonably well, thereby confirming their assumed regional ancestry.

Post-mortem ABCB1 genotyping reveals an elevated toxicity for female digoxin users.

BACKGROUND: P-glycoprotein, a common transporter molecule, is known to affect metabolic functions in humans. Polymorphisms of the multidrug resistance gene (ABCB1/MDR1) coding for P-glycoprotein have been linked to changes in the processing of several commonly used medications in patients. Here, we have evaluated the impact of ABCB1 single nucleotide polymorphisms on digoxin fatality, through investigation of the relationship between post-mortem digoxin concentration and ABCB1 genotype. METHODS: The effect of three ABCB1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (3435C>T, 1236C>T, and 2677G>T) on digoxin concentration was examined in 112 deceased Finnish subjects through RT-PCR genotyping of post-mortem blood samples. These subjects were selected on the basis of digoxin findings during the post-mortem toxicology screen, and categorized by digoxin concentration into three distinct groups. The distributions of mutant alleles and haplotypes in the deceased were compared to a random sample of 143 Finns. RESULTS: Mutant genotype frequencies showed a positive relationship with post-mortem digoxin concentration for all SNPs. Female subjects showed a more emphatic pattern, suggesting a higher risk of digoxin intoxication. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate a link between ABCB1 polymorphisms and increased mortality, and suggest that individualized genotyping should be considered prior to digoxin treatment. This research also exemplifies the value of gender-segregated genotyping studies in helping establish drug safety parameters, while allowing more decisive determination of cause and manner of death in a medico-legal context.

Autosomal STR and SNP characterization of populations from the Northeastern Peruvian Andes with the ForenSeq™ DNA Signature Prep Kit.

Autosomal DNA data from Peru for human identity testing purposes are scarce in the scientific literature, which hinders obtaining an appropriate portrait of the genetic variation of the resident populations. In this study we genetically characterize five populations from the Northeastern Peruvian Andes (Chachapoyas, Awajún, Wampís, Huancas and Cajamarca). Autosomal short tandem repeat (aSTR) and identity informative single nucleotide polymorphism (iiSNP) data from a total of 233 unrelated individuals are provided, and forensic genetic parameters are calculated for each population and for the combined set Northeastern Peruvian Andes. After correction for multiple testing in the whole dataset of the Northeastern Peruvian Andes, the only departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was observed in locus rs2111980. Twenty one out of 27 aSTR loci exhibited an increased number of alleles due to sequence variation in the repeat motif and flanking regions. For iiSNPs 33% of the loci displayed flanking region variation. The combined random match probability (RMP), assuming independence of all loci (aSTRs and iiSNPs), in the Chachapoyas, the population with the largest samples size (N = 172), was 8.14 × 10-62 for length-based data while for sequence-based was 4.15 × 10-67. In the merged dataset (Northeastern Peruvian Andes; N = 233), the combined RMP when including all markers were 2.96 × 10-61 (length-based) and 3.21 × 10-66 (sequence-based). These new data help to fill up some of the gaps in the genetic canvas of South America and provide essential length- and sequence-based background information for other forensic genetic studies in Peru.

Buried in water, burdened by nature-Resilience carried the Iron Age people through Fimbulvinter.

Levänluhta is a unique archaeological site with the remains of nearly a hundred Iron Age individuals found from a water burial in Ostrobothnia, Finland. The strongest climatic downturn of the Common Era, resembling the great Fimbulvinter in Norse mythology, hit these people during the 6th century AD. This study establishes chronological, dietary, and livelihood synthesis on this population based on stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic and radiocarbon analyses on human remains, supported by multidisciplinary evidence. Extraordinarily broad stable isotopic distribution is observed, indicating three subgroups with distinct dietary habits spanning four centuries. This emphasizes the versatile livelihoods practiced at this boundary of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. While the impact of the prolonged cold darkness of the 6th century was devastating for European communities relying on cultivation, the broad range of livelihoods provided resilience for the Levänluhta people to overcome the abrupt climatic decline.

Genetic assessment reveals no population substructure and divergent regional and sex-specific histories in the Chachapoyas from northeast Peru.

Many native populations in South America have been severely impacted by two relatively recent historical events, the Inca and the Spanish conquest. However decisive these disruptive events may have been, the populations and their gene pools have been shaped markedly also by the history prior to the conquests. This study focuses mainly on the Chachapoya peoples that inhabit the montane forests on the eastern slopes of the northern Peruvian Andes, but also includes three distinct neighboring populations (the Jívaro, the Huancas and the Cajamarca). By assessing mitochondrial, Y-chromosomal and autosomal diversity in the region, we explore questions that have emerged from archaeological and historical studies of the regional culture (s). These studies have shown, among others, that Chachapoyas was a crossroads for Coast-Andes-Amazon interactions since very early times. In this study, we examine the following questions: 1) was there pre-Hispanic genetic population substructure in the Chachapoyas sample? 2) did the Spanish conquest cause a more severe population decline on Chachapoyan males than on females? 3) can we detect different patterns of European gene flow in the Chachapoyas region? and, 4) did the demographic history in the Chachapoyas resemble the one from the Andean area? Despite cultural differences within the Chachapoyas region as shown by archaeological and ethnohistorical research, genetic markers show no significant evidence for past or current population substructure, although an Amazonian gene flow dynamic in the northern part of this territory is suggested. The data also indicates a bottleneck c. 25 generations ago that was more severe among males than females, as well as divergent population histories for populations in the Andean and Amazonian regions. In line with previous studies, we observe high genetic diversity in the Chachapoyas, despite the documented dramatic population declines. The diverse topography and great biodiversity of the northeastern Peruvian montane forests are potential contributing agents in shaping and maintaining the high genetic diversity in the Chachapoyas region.

Human mitochondrial DNA lineages in Iron-Age Fennoscandia suggest incipient admixture and eastern introduction of farming-related maternal ancestry.

Human ancient DNA studies have revealed high mobility in Europe's past, and have helped to decode the human history on the Eurasian continent. Northeastern Europe, especially north of the Baltic Sea, however, remains less well understood largely due to the lack of preserved human remains. Finland, with a divergent population history from most of Europe, offers a unique perspective to hunter-gatherer way of life, but thus far genetic information on prehistoric human groups in Finland is nearly absent. Here we report 103 complete ancient mitochondrial genomes from human remains dated to AD 300-1800, and explore mtDNA diversity associated with hunter-gatherers and Neolithic farmers. The results indicate largely unadmixed mtDNA pools of differing ancestries from Iron-Age on, suggesting a rather late genetic shift from hunter-gatherers towards farmers in North-East Europe. Furthermore, the data suggest eastern introduction of farmer-related haplogroups into Finland, contradicting contemporary genetic patterns in Finns.

Northwest Siberian Khanty and Mansi in the junction of West and East Eurasian gene pools as revealed by uniparental markers.

Northwest Siberia is geographically remote territory, which has been settled by indigenous human populations probably since the Upper Paleolithic. To investigate the genetic landscape of Northwest Siberians, we have analyzed mitochondrial and Y chromosome DNA polymorphisms of 169 unrelated individuals from Khanty and Mansi ethnic groups in Northwest Siberia. In addition, HVS-I sequences (N = 3522) and Y chromosome SNP data (N = 2175), obtained from the literature, were used to elucidate the genetic relationships among the North Eurasian populations. The results show clinal distributions of mtDNA and Y chromosome haplogroups along East-West axis of Northern Eurasia. In this context, the Ugric-speaking Khanty and Mansi appear as unique intermediate populations carrying Upper Paleolithic and more recent haplotypes typical for both West and East Eurasian gene pools. This admixture indicates that the Khanty and Mansi populations have resided in the contact zone of genetically distinguishable eastern and western Eurasia.

Repatriation and identification of the Finnish World War II soldiers.

AIM: To present a summary of the organization, field search, repatriation, forensic anthropological examination, and DNA analysis for the purpose of identification of Finnish soldiers with unresolved fate in World War II. METHODS: Field searches were organized, executed, and financed by the Ministry of Education and the Association for Cherishing the Memory of the Dead of the War. Anthropological examination conducted on human remains retrieved in the field searches was used to establish the minimum number of individuals and description of the skeletal diseases, treatment, anomalies, or injuries. DNA tests were performed by extracting DNA from powdered bones and blood samples from relatives. Mitochondrial DNA sequence comparisons, together with circumstantial evidence, were used to connect the remains to the putative family members. RESULTS: At present, the skeletal remains of about a thousand soldiers have been found and repatriated. In forensic anthropological examination, several injuries related to death were documented. For the total of 181 bone samples, mtDNA HVR-1 and HVR-2 sequences were successfully obtained for 167 (92.3%) and 148 (81.8%) of the samples, respectively. Five samples yielded no reliable sequence data. Our data suggests that mtDNA preserves at least for 60 years in the boreal acidic soil. The quality of the obtained mtDNA sequence data varied depending on the sample bone type, with long compact bones (femur, tibia and humerus) having significantly better (90.0%) success rate than other bones (51.2%). CONCLUSION: Although more than 60 years have passed since the World War II, our experience is that resolving the fate of soldiers missing in action is still of uttermost importance for people having lost their relatives in the war. Although cultural and individual differences may exist, our experience presented here gives a good perspective on the importance of individual identification performed by forensic professionals.

Identification and analysis of mtDNA genomes attributed to Finns reveal long-stagnant demographic trends obscured in the total diversity.

In Europe, modern mitochondrial diversity is relatively homogeneous and suggests an ubiquitous rapid population growth since the Neolithic revolution. Similar patterns also have been observed in mitochondrial control region data in Finland, which contrasts with the distinctive autosomal and Y-chromosomal diversity among Finns. A different picture emerges from the 843 whole mitochondrial genomes from modern Finns analyzed here. Up to one third of the subhaplogroups can be considered as Finn-characteristic, i.e. rather common in Finland but virtually absent or rare elsewhere in Europe. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses suggest that most of these attributed Finnish lineages date back to around 3,000-5,000 years, coinciding with the arrival of Corded Ware culture and agriculture into Finland. Bayesian estimation of past effective population sizes reveals two differing demographic histories: 1) the 'local' Finnish mtDNA haplotypes yielding small and dwindling size estimates for most of the past; and 2) the 'immigrant' haplotypes showing growth typical of most European populations. The results based on the local diversity are more in line with that known about Finns from other studies, e.g., Y-chromosome analyses and archaeology findings. The mitochondrial gene pool thus may contain signals of local population history that cannot be readily deduced from the total diversity.

DNA quality and quantity from up to 16 years old post-mortem blood stored on FTA cards.

Blood samples preserved on FTA cards offer unique opportunities for genetic research. DNA recovered from these cards should be stable for long periods of time. However, it is not well established as how well the DNA stored on FTA card for substantial time periods meets the demands of forensic or genomic DNA analyses and especially so for from post-mortem (PM) samples in which the quality can vary upon initial collection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the time-dependent degradation on DNA quality and quantity extracted from up to 16 years old post-mortem bloodstained FTA cards. Four random FTA samples from eight time points spanning 1998 to 2013 (n=32) were collected and extracted in triplicate. The quantity and quality of the extracted DNA samples were determined with Quantifiler(®) Human Plus (HP) Quantification kit. Internal sample and sample-to-sample variation were evaluated by comparing recovered DNA yields. The DNA from the triplicate samplings were subsequently combined and normalized for further analysis. The practical effect of degradation on DNA quality was evaluated from normalized samples both with forensic and pharmacogenetic target markers. Our results suggest that (1) a PM change, e.g. blood clotting prior to sampling, affects the recovered DNA yield, creating both internal and sample-to-sample variation; (2) a negative correlation between the FTA card storage time and DNA quantity (r=-0.836 at the 0.01 level) was observed; (3) a positive correlation (r=0.738 at the level 0.01) was found between FTA card storage time and degradation levels. However, no inhibition was observed with the method used. The effect of degradation was manifested clearly with functional applications. Although complete STR-profiles were obtained for all samples, there was evidence of degradation manifested as decreased peak heights in the larger-sized amplicons. Lower amplification success was notable with the large 5.1 kb CYP2D6 gene fragment which strongly supports degradation of the stored samples. According to our results, DNA stored on FTA cards is rather stable over a long time period. DNA extracted from this storage medium can be used as human identification purposes as the method used is sufficiently sensitive and amplicon sizes tend to be <400 bp. However, DNA integrity was affected during storage. This effect should be taken into account depending on the intended application especially if high quality DNA and long PCR amplicons are required.

Long D13S317 variant allele: a cautionary case report.

Exclusion at locus D13S317 between a father and child was observed in a kinship case, which at first glance appeared as a silent allele. However, a closer inspection using three commercial kits showed that the observed pattern is due to a long variant allele overlapping with different loci in different kits. Sequencing of the variant revealed a duplication within D13S317, that had also created an additional binding site for short amplicon reverse primer. If ignored, genotyping results including this variant may be wrongly interpreted.