Comparison of Base Composition Analysis and Sanger Sequencing of Mitochondrial DNA for Four U.S. Population Groups

• NCJ Number: 246758
• Journal: Forensic Science International: Genetics Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2014 Pages: 226-232
• Author(s): Kevin M. Kiesler; Michael D. Coble; Thomas A. Hall; Peter M. Vallone
• Date Published: January 2014
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A set of 711 samples from four U.S. population groups was analyzed using a novel mass spectrometry based method for mitochondrial DNA mtDNA base composition profiling.

Abstract

A set of 711 samples from four U.S. population groups was analyzed using a novel mass spectrometry based method for mitochondrial DNA mtDNA base composition profiling. Comparison of the mass spectrometry results with Sanger sequencing derived data yielded a concordance rate of 99.97%. Length heteroplasmy was identified in 46% of samples and point heteroplasmy was observed in 6.6% of samples in the combined mass spectral and Sanger data set. Using discrimination capacity as a metric, Sanger sequencing of the full control region had the highest discriminatory power, followed by the mass spectrometry base composition method, which was more discriminating than Sanger sequencing of just the hypervariable regions. This trend is in agreement with the number of nucleotides covered by each of the three assays.