Using Forensic Microsatellites to Decipher the Genetic Structure of Linguistic and Geographic Isolates: A Survey in the Eastern Italian Alps

• NCJ Number: 240802
• Journal: Forensic Science International: Genetics Volume: 6 Issue: 6 Dated: December 2012 Pages: 827-833
• Author(s): Francesco Montinaro; Ilaria Boschi; Federica Trombetta; Sara Merigioli; Paolo Anagnostou; Cinzia Battaggia; Marco Capocasa; Federica Crivellaro; Giovanni Destro Bisol; Valentina Coia
• Date Published: December 2012
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Ireland

Annotation

Within the frame of a long-term project concerning Italian linguistic isolates, the authors studied 15 microsatellite loci (Identifiler kit) comprising the CODIS panel in 11 populations from the north-eastern Italian Alps (Veneto, Trentino and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions).

Abstract

The study of geographically and/or linguistically isolated populations could represent a potential area of interaction between population and forensic genetics. These investigations may be useful to evaluate the suitability of loci which have been selected using forensic criteria for bio-anthropological studies. At the same time, they provide an opportunity to evaluate the efficiency of forensic tools for parentage testing in groups with peculiar allele frequency profiles. All the analyses of inter-population differentiation highlight the genetic distinctiveness of most Alpine populations comparing them either to each other or with large and non-isolated Italian populations. Interestingly, the authors brought to light some aspects of population genetic structure which cannot be detected using unilinear polymorphisms. In fact, the analysis of genotypic disequilibrium between loci detected signals of population substructure when all the individuals of Alpine populations are pooled in a single group. Furthermore, despite the relatively low number of loci analyzed, genetic differentiation among Alpine populations was detected at individual level using a Bayesian method to cluster multilocus genotypes. Among the various populations studied, the four linguistic minorities (Fassa Valley, Luserna, Sappada and Sauris) showed the most pronounced diversity and signatures of a peculiar genetic ancestry. Finally, the authors show that database replacement may affect estimates of probability of paternity even when the local database is replaced by another based on populations which share a common genetic background but which differ in their demographic history. These findings point to the importance of considering the demographic and cultural profile of populations in forensic applications, even in a context of substantial genetic homogeneity such as that of European populations. (Published Abstract)