A family exhibiting heteroplasmy in the human mitochondrial DNA control region reveals both somatic mosaicism and pronounced segregation of mitotypes

Mark R. Wilson, Deborah Polanskey, Jeri Replogle, Joseph A. DiZinno, Bruce Budowle

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93 Scopus citations

Abstract

A family exhibiting heteroplasmy at position 16355 in hypervariable region I of the human mtDNA control region has been identified. This family consists of a mother, daughter, and son. DNA samples extracted from blood stains, buccal swabs, and hairs from these individuals were amplified by PCR and sequenced utilizing fluoresence-labeled dye terminator chemistry in an automated DNA sequencer. In both the daughter and mother, heteroplasmy was observed in DNA extracted from blood stains, buccal swabs, and hairs. In the blood stains, the proportion of cytosine was greater than thymine in both individuals. Buccal swab extracts showed a more balanced contribution from the two nucleotides. Telogenic hair root and hair shaft samples exhibited a wide range of nucleotide contributions at this position, from predominately cytosine in some samples to predominately thymine in others. The apparent stochastic segregation of mitotypes in hair samples is discussed from a forensic viewpoint, and the mechanism of mtDNA heteroplasmy is considered.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)167-171
Number of pages5
JournalHuman Genetics
Volume100
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 25 Aug 1997

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