Rapid and Easy Identification of Animal Species for Forensic Application Using New Markers Based on the Mitochondrial 16S rRNAgene Rapid and Easy Identification of Animal Species for Forensic Application Using New Markers Based on the Mitochondrial 16S

Abstract

The availability of genetic markers for identification of humans and some animal species by analysis of DNA of these species biological traces that can be found in crime scenes is of great importance as non-deterministic evidence in criminal investigations. Mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA) provides forensic scientists with a valuable tool to determine the source of DNAextracted from damaged, degraded or very small biological samples. The aim of this work was to develop a new, simple, fast and economical method based on polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP, using Tru 1I, Hae III, Taq I, and Dra I) of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene (500 bp) for differentiation of human blood form the blood of 11 animals (camel, cow, sheep, goat, buffalo, pig, deer, horse, donkey, dog and cat) and for distinction of the bloods of these animals from each other. The method applied here proved suitable for the differentiation among the analyzed species.