P192 – Development and Validation of a Targeted Capture-Based mRNA-SNP Panel for Body Fluid Identification and Contributor Assignment

10:37

Thursday August 20^th

Station 07

Duration: 12 minutes

03. Human identification

Jiamin Xie

In forensic genetics, the simultaneous determination of body fluid origin and attribution to individual contributors remains a challenge, particularly when analyzing mixed stains. Conventional approaches typically rely on separate RNA and DNA analyses, which hinder the direct association of a specific body fluid with its donor. Although previous studies have shown that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within mRNA transcripts can enable body fluid identification (BFID), these systems often lack sufficient SNP density to provide robust discriminatory power for contributor assignment. We developed a targeted mRNA-SNP panel comprising 90 body fluid–specific mRNA genes and encompassing 307 SNPs across six forensically relevant body fluids: blood, saliva, semen, vaginal secretions, menstrual blood, and skin. Departing from conventional amplicon sequencing strategies, we employed a hybridization capture system using 16,466 probes (approximately 100 bp each) to enrich body fluid–specific transcripts, thereby maximizing SNP recovery from compromised sample. Following SWGDAM validation guidelines, the integrated system was comprehensively evaluated on the MGI massively parallel sequencing (MPS) platform. The panel demonstrated robust body fluid identification at 20 ng RNA input and achieved excellent cumulative discrimination power (CDP) across various body fluid types. Furthermore, the system has been successfully applied in multiple real forensic cases, confirming its practical utility in casework. This targeted capture approach substantially establishes a direct link between body fluid components and their respective contributors, thereby enhancing the identification power for single and mixed stains.

Authors

Jiamin Xie (Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China)
Zhiyong Liu (Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China)
Jiajun Liu (Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China)
Rui Wang (Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China)
Hongyu Sun (Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China)

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P192 – Development and Validation of a Targeted Capture-Based mRNA-SNP Panel for Body Fluid Identification and Contributor Assignment

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