Maine Caucasian population DNA database using twelve short tandem repeat loci

A population study of Caucasians residing in Maine was conducted using the AmpF1STR Profiler PCR Amplification Kit and the AmpF1STR Profiler Plus PCR Amplification Kit (Applied Biosystems Division (ABD) of Perkin Elmer, Foster City, CA). The kits contain the reagents necessary to amplify 12 different STR loci and the gender marker Amelogenin using two multiplex PCR, each containing nine STR loci. Thus, there is an overlap of six STR loci. The 12 STR loci are TH01, TPOX, CSF1PO, D3S1358, vWA, FGA, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, D5S818, D13S317, and D7S820. These loci represent 12 of the 13 core loci selected by the CODIS STR standardization project. Dye-labeled amplification products were separated and detected using the capillary electrophoresis instrument ABI Prism 310 Genetic Analyzer. Allele frequencies were determined for the 12 STR loci. Statistical analysis of the data included Hardy-Weinburg equilibrium (HWE) analysis, pairwise independence testing, power of discrimination (PD), and probability of exclusion (PE).