Population data on 15 autosomal STRs in a sample from Colombia

Area of Science:

• Population genetics
• Forensic science
• Human genetics

Background:

• Short tandem repeat (STR) loci are crucial for human identification.
• Understanding population genetic variation is essential for forensic applications.
• Colombian population data for STR loci are valuable for regional forensic casework.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the population genetics of 15 STR loci in a Colombian sample.
• To calculate forensic parameters for these STR loci.
• To compare Colombian STR data with neighboring Latin American populations.

Main Methods:

• Genotyping of 617 unrelated individuals from Colombia using 15 STR loci.
• Assessment of deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.
• Calculation of allele frequencies and forensic parameters (PE, PD, MP).
• Statistical comparison with other Latin American populations.

Main Results:

• Allele frequencies and forensic parameters were determined for 15 STR loci.
• The combined power of exclusion (PE) was 0.99999895.
• The combined power of discrimination (PD) exceeded 0.9999999.
• A combined match probability (MP) of 1 in 1.07888 x 10^-17 was calculated.
• Significant genetic differences were observed at six markers when compared to two populations from Rio de Janeiro.

Conclusions:

• The 15 STR loci provide high discriminatory power for forensic identification in the Colombian population.
• The genetic data contribute to the forensic genetic landscape of Latin America.
• Observed population substructure highlights the importance of using region-specific allele frequency databases.