Application of mtDNA SNP analysis in forensic casework
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Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Genotyping Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Mitochondrial Genome by Pyrosequencing
Published on: February 10, 2023
Stephan Köhnemann1, Heidi Pfeiffer
1Institute of Legal Medicine, Münster University, Germany. Stephan.Koehnemann@ukmuenster.de
Abstract:
In this study six forensic cases are presented where the routine analysis of samples for short tandem repeats (STRs) failed. The sequencing of the mitochondrial hypervariable region I (HVR I) also failed. Nevertheless, it was possible to analyse the samples with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) via SNaPshot technique. The age of the analysed samples ranged from 2 months to 1400 years. Saliva-, blood-, sperm-, hair-, tooth- and bone-samples were investigated. Furthermore the mtDNA SNP analysis of a forensic case sample showing a mixed stain profile is presented. It was possible to discriminate two different haplogroups in this mixed-person stain. If compared to another mtDNA SNP profile that was found in a hair, the discriminating SNPs of the hair were as well found in the mixed-person stain. To disburden the SNP analysis in forensic casework, haplogroup assignment criteria and quality criteria for mtDNA SNaPshot analysis are announced.
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