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Molecular forensics: RNA degradation as a marker for postmortem interval determination.

Tulika Gupta¹, Veena Devi², Asha Rao²

¹Department of Anatomy, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. tulikag11@gmail.com.

International Journal of Legal Medicine

|January 8, 2026

Summary

RNA degradation patterns in tissues can precisely estimate time since death (TSD). Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and microRNAs (miRNAs) show stability, aiding forensic investigations.

Keywords:

MRNA expression Mathematical equation Molecular forensic Post-mortem changes RNA degradation Time since death (TSD)

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Published on: August 8, 2013

Area of Science:

Forensic Science
Molecular Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

Accurate time since death (TSD) estimation is vital in forensic investigations.
Current TSD methods face challenges due to postmortem variability.
RNA degradation offers a promising molecular marker for TSD determination.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate RNA degradation patterns (mRNA, rRNA, miRNA) for TSD estimation.
To identify stable RNA markers and assess their degradation rates in different tissues.
To develop and validate a mathematical model for TSD prediction using RNA degradation data.

Main Methods:

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to analyze RNA degradation.
Degradation of housekeeping genes (GAPDH, ACTB, RPS10, RPS29), rRNA (5S, 18S, 28S), and miRNAs (miR-122, miR-195, miR-200c, miR-1, U6) was quantified.
RNA yield and purity were assessed across liver, lung, and heart tissues.
A mathematical model was developed using 14,400 Ct values from 600 tissue samples in R-studio.

Main Results:

RPS29 and RPS18 were identified as stable reference markers, unlike GAPDH and ACTB.
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) was more resistant to degradation than messenger RNA (mRNA).
MicroRNAs (miRNAs), especially miR-122 and miR-1, demonstrated relative stability.
The developed TSD estimation model showed moderate to high accuracy (R² = 0.57–0.75) across heart, liver, and lung tissues.

Conclusions:

RNA degradation profiles, particularly rRNA and miRNAs, are effective for TSD estimation.
Tissue-specific RNA markers and analysis of multiple tissues enhance forensic reliability.
The developed mathematical model provides a valuable tool for precise TSD determination in forensic casework.