Silica based DNA extraction from bone

Determining the identity of a dead person is one of the most important steps in the practise of Forensic medicine. DNA can be retrieved from a variety of biological material for the correct identification. DNA is best preserved and least likely to be contaminated in the bone tissue after a range of physical and chemical impacts on the corpse.In this study, the feasibility of a silica-based method of DNA extraction from bone has been investigated. A total 15 costal bones obtained from autopsy cases at the Adana Forensic Medicine Institute has been used. Sufficient amount of good quality DNA to successfully run a 16 STR (D8S1179, D21S11, D7S820, CSFIPO, D3S1358, THO1, D13S317, D16S539, D2S1338, D19S433, VWA, TPOX, D18S51, AMEL, D5S818 and FGA) test has been extracted with a silica-based commercial kit, Qiagen DNA Blood Mini Kit) from six months old bones left in room temperature. It was also observed that decalcification was not necessary for the extraction of DNA from 15 fresh bones.In three old bones, the DNA extraction failed with or without decalcification. In one case, although there was not a recogniziable amount of DNA, we were able to determine D3S1358, THO1, D19S433, TPOX, AMEL and D5S818 in a 16 STR multiplex reaction, despite the relative fleurosence unit being below 50. This is explained by not using a system with a cooler during grinding of old samples in this study.These results demonstrate that a silica-based metod of DNA extraction from bone can be employed for routine diagnostics at the Forensic Serology and Genetics Laboratory of the Çukurova University, Faculty of Medicine, department of Forensic Medicine.