A qPCR-duplex assay for sex determination in ancient DNA

PLoS One. 2022 Jun 10;17(6):e0269913. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269913. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Molecular biology techniques are increasingly being used in sex identification of skeletal remains when traditional anthropometric analyzes are not successful in identifying sex of remains that are incomplete, fragmented and /or of immature individuals. In the present work, we investigated the possibility of determining sex by using the qPCR-duplex method for both ancient and modern DNA samples. This method involves the co-amplification of two genes in a single reaction system and the subsequent analysis of the fusion curves; the gene sequences used for the construction of suitable primers are those of steroid sulfatase (STS) and testis specific protein Y-linked 1 (TSPY) genes which turned out to be two sensitive markers as they have a detection limit of 60 pg and 20 pg respectively on modern DNA. The validity of the method was verified on modern DNA in which gender was identified in all the samples with 100% accuracy; thus, allowing for the same results as the classic method with amelogenin, but in a faster and more immediate way, as it allows for sex determination solely by analyzing the denaturation curves without having to perform an electrophoretic run. The proposed molecular technique proves to be sensitive and precise even on degraded DNA, in fact on 9 archaeological finds dating from the VII-XII century in which sex had been identified through anthropometric analysis, it confirmed the sex of 8 out of 9 finds correctly.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amelogenin / genetics
  • DNA / analysis
  • DNA / genetics
  • DNA, Ancient*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sex Determination Analysis* / methods

Substances

  • Amelogenin
  • DNA, Ancient
  • DNA

Grants and funding

This research received Institutional funding to Anna Poma, Alfonso Forgione, Antonella Bonfigli, Patrizia Cesare from University of L’Aquila.The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.