INVESTIGATION OF SPECIES-SPECIFICITY USING 9 PCR-BASED HUMAN STR SYSTEMS

Several eukaryotic genomes contain polymorphic markers consisting of t rimeric and tetrameric short tandem repeats (STR). Recent reports have demonstrated the variability of short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphis ms at a variety of loci among several human population groups. Current ly there are nine commercially available STR PCR systems from Promega Corporation that may be utilized for human identification. We report h ere the analysis of 23 different species DNA's using these nine STR pr imer systems to assess their specificity for human euchromatin. The ST R systems tested include, CSF1PO, TPOX, THO1, HPRTB, FESFPS, VWF and F 13A01 as single systems and as tripler systems (CSF1PO/TPOX/THO1 and H PRTB/FESFPS/vWF). There were no STR PCR products observed for seventee n of the twenty-three species regardless of the STR system. Amplified STR fragments were detected in rhesus DNA for CSF1PO, TPOX and HPRTB s ystems. STR PCR products were detected for human, gorilla, chimpanzee, and orangutan DNAs using eight of the nine systems. FESFPS primers di d not amplify DNA fragments from any of the species tested. Most of th e STR PCR products detected from primate DNAs electrophoretically migr ated outside of the human allelic ladder fragments and as a result, al lele designations were not possible.