DNA-DAMAGE AND DNA-SEQUENCE RETRIEVAL FROM ANCIENT TISSUES

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to determine the amounts of eight oxidative base modifications in DNA extracted from 1 1 specimens of bones and soft tissues, ranging in age from 40 to >5000 0 years. Among the compounds assayed hydantoin derivatives of pyrimidi nes were quantitatively dominant. From five of the specimens endogenou s ancient DNA sequences could be amplified by PCR. The DNA from these specimens contained substantially lower amounts of hydantoins than the six specimens from which no DNA could be amplified. Other types of da mage, e.g. oxidation products of purines, did not correlate with the i nability to retrieve DNA sequences, Furthermore, all samples with low amounts of damage and from which DNA could be amplified stemmed from r egions where low temperatures have prevailed throughout the burial per iod of the specimens.