Forensic evaluation of mtDNA in a population from south west Switzerland

The polymorphism of the two hypervariable segments (HVI and HVII) of the co ntrol region of mtDNA was analyzed in a population of 154 unrelated individ uals from south west Switzerland using a fluorescent based capillary electr ophoresis sequencing method. In our population data of 154 random individuals, 137 mtDNA types were obse rved. Of these, 124 sequences were observed only in one individual whereas 10 sequences were observed in 2 individuals, 2 sequences in 3 individuals a nd 1 sequence in 4 individuals. The probability of two unrelated individual s having the same sequence was 0.84%. The results were compared with four o ther Caucasian populations. Furthermore, the usefulness of the mtDNA sequencing was tested, for exclusi on and inclusion, in 18 forensic cases including 69 evidence samples and 44 reference samples. Despite the fact that 55% of the evidence samples yield ed a negative result for the nuclear DNA with the human dot quantitation sy stem, the success rate of the mtDNA sequencing was 71.0%. This validation s tudy proves the seat usefulness and sensitivity of the mtDNA sequencing tec hnique using nested PCR and fluorescent capillary electrophoresis.