title: Brief communication: multiplex X/Y-PCR improves sex identification in aDNA analysis.
abstract: This study introduces a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based multiplex approach to improve the certainty of molecular sex identification on archaeological skeletal material. We coamplified amelogenin, two X-chromosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) (DXS6789 and DXS9898), and two Y-specific STRs (DYS391 and DYS392). The amplification results of this multiplex approach back each other up, and enable a reliable sex identification. This coamplification of X- and Y-specific markers in a multiplex assay combines the added advantage of positive identification of both female and male individuals with raising the validity of the diagnosis by obtaining multiple data simultaneously. This multiplex system was successfully applied to 3,000-year-old bone material.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Historical Anthropology and Human Ecology, University Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hummel
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Herrmann
mesh_terms: D001106:Archaeology / Q000379:methods*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry*; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012730:Sex Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics*; D012732:Sex Determination Analysis; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers