title: Interpretation guidelines of a standard Y-chromosome STR 17-plex PCR-CE assay for crime casework.
abstract: Y-STR analysis is an invaluable tool to examine evidence in sexual assault cases and in other forensic casework. Unambiguous detection of the male component in DNA mixtures with a high female background is still the main field of application of forensic Y-STR haplotyping. In the last years, powerful technologies including a 17-locus multiplex PCR assay have been introduced in the forensic laboratories. At the same time, statistical methods have been developed and adapted for interpretation of a nonrecombining, linear marker as the Y-chromosome which shows a strongly clustered geographical distribution due to the linear inheritance and the patrilocality of ancestral groups. Large population databases, namely the Y-STR Haplotype Reference Database (YHRD), have been established to assess the evidentiary value of Y-STR matches by means of frequency estimation methods (counting and extrapolation).
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Genetics, Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany. lutz.roewer@charite.de
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roewer
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geppert
mesh_terms: D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003415:Crime; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D053803:Forensic Genetics / Q000379:methods*; D056426:Genetic Loci / Q000235:genetics; D005843:Geography; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012015:Reference Standards
chemical_list: D004247:DNA