title: Cell death proteins as markers of early postmortem interval.
abstract: Estimation of time since death is one of the challenges in forensic science. There are many approaches to estimate the postmortem interval, including both physical and thanatochemistry methods. Decomposition is triggered by a process called autolysis, which induces destructive changes in the cell leading to cell death. Based on the process of cell death signaling, this study analyzed the early postmortem interval (2-8 h since death) using the study of the mRNA expression of Fas Ligand (FasL) and phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) by Quantitative-PCR. Results of the study indicate a time-dependent increase in the mRNA levels of both proteins up until 6 h after death. Using a regression analysis in these first 6 h, a positive linear correlation was found between the mRNA expression of these proteins and the time since death. Since PTEN and FasL are implicated in signaling pathways, both proteins are potential candidates to analyze the time since death in time intervals of 6 h or less. Further research is needed to find additional cell death markers and expand the time period for time since death estimation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), MRC 112, Smithsonian Institution, 10th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20560, USA, saiczapico@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: C Zapico
authors.forename: Sofía T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Menéndez
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Núñez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000235:genetics*; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase