Recommendations of the Polish Speaking Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics for forensic mitochondrial DNA testing

Abstract

Although mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing has been used in forensic genetics only since the mid-1990s, forensic DNA laboratories have been recently increasing the range of mtDNA sequencing, employing new analytical approaches and methods of data analysis. Therefore, it seems fitting to gather and systematize existing recommendations in the field of mtDNA analysis for forensic purposes, and formulate a set of interpretative guidelines which are especially relevant in view of recent developments in the forensic casework. The starting point is the recommendations of the International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG) which, in the opinion of the Polish Speaking Working Group of the ISFG (ISFG- PL), should be followed by all Polish laboratories conducting forensic testing.

Keywords

• mtDNA
• massively parallel sequencing
• heteroplasmy
• homopolymeric tracts
• phylogenetic rules
• ISFG-PL guidelines