NSPlex: an efficient method to analyze non-specific peaks amplified using commercial STR kits.

Commercial short tandem repeat (STR) kits exclusively contain human-specific primers; however, various non-human organisms with high homology to the STR kit's primer sequences can cause cross-reactivity. Owing to the proprietary nature of the primers in STR kits, the origins and sequences of most non-specific peaks (NSPs) remain unclear. Such NSPs can complicate data interpretation between the casework and reference samples; thus, we developed "NSPlex", an efficient method to discover the biological origins of NSPs. We used leftover STR kit amplicons after capillary electrophoresis and performed advanced bioinformatics analyses using next-generation sequencing followed by BLAST nucleotide searches. Using our method, we could successfully identify NSP generated from PCR amplicons of a sample mixture of human DNA and DNA extracted from matcha powder (finely ground powder of green tea leaves and previously known as a potential source of NSP). Our results showed our method is efficient for NSP analysis without the need for the primer information as in commercial STR kits.

Detection of proline-rich proteins for the identification of saliva by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Saliva is one of the most common body fluids found at a crime scene. Therefore, identifying saliva is important in forensic science. However, the current protein marker assays used to identify saliva are not sufficiently specific. Although proline-rich proteins (PRPs) are highly specific for saliva, their forensic potential has not yet been investigated. In this study, we developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) to detect acidic salivary PRP HaeIII subfamily 1/2 (PRH1/2) and basic salivary PRP 2 (PRB2). The specificity, sensitivity, and efficiency of the ELISAs for PRH1/2 and PRB2 were compared with those of the ELISA for statherin (STATH), a known protein marker for saliva. The levels of PRH1/2 were significantly higher in saliva and saliva stains than in other body fluids (nasal secretions, urine, semen, vaginal fluid, blood, and sweat). PRB2 and STATH were detected in both nasal secretions and saliva. The PRH1/2 ELISA showed sensitivity similar to that of STATH ELISA. The detection rate of PRH1/2 ELISA was almost similar to that of STATH ELISA, followed by the ELISA for PRB2. The PRH1/2 ELISA had higher specificity for saliva than STATH ELISA. Therefore, the PRH1/2 ELISA has potential as a method to identify saliva for forensic investigation.