Allele frequencies for 13 STRs loci in a Western Anatolia population and their forensic evaluation

Background: Numerous studies demonstrated that STRs have become powerful tools in forensic case work.

Aim: To profile DNA samples from 104 Turkish males for 13 autosomal, STR markers intended for human identification purposes and to estimate the allele frequency distribution in forensic cases in a Turkish population.

Subjects and methods: Thirteen autosomal STR loci, namely D3S1358, D2S1338, D16S539, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, TH01, D13S317, D7S820, CSF1PO, TPOX, D5S818 and FGA, were analysed in a sample of 104 healthy and unrelated Turkish individuals who have been living in the city of ?zmir. All loci were amplified by using AmpFlSTR Identifier Kit. Genetic analysis was carried out on an ABI PRISM 310 Genetic Analyser.

Results: For each locus, 6–15 alleles were found with frequencies ranging from 0.005–0.514 and heterozygosities ranging from 0.686–0.868. The PIC value was highly significant (0.999).

Conclusion: The 13 STR loci in the AmpFlSTR Identifier Kit are suitable for forensic identification and paternity tests due to high heterozygosity. The observed PD value is sufficiently high for human identification purposes. In conclusion, the 13 STR loci seem to be useful markers for personal identification and forensic case work in the Turkish population. The results also demonstrate the importance of region-specific studies.