A simple Duplex-PCR to evaluate the DNA quality of anthropological and forensic samples prior short tandem repeat typing

Typing of DNA from ancient or otherwise highly degraded material, e.g. formalin fixed tissues, can be difficult, time consuming and costly. Very often, genetic typing is not possible at all. We present an inexpensive and easy to use Duplex-PCR that amplifies a 164 bp fragment specific for nuclear DNA together with a 260 bp mitochondrial DNA fragment and that can be employed as a pretest prior to short tandem repeat (STR) typing. All together, we analyzed DNA from 20 ancient bones, 20 formalin fixed tissues and 20 other forensic samples in different concentrations. Each sample that failed in the presented Duplex-amplification was also negative for STR typing, while samples that showed strong and clear signals in the Duplex-PCR led to reproducible genetic profiles using the multiplex kits AmpFLSTR Identifiler and Powerplex ES. The Duplex-PCR worked as a reliable indicator of DNA quality in the sample.