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. 2019 Jul;40(14):1820-1823.
doi: 10.1002/elps.201900142. Epub 2019 May 29.

Optimization of DNA extraction from dental remains

Concetta Cafiero  1 , Agnese Re  1 , Egidio Stigliano  2 , Ezio Bassotti  1 , Rossana Moroni  3 , Cristina Grippaudo  3   4
Affiliations

Optimization of DNA extraction from dental remains

Concetta Cafiero et al. Electrophoresis. 2019 Jul.

Abstract

Efficient DNA extraction procedures is a critical step involved in the process of successful DNA analysis of such samples. Various protocols have been devised for the genomic DNA extraction from human tissues and forensic stains, such as dental tissue that is the skeletal part that better preserves DNA over time. However DNA recovery is low and protocols require labor-intensive and time-consuming step prior to isolating genetic material. Herein, we describe an extremely fast procedure of DNA extraction from teeth compared to classical method. Sixteen teeth of 100-year-old human remains were divided into two groups of 8 teeth and we compared DNA yield, in term of quantity and quality, starting from two different sample preparation steps. Specifically, teeth of group 1 were treated with a classic technique based on several steps of pulverization and decalcification, while teeth of group 2 were processed following a new procedure to withdraw dental pulp. In the next phase, the samples of both group underwent the same procedure of extraction, quantification and DNA profile analysis. Our findings provide an alternative protocol to obtain a higher amount of good quality DNA in a fast time procedure, helpful for forensic and anthropological studies.

Keywords: DNA extraction method; Dental remains; Forensic; Tooth decalcification; Tooth opening.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Representative image of teeth examination with a stereomicroscope before the clean up step. (Nikon Stereo‐microscope SMZ‐745T, Nikon Instruments S.p.A., Firenze, Italy – magnification 7X)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Representative image of teeth undergoing the new procedure extraction as described in the procedural steps section. A) Dentine; B) Opening and recovery of DNA in the pulp cavity and the root canal. C) Reticular channels. Images were taken with a stereomicroscope (Nikon Stereo‐microscope SMZ‐745T, Nikon Instruments S.p.A., Firenze, Italy – magnification 7X).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Representative Short Tandem Repeats (loci D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, DYS391, D2S441, D19S433, TH01, FGA, D22S1045, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820 and SE33) profiles of DNA extracted from dental remain of a Control (A) and a sample of GROUP 2 (B). The fragment size is indicated below each peak.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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