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In recent years, more and more forensic genetics laboratories have begun to apply massively parallel sequencing (MPS) technology, that is, next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, to detect common forensic genetic markers, including short tandem repeat (STR), single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), the control region or whole genome of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), as well as messenger RNA (mRNA), etc., for forensic practice, such as individual identification, kinship analysis, ancestry inference and body fluid identification. As the most widely used genetic marker in forensic genetics, STR is currently mainly detected by capillary electrophoresis (CE) platform. Compared with CE platform, MPS technology has the advantages of simultaneous detection of a large number of genetic markers, massively parallel detection of samples, the polymorphism of sequence detected by NGS makes STR have the advantages of higher resolution and system efficiency. However, MPS technology is expensive, there is no uniform standard so far, and there are problems such as how to integrate MPS-STR data with the existing CE-STR database. This review summarizes the current status of the application of MPS technology in the detection of STR genetic markers in forensic genetics, puts forward the main problems that need to be solved urgently, and prospects the application prospect of this technology in forensic genetics.

Abstract: Postmortem interval （PMI） estimation has always been an important and difficult issue in the field of forensic pathology. In recent years, research progress on the estimation of PMI using RNA specific variation patterns after death has been made by researchers at home and aboard. This paper summarizes the specific application methods of messenger RNA and non-coding RNA for PMI estimation based on the literatures and discusses the existing problems and development trends, in order to provide technical reference for related studies and estimation practice., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine.)

Abstract: Objective Quantitative analysis and comparison of the expression of ribonucleic acid （RNA） from frozen organs and formaldehyde-fixed and paraffin-embedded （FFPE） tissues. Methods Frozen specimens of human brain, myocardium and liver tissues as well as FFPE samples at different postmortem intervals were collected and mass concentration of RNA was extracted and detected. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction （RT-qPCR） technology was used to analyze the amplification efficiency and relative expression of each RNA marker. Results The mass concentration and integrity of RNA extracted from FFPE samples were relatively low compared with frozen specimens. The amplification efficiency of RNA markers was related with RNA species and the length of amplification products. Among them, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase （GAPDH） and β-actin （ACTB） with relatively long amplification products failed to achieve optimal amplification efficiency, whereas 5S ribosomal RNA （5S rRNA） achieved ideal amplification efficiency and showed quite stable expression across various tissues, therefore it was chosen as internal reference marker. The expression quantity of GAPDH and ACTB in frozen specimens with longer postmortem intervals and in FFPE samples with relatively long amplification products was decreased. The expressions of tissue-specific microRNAs （miRNAs）, GAPDH and ACTB with relatively short amplification products had consistency in the same tissues and FFPE samples. Conclusion Through standardizing the RT-qPCR experiment, selecting the appropriate RNA marker and designing primers of appropriate product length, RNA expression levels of FFPE samples can be accurately quantified., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine.)

Objectives: To explore the correlation between the expression levels of several RNA markers in human brain tissue and early postmortem interval （PMI）., Methods: Twelve individuals with known PMI （range from 4.3 to 22.5 h） were selected and total RNA was extracted from brain tissue. Eight commonly used RNA markers were chosen including β -actin, GAPDH, RPS29, 18S rRNA, 5S rRNA, U6 snRNA, miRNA-9 and miRNA-125b, and the expression levels were detected in brain tissue by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. The internal reference markers with stable expression in early PMI were screened using geNorm software and the relationship between its expression level and some relevant factors such as age, gender and cause of death were analyzed. RNA markers normalized by internal reference were inserted into the mathematic model established by previous research for PMI estimation using R software. Model quality was judged by the error rate calculated with estimated PMI., Results: 5S rRNA, miRNA-9 and miRNA-125b showed quite stable expression and their expression levels had no relation with age, gender and cause of death. The error rate of estimated PMI using β -actin was 24.6%, while GAPDH was 41.0%., Conclusions: 5S rRNA, miRNA-9 and miRNA-125b are suitable as internal reference markers of human brain tissue owing to their stable expression in early PMI. The expression level of β -actin correlates well with PMI, which can be used as an additional index for early PMI estimation., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine)

Objectives: To explore the correlation between early postmortem interval （PMI） and eight RNA markers of rat's brain at different temperatures., Methods: Total 222 SD rats were randomly divided into control group （PMI=0 h） and four experimental groups. And the rats in the experimental groups were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and respectively kept at 5 ℃, 15 ℃, 25 ℃ and 35 ℃ in a controlled environment chamber. The RNA was extracted from brain tissues, which was taken at 9 time points from 1 h to 24 h postmortem. The expression levels of eight markers, β-actin, GAPDH, RPS29, 18S rRNA, 5S rRNA, U6 snRNA, miRNA-9 and miRNA-125b, were detected using real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR, respectively. Proper internal reference was selected by geNorm software. Regression analysis of normalized RNA markers was performed by SPSS software. Mathematical model for PMI estimation was established using R software. Another 6 SD rats with known PMI were used to verify the mathematical model., Results: 5S rRNA, miR-9 and miR-125b were suitable as internal reference markers for their stable expression. Both β-actin and GAPDH had well time-dependent degradation patterns and degraded continually with prolongation of PMI in 24 h postmortem. The mathematical model of the variation of ΔCt values with PMI and temperature was set up by R software and the model could be used for PMI estimation. The average error rates of model validation using β-actin and GAPDH were 14.1% and 22.2%, respectively., Conclusions: The expression levels of β-actin and GAPDH are well correlated with PMI and environmental temperature. The mathematical model established in present study can provide references for estimating early PMI under various temperature conditions., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine)

Objective: To explore the correlation between postmortem interval (PMI) and five RNA markers of rat's skin--β-actin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), 18S ribosomal RNA(18S rRNA), 5S ribosomal RNA (5S rRNA), and microRNA-203 (miR-203), at different temperatures., Methods: Eighteen SD rats were randomly divided into three environmental temperature groups: 4 °C, 15 °C and 35 °C, respectively. Skin samples were taken at 11 time points from 0 h to 120 h post-mortem. The total RNA was extracted from the skin samples and the five RNA levels were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. Proper internal reference was selected by geNorm software. Regression analysis of the RNA markers was conducted by GraphPad software., Results: 5S rRNA and miR-203 were most suitable internal references. A good linear relationship between PMI and RNA levels (β-actin and GAPDH) was observed in two groups (4 °C and 15 °C), whereas the S type curve relationship between the expression levels of the two markers (β-actin and GAPDH) and PMI was observed in the 35 °C group. The partial linear relationship between 18S rRNA and PMI was observed in the groups (15 °C and 35 °C)., Conclusion: Skin could be a suitable material for extracting RNA. The RNA expression levels of β-actin and GAPDH correlate well with PMI, and these RNA markers of skin tissue could be additional indice for the estimation of PMI.

Objective: To observe the changes of relative expression of myocardial various RNAs in rats died of different causes and their relationship with PMI., Methods: The rat models were established in which the rats were sacrificed by broken neck, asphyxia, and hemorrhagic shock. Total RNAs were extracted from myocardium. The quantitative real time PCR was used to calculate threshold cycle values of RNAs including glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), beta-actin, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and U6 small nuclear RNA (U6 snRNA) and to study the changes of the relative expressions of various indexes with PMI., Results: U6 snRNA with stable expression level could be used as appropriate internal control. In the early PMI, the relative expression of GAPDH, HIF-1, iNOS, TNF-alpha, and IL-6 more characteristically increased in groups of asphyxia and hemorrhagic shock than in group of broken neck, but the quantity of beta-actin decreased in all groups. In the late PMI, all the relative expressions significantly declined in correlation with the degradation of RNA., Conclusion: The characteristic changes of each RNA expression can be used as references to estimate PMI in deaths by different causes.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) refers to sudden stop of breath and heartbeat and death within one hour caused by underlying cardiac diseases. Clinical manifestation of inherited arrhythmia is lethal arrhythmia without gross cardiac lesions, which can lead to SCD. The autopsy and pathological examination are difficult to identify the cause of death. Fatal mechanism of inherited arrhythmia is the change in the genes encoding for cardiac ion channel protein, which causes the dysfunctions of cardiac electrical activity. It is very important to detect genetic mutation by the technique of molecular biology in negative autopsy. This review presents the latest research on the relation between SCD and inherited arrhythmia, and the application of molecular autopsy used in identifying SCD due to inherited arrhythmia and its candidate gene.