Kavitha R, Tan T C, Lee H L, Nazni W A, Sofian A M
Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Trop Biomed. 2013 Jun;30(2):211-9.
DNA identification of blow fly species can be a very useful tool in forensic entomology. One of the potential benefits that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has offered in the field of forensic entomology is species determination. Conventional identification methods have limitations for sibling and closely related species of blow fly and stage and quality of the specimen used. This could be overcome by DNA-based identification methods using mitochondrial DNA which does not demand intact or undamaged specimens. Mitochondrial DNA is usually isolated from whole blow fly and legs. Alternate sources for mitochondrial DNA isolation namely, egg, larva, puparium and empty puparium were explored in this study. The sequence of DNA obtained for each sample for every life cycle stage was 100% identical for a particular species, indicating that the egg, 1st instar, 2nd instar, 3rd instar, pupa, empty puparium and adult from the same species and obtained from same generation will exhibit similar DNA sequences. The present study also highlighted the usefulness of collecting all life cycle stages of blow fly during crime scene investigation with proper preservation and subsequent molecular analysis. Molecular identification provides a strong basis for species identification and will prove an invaluable contribution to forensic entomology as an investigative tool in Malaysia.
蝇类物种的DNA鉴定在法医昆虫学中可能是一种非常有用的工具。线粒体DNA（mtDNA）在法医昆虫学领域提供的潜在益处之一是物种鉴定。传统的鉴定方法对于蝇类的同胞物种和近缘物种以及所使用标本的阶段和质量存在局限性。这可以通过使用线粒体DNA的基于DNA的鉴定方法来克服，这种方法不需要完整或未受损的标本。线粒体DNA通常从整个蝇类和腿部中分离出来。本研究探索了线粒体DNA分离的替代来源，即卵、幼虫、蛹壳和空蛹壳。对于特定物种，每个生命周期阶段的每个样本所获得的DNA序列100%相同，这表明来自同一物种且同一代的卵、一龄幼虫、二龄幼虫、三龄幼虫、蛹、空蛹壳和成虫将表现出相似的DNA序列。本研究还强调了在犯罪现场调查期间收集蝇类所有生命周期阶段并进行适当保存以及随后进行分子分析的有用性。分子鉴定为物种鉴定提供了有力依据，并将证明作为马来西亚一种调查工具的法医昆虫学具有不可估量的贡献。
