Institute of Forensic Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, PR China.
The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China.
Sci Data. 2024 Jul 6;11(1):736. doi: 10.1038/s41597-024-03518-3.
Microorganisms are essential in the decomposition of corpses and play a significant role in forensic science. However, previous studies have primarily focused on animal remains, specifically the gut, skin, and burial environment. Insufficient research has been conducted on the microbiota of human cadavers, especially in cases of advanced decomposition and additional tissues, resulting in a lack of relevant reference data. In this study, the microbiota of eight cadavers at different stages of decomposition were detected using 16S rRNA, metagenomic sequencing and 2bRAD-M sequencing. Nine different sites, including oral and nasal cavities, heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, muscle and gut, were analysed and the efficacy of these methods was evaluated. The results showed that 16S rRNA sequencing was the most cost-effective method for the study of cadavers in the early stages of decomposition, whereas for cadaveric tissues in the late stages of decomposition, 2bRAD-M could overcome host contamination more effectively than metagenomic sequencing. This paves the way for new opportunities in data retrieval and promotes in-depth investigations into the microbiota.
微生物在尸体分解中起着至关重要的作用，在法医学中也具有重要意义。然而，先前的研究主要集中在动物遗骸上，特别是肠道、皮肤和埋葬环境。对于人类尸体的微生物组，特别是在高度分解和其他组织的情况下，研究还不够充分，导致缺乏相关的参考数据。在这项研究中，我们使用 16S rRNA、宏基因组测序和 2bRAD-M 测序技术，检测了处于不同分解阶段的 8 具尸体的微生物组。我们分析了口腔和鼻腔、心脏、肝脏、脾脏、肺脏、肾脏、肌肉和肠道等 9 个不同部位，并评估了这些方法的效果。结果表明，16S rRNA 测序是研究早期分解尸体最具成本效益的方法，而对于晚期分解的尸体组织，2bRAD-M 比宏基因组测序更能有效地克服宿主污染。这为数据检索开辟了新的机会，并促进了对微生物组的深入研究。
