[Application of DNA polymorphism to forensic medicine].

Recent recombinant DNA technology has provided some novel and powerful methods for forensic science application. Human genomic DNA can be analyzed directly for individual identification and paternity testing on the basis of variations in its sequence. The analysis of DNA isolated from forensic biological evidence provides valuable information relating to the identification of the source of the sample. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) testing, using a combination of single locus probe (SLP) that vary highly among individuals, produces a DNA fingerprint or profile. The PCR method using STR (microsatellite) and mitochondrial DNA analysis (mtDNA) is suitable for examination of the forensic biological samples (bloodstains, hairs, seminal stains, bones, tooth). For sex identification of bloodstains, bleached skeletons and teeth, Southern blot hybridization with Y-chromosome specific probe (pHY10; 3.4 kb) and PCR amplifying with sex chromosome specific fragments, can be used. Mitochondrial DNA RFLPs and 9-bp deletion type of mtDNA may suggest the characteristics of the human races. For the purpose of resolving the genetic basis of human uniqueness, we reported the isolation of human-specific sequences using the technique of genome subtraction (HS5, 2282 bp).