Oligonucleotide (CAC)5 fingerprinting: validity and reliability in paternity testing.

Following the development of DNA fingerprinting (Jeffreys et al., Nature 1985, 314, 67-73) using the minisatellite probes 33.15 and 33.6, many other fingerprinting probes have been described. The wide type M13 phage, 3' HVR region of alpha globin gene, F10 and various synthetic oligonucleotide probes have been shown to produce multiallelic and individual specific DNA fingerprints. The two probes developed by Jeffreys et al. have been extensively used in forensic and paternity determination in various laboratories, however, for the use of DNA fingerprints produced by synthetic oligonucleotide probes, still need critical evaluation. In this paper the statistical evaluations of the fingerprinting probes (CAC)5 was carried out by comparing the results produced by Jeffreys et al., using probes 33.15 and 33.6. The mutation rate calculated for (CAC)5 as 0.015 is nearly similar to the probe 33.15 (0.011) but higher than the probe 33.6 (0.005). The data obtained using (CAC)5 fingerprint in paternity cases from the northeast of England are presented.