表观遗传学技术用于精斑鉴定的研究进展

Research Progress of Epigenetic Technologies Applied to Semen Stain Identification

精斑鉴定是法医物证学科研与检案的重要内容,其常规检验包括显微镜下形态学检查、前列腺特异性抗原和碱性磷酸酶的生化/免疫学测定等。然而,镜检或有主观倾向,而精斑特异性功能蛋白测定又会因蛋白质变性或降解导致灵敏度低。因此,科研人员更致力于在核酸上寻找对精斑鉴定具有决定性作用的相关分子标记。近年来,许多运用表观遗传学的方法,如针对DNA甲基化、miRNA、circRNA、piRNA等开发出的多种精斑特异性的分子标志与检测平台,为微量、陈旧性疑难精斑检材的鉴定提供了新途径。本文通过对相关研究及成果进行梳理与归纳,重点阐述了表观遗传学方法对于精斑鉴定的应用前景,并指出其目前存在的问题及未来的发展方向,希冀能为法医物证应用表观遗传学技术提供借鉴与思路。

Semen stain identification is crucial for forensic biology to collect the relevant criminal evidence.Conventionally,such kind of identification adopts microscopic morphological examination and/or biochemical/immunological detection against the proteins,e.g.,alkaline phosphatase and/or prostate specific antigen.Nevertheless,the microscopic morphological examination is prone to subjective inclination;the biochemical/immunological examination likely yields a low sensitivity and ineligible detection rate due to denaturation and degradation of the target proteins.Consequently,forensic scientists have been always exerting more efforts to the fundamental genetic substance of nucleic acid to look for the involving molecular markers decisive for semen stain identification.In recent years,many epigenetic technologies have been developed about sperm specific genetic molecular markers including DNA methylation,noncoding RNA(e.g.,miRNA,circRNA and piRNA).These technologies are paving a new way for personal analysis into trace evidential materials and detection of aged semen specimens.Here,the current status was discussed on reporting the above-mentioned markers and their verification studies,with summarization being made of the applicability,advantages and disadvantages as well as the development direction of the epigenetic technologies applied to semen stain identification,aiming at providing a reference for the related forensic research and application.