Y-chromosomal DNA Research Articles

Comparability of multiple data types from the bering strait region: Cranial and dental metrics and nonmetrics, mtDNA, and Y‐chromosome DNA

Different data types have previously been shown to have the same microevolutionary patterns in worldwide data sets. However, peopling of the New World studies have shown a difference in migration paths and timings using multiple types of data, spurring research to understand why this is the case. This study was designed to test the degree of similarity in evolutionary patterns by using cranial and dental metric and nonmetric data, along with Y-chromosome DNA and mtDNA. The populations used included Inuits from Alaska, Canada, Siberia, Greenland, and the Aleutian Islands. For comparability, the populations used for the cranial and molecular data were from similar geographic regions or had a shared population history. Distance, R and kinship matrices were generated for use in running Mantel tests, PROTEST analyses, and Procrustes analyses. A clear patterning was seen, with the craniometric data being most highly correlated to the mtDNA data and the cranial nonmetric data being most highly correlated with the Y-chromosome data, while the phenotypic data were also linked. This patterning is suggestive of a possible male or female inheritance, or the correlated data types are affected by the same or similar evolutionary forces. The results of this study indicate cranial traits have some degree of heritability. Moreover, combining data types leads to a richer knowledge of biological affinity. This understanding is important for bioarchaeological contexts, in particular, peopling of the New World studies where focusing on reconciling the results from comparing multiple data types is necessary to move forward.

Human genetics of the Kula Ring: Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA variation in the Massim of Papua New Guinea

The island region at the southeastern-most tip of New Guinea and its inhabitants known as Massim are well known for a unique traditional inter-island trading system, called Kula or Kula Ring. To characterize the Massim genetically, and to evaluate the influence of the Kula Ring on patterns of human genetic variation, we analyzed paternally inherited Y-chromosome (NRY) and maternally inherited mitochondrial (mt) DNA polymorphisms in >400 individuals from this region. We found that the nearly exclusively Austronesian-speaking Massim people harbor genetic ancestry components of both Asian (AS) and Near Oceanian (NO) origin, with a proportionally larger NO NRY component versus a larger AS mtDNA component. This is similar to previous observations in other Austronesian-speaking populations from Near and Remote Oceania and suggests sex-biased genetic admixture between Asians and Near Oceanians before the occupation of Remote Oceania, in line with the Slow Boat from Asia hypothesis on the expansion of Austronesians into the Pacific. Contrary to linguistic expectations, Rossel Islanders, the only Papuan speakers of the Massim, showed a lower amount of NO genetic ancestry than their Austronesian-speaking Massim neighbors. For the islands traditionally involved in the Kula Ring, a significant correlation between inter-island travelling distances and genetic distances was observed for mtDNA, but not for NRY, suggesting more male- than female-mediated gene flow. As traditionally only males take part in the Kula voyages, this finding may indicate a genetic signature of the Kula Ring, serving as another example of how cultural tradition has shaped human genetic diversity.

The combined evidential value of autosomal and Y-chromosomal DNA profiles obtained from the same sample

When a Y-chromosomal and a (partial) autosomal DNA profile are obtained from one crime sample, and both profiles match the suspect's profiles, we would like to know the combined evidential value. To calculate the likelihood ratio of observing the autosomal and Y-chromosomal DNA profiles combined, we need to know the conditional random match probability of the observed autosomal DNA profile, given the Y-chromosomal match. We examine this conditional probability in two ways: (1) with a database containing data of 2,085 men and (2) using a simulation model. We conclude that if the Y-chromosomal DNA profiles match, we can still regard the autosomal DNA profile as independent from the Y-chromosomal DNA profile if the matching person is not a descendant of the father of the donor of the (crime) sample. The evidential value can, in that case, be computed by multiplying the random match probabilities of the individual profiles.

The First Successful Use of a Low Stringency Familial Match in a French Criminal Investigation

We describe how a very simple application of familial searching resolved a decade-old, high-profile rape/murder in France. This was the first use of familial searching in a criminal case using the French STR DNA database, which contains approximately 1,800,000 profiles. When an unknown forensic profile (18 loci) was searched against the French arrestee/offender database using CODIS configured for a low stringency search, a single low stringency match was identified. This profile was attributed to the father of the man suspected to be the source of the semen recovered from the murder victim Elodie Kulik. The identification was confirmed using Y-chromosome DNA from the putative father, an STR profile from the mother, and finally a tissue sample from the exhumed body of the man who left the semen. Because of this identification, the investigators are now pursuing possible co-conspirators.

Did pre-Clovis people inhabit the Paisley Caves (and why does it matter)?

The date and processes of initial human colonization of the Americas are crucial issues for the understanding of human biological and cultural development. For example, Soares et al. (2009) cited the American archaeological record to validate their proposed revision of the human mitochondrial molecular clock. Their suggested mutation rate puts the date of rapid expansion of Native American clades at around 13,500–15,000 cal yr BP. Similarly, Poznik et al. (2013) have used the “high-confidence archaeological dating” of the initial peopling of the Americas to calibrate the rates of both Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation and thereby to reconcile the ages of the common ancestors of human males and females. They use a date of ~15,000 cal yr BP, based on purported archaeological evidence from Monte Verde, Chile, dated to 14,600 cal yr BP. Until recently, the consensus of archaeologists was that the Americas were populated after 13,400 cal yr BP (11,500 C yr BP) by a rapid expansion of people bearing the Clovis culture. Clovis ancestors, originating in southern Siberia, had crossed Beringia around 14,500 cal yr BP and subsequently migrated through a corridor between the receding Laurentide and Cordilleran ice sheets. This “Clovisfirst” model has been challenged continually by advocates for various allegedly pre-Clovis sites. As the evidence for a given set of ostensibly promising sites fails to withstand close critical scrutiny (e.g., Tule Springs, Pikimachay, Pendejo Cave, Pedra Furada, Shriver, etc.), pre-Clovis enthusiasts pin their hopes on the latest contenders. Currently, their favorites are Monte Verde in southern Chile (Dillehay 1997; Dillehay et al. 2008), the Debra L. Friedkin site in Texas (Waters et al. 2011), and the Paisley Caves in southern Oregon. The evidence from both Monte Verde and Paisley Caves has been deployed both by archaeologists (e.g., Beck and Jones 2010; Erlandson and Braje 2011) and by geneticists (e.g., Bodner et al. 2012) in support of a model of pre-Clovis migration along the Pacific coast—this despite the continuing absence of any sites older than 13,200 cal yr BP along the entire coast from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego (Dickinson 2011). The Paisley Caves pre-Clovis evidence is unique in that it consists of both artifacts and directly dated ancient feces that have yielded human DNA. Gilbert et al. (2008) reported coprolites containing human (but also canid) mtDNA dating to ~14,300 cal yr BP. Poinar et al. (2009) noted chronological and stratigraphic problems and suggested that contamination by leaching might account for possibly exogenous human DNA in the coprolites, while Goldberg et al. (2009) (who had actually examined and sampled the coprolites) asserted that their morphology was inconsistent with human derivation. Jenkins et al. (2012a, 2014) report results of meticulous excavations and analyses designed to verify their previous claims. This research focused particularly on demonstrating that the radiocarbon dates are accurate and that the coprolites have

Did Pre-Clovis People Inhabit the Paisley Caves (and Why Does It Matter)?

Did Pre-Clovis People Inhabit the Paisley Caves (and Why Does It Matter)? Stuart J. Fiedel key words Paisley Caves, Pre-Clovis, Western Stemmed, Ancient DNA, Coprolites The date and processes of initial human colonization of the Americas are crucial issues for the understanding of human biological and cultural development. For example, Soares et al. (2009) cited the American archaeological record to validate their proposed revision of the human mitochondrial molecular clock. Their suggested mutation rate puts the date of rapid expansion of Native American clades at around 13,500–15,000 cal yr BP. Similarly, Poznik et al. (2013) have used the “high-confidence archaeological dating” of the initial peopling of the Americas to calibrate the rates of both Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation and thereby to reconcile the ages of the common ancestors of human males and females. They use a date of ~15,000 cal yr BP, based on purported archaeological evidence from Monte Verde, Chile, dated to 14,600 cal yr BP. Until recently, the consensus of archaeologists was that the Americas were populated after 13,400 cal yr BP (11,500 14C yr BP) by a rapid expansion of people bearing the Clovis culture. Clovis ancestors, originating in southern Siberia, had crossed Beringia around 14,500 cal yr BP and subsequently migrated through a corridor between the receding Laurentide and Cordilleran ice sheets. This “Clovisfirst” model has been challenged continually by advocates for various allegedly pre-Clovis sites. As the evidence for a given set of ostensibly promising sites fails to withstand close critical scrutiny (e.g., Tule Springs, Pikimachay, Pendejo Cave, Pedra Furada, Shriver, etc.), pre-Clovis enthusiasts pin their hopes on the latest contenders. Currently, their favorites are Monte Verde in southern Chile (Dillehay 1997; Dillehay et al. 2008), the Debra L. Friedkin site in Texas (Waters et al. 2011), and the Paisley Caves in southern Oregon. The evidence from both Monte Verde and Paisley Caves has been deployed both by archaeologists (e.g., Beck and Jones 2010; Erlandson and Braje 2011) and by geneticists (e.g., Bodner et al. 2012) in support of a model of pre-Clovis migration along the Pacific coast—this despite the continuing absence of any sites older than 13,200 cal yr BP along the entire coast from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego (Dickinson 2011). The Paisley Caves pre-Clovis evidence is unique in that it consists of both artifacts and directly dated ancient feces that have yielded human DNA. Gilbert et al. (2008) reported coprolites containing human (but also canid) mtDNA dating to ~14,300 cal yr BP. Poinar et al. (2009) noted chronological and stratigraphic problems and suggested that contamination by leaching might account for possibly exogenous human DNA in the coprolites, while Goldberg et al. (2009) (who had actually examined and sampled the coprolites) asserted that their morphology was inconsistent with human derivation. Jenkins et al. (2012a, 2014) report results of meticulous excavations and analyses designed to verify their previous claims. This research focused particularly on demonstrating that the radiocarbon dates are accurate and that the coprolites have [End Page 69] not been contaminated by leaching. Jenkins and colleagues now assert that diagnostic Western Stemmed Tradition (WST) lithic artifacts and associated human coprolites date between 11,070 and 11,340 14C yr BP (~13,000–13,300 cal yr BP). The artifact-associated radiocarbon dates overlap with dates for Clovis elsewhere (11,550–10,800 14C yr BP), while additional purported human coprolites are of pre-Clovis age (older than 11,600 14C yr BP). This entire assemblage is interpreted as conclusive evidence that “the colonization of the Americas involved multiple technologically divergent, and possibly genetically divergent, founding groups” (Jenkins et al. 2012a: 223). Close examination of the reported data shows that three stratigraphically and chronologically discrete components are present in the deep strata (Jenkins et al. 2014). The deepest deposit attributed to human activity consists entirely of coprolites, with no associated unambiguous lithic or organic artifacts. These purported “human” coprolites (dated to ~14,000–14,400 cal yr BP) are intermixed with others attributed, based on DNA, to late Pleistocene animals, that is, camelids and lion (Panthera...

Taiwan Y-chromosomal DNA variation and its relationship with Island Southeast Asia.

BackgroundMuch of the data resolution of the haploid non-recombining Y chromosome (NRY) haplogroup O in East Asia are still rudimentary and could be an explanatory factor for current debates on the settlement history of Island Southeast Asia (ISEA). Here, 81 slowly evolving markers (mostly SNPs) and 17 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats were used to achieve higher level molecular resolution. Our aim is to investigate if the distribution of NRY DNA variation in Taiwan and ISEA is consistent with a single pre-Neolithic expansion scenario from Southeast China to all ISEA, or if it better fits an expansion model from Taiwan (the OOT model), or whether a more complex history of settlement and dispersals throughout ISEA should be envisioned.ResultsWe examined DNA samples from 1658 individuals from Vietnam, Thailand, Fujian, Taiwan (Han, plain tribes and 14 indigenous groups), the Philippines and Indonesia. While haplogroups O1a*-M119, O1a1*-P203, O1a2-M50 and O3a2-P201 follow a decreasing cline from Taiwan towards Western Indonesia, O2a1-M95/M88, O3a*-M324, O3a1c-IMS-JST002611 and O3a2c1a-M133 decline northward from Western Indonesia towards Taiwan. Compared to the Taiwan plain tribe minority groups the Taiwanese Austronesian speaking groups show little genetic paternal contribution from Han. They are also characterized by low Y-chromosome diversity, thus testifying for fast drift in these populations. However, in contrast to data provided from other regions of the genome, Y-chromosome gene diversity in Taiwan mountain tribes significantly increases from North to South.ConclusionThe geographic distribution and the diversity accumulated in the O1a*-M119, O1a1*-P203, O1a2-M50 and O3a2-P201 haplogroups on one hand, and in the O2a1-M95/M88, O3a*-M324, O3a1c-IMS-JST002611 and O3a2c1a-M133 haplogroups on the other, support a pincer model of dispersals and gene flow from the mainland to the islands which likely started during the late upper Paleolithic, 18,000 to 15,000 years ago. The branches of the pincer contributed separately to the paternal gene pool of the Philippines and conjointly to the gene pools of Madagascar and the Solomon Islands. The North to South increase in diversity found for Taiwanese Austronesian speaking groups contrasts with observations based on mitochondrial DNA, thus hinting to a differentiated demographic history of men and women in these populations.

Y-chromosomal DNA analysis in French male lineages

French population, despite of its crucial geographic location for repopulation movements of Europe across time, it has been insufficiently characterized at the genetic level, especially for Y-chromosomal DNA variation. In order to make a genetic structure characterization, we have analyzed the Y-chromosome diversity of 558 male individuals, scattered along 7 different French regions: Alsace (Strasbourg), Auvergne (Clermont-Ferrand), Bretagne (Rennes), Île-de-France (Paris), Midi-Pyrénées (Toulouse), Nord-Pas-de-Calais (Lille) and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (Marseille). A total of 17 Y-chromosome STRs and 27 Y-chromosome SNPs were genotyped for each individual. Even though we find that most of the individual populations in France were not differentiated from each other, Bretagne population shows population substructure, an important fact to be considered when establishing general population databases.

Tracing Arab-Islamic Inheritance in Madagascar: Study of the Y-chromosome and Mitochondrial DNA in the Antemoro

Madagascar is located at the crossroads of the Asian and African worlds and is therefore of particular interest for studies on human population migration. Within the large human diversity of the Great Island, we focused our study on a particular ethnic group, the Antemoro. Their culture presents an important Arab-Islamic influence, but the question of an Arab biological inheritance remains unresolved. We analyzed paternal (n=129) and maternal (n=135) lineages of this ethnic group. Although the majority of Antemoro genetic ancestry comes from sub-Saharan African and Southeast Asian gene pools, we observed in their paternal lineages two specific haplogroups (J1 and T1) linked to Middle Eastern origins. This inheritance was restricted to some Antemoro sub-groups. Statistical analyses tended to confirm significant Middle Eastern genetic contribution. This study gives a new perspective to the large human genetic diversity in Madagascar.

The health effects of fetal microchimerism can be modeled in companion dogs

Fetal microchimerism (FMC) has been described to have a range of effects on health and disease. Y-chromosomal DNA has been detected in Golden Retrievers suggesting persistent FMC. In that report, nine dogs had evidence of microchimerism without prior pregnancy. To further understand this finding, a dam with prior male live births giving birth to her fourth litter of puppies, all females, was evaluated for FMC along with two of her daughters. All three female dogs had evidence of Y-chromosomal DNA in their blood. This suggests that male cells carried by the dam from previous pregnancy trafficked to her daughters to establish microchimerism in younger siblings. Companion dogs share many of the same cancers as humans, have out-bred genetics, and share the human environment, making them optimal models of human disease. Understanding the impact of FMC on health and disease of dogs could elucidate mechanisms useful for clinical interventions in humans.

Detection of two biological markers of intercourse: prostate-specific antigen and Y-chromosomal DNA

BackgroundAlthough biological markers of women's exposure to semen from vaginal intercourse have been developed as surrogates for risk of infection or probability of pregnancy, data on their persistence time and clearance are limited. Study DesignDuring 2006–2008, 52 couples were enrolled for three 14-day cycles of abstinence from vaginal sex during which women were exposed in the clinic to a specific quantity (10, 100 or 1000 μL) of their partner's semen. Vaginal swabs were collected before and at 1, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 144 h after exposure for testing for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and Y-chromosome DNA (Yc DNA). ResultsImmediately after exposure to 1000 μL of semen, the predicted sensitivity of being PSA positive was 0.96; this decreased to 0.65, 0.44, 0.21 and 0.07 at 6, 12, 24 and 48 h, respectively. Corresponding predicted sensitivity of being Yc DNA positive was 0.72 immediately postexposure; this increased to 0.76 at 1 h postexposure and then decreased to 0.60 (at 6 h), 0.63 (at 12 h), 0.49 (at 24 h), 0.21 (at 48 h), 0.17 (at 72 h) and 0.12 (at 144 h). ConclusionsOverall findings suggest that PSA may be more consistent as a marker of very recent exposure and that Yc DNA is more likely to be detected in the vagina after 12 h postexposure compared to PSA.

Y-chromosome DNA Is Present in the Blood of Female Dogs Suggesting the Presence of Fetal Microchimerism

Fetal microchimerism has been suggested to play contradictory roles in women’s health, with factors including age of the recipient, time elapsed since microchimerism occurred, and microchimeric cell type modulating disease. Both beneficial and harmful effects have been identified in wound healing and tissue regeneration, immune mediated disease, and cancer. This area of research is relatively new, and hindered by the time course from occurrence of fetal microchimerism to the multi-factorial development of disease. Dogs represent an excellent model for study of fetal microchimerism, as they share our environment, have a naturally condensed lifespan, and spontaneously develop immune-mediated diseases and cancers similar to their human counterparts. However, fetal microchimerism has not been described in dogs. These experiments sought preliminary evidence that dogs develop fetal microchimerism following pregnancy. We hypothesized that Y chromosomal DNA would be detected in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of female dogs collected within two months of parturition. We further hypothesized that Y chromosomal DNA would be detected in banked whole blood DNA samples from parous female Golden Retrievers with at least one male puppy in a prior litter. Amplification of DNA extracted from five female Golden Retrievers that had whelped within the two months prior to collection revealed strong positive bands for the Y chromosome. Of banked, parous samples, 36% yielded positive bands for the Y chromosome. This is the first report of persistent Y chromosomal DNA in post-partum female dogs and these results suggest that fetal microchimerism occurs in the canine species. Evaluation of the contributions of fetal microchimeric cells to disease processes in dogs as a model for human disease is warranted.

Interpreting the evidence for middle Holocene gene flow from India to Australia

In an important recent study, Pugach et al. (1) identify substantial human gene flow from India to Australia, which they estimate occurred about 4,230 y ago based on an admixture model. Their study improves on previous ones by using a larger sample size, incorporating an expanded range of comparison populations, and using SNPs rather than mitochondrial or Y-chromosome DNA. They link the middle Holocene gene flow to roughly coincident changes that occur in the Australian archaeological record, including the appearance of microliths, innovations in plant processing techniques, and introduction of the dingo. They imply that these innovations arrived in Australia along with the carriers of Indian genes. Like Brown (2), we have misgivings with this inference. We briefly summarize contradicting evidence and then discuss the possibility that the migration that ultimately brought people from India to Australia occurred through Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) early during (or before) the Austronesian expansion into ISEA.

The GenoChip: a new tool for genetic anthropology.

The Genographic Project is an international effort aimed at charting human migratory history. The project is nonprofit and nonmedical, and, through its Legacy Fund, supports locally led efforts to preserve indigenous and traditional cultures. Although the first phase of the project was focused on uniparentally inherited markers on the Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the current phase focuses on markers from across the entire genome to obtain a more complete understanding of human genetic variation. Although many commercial arrays exist for genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping, they were designed for medical genetic studies and contain medically related markers that are inappropriate for global population genetic studies. GenoChip, the Genographic Project’s new genotyping array, was designed to resolve these issues and enable higher resolution research into outstanding questions in genetic anthropology. The GenoChip includes ancestry informative markers obtained for over 450 human populations, an ancient human (Saqqaq), and two archaic hominins (Neanderthal and Denisovan) and was designed to identify all known Y-chromosome and mtDNA haplogroups. The chip was carefully vetted to avoid inclusion of medically relevant markers. To demonstrate its capabilities, we compared the FST distributions of GenoChip SNPs to those of two commercial arrays. Although all arrays yielded similarly shaped (inverse J) FST distributions, the GenoChip autosomal and X-chromosomal distributions had the highest mean FST, attesting to its ability to discern subpopulations. The chip performances are illustrated in a principal component analysis for 14 worldwide populations. In summary, the GenoChip is a dedicated genotyping platform for genetic anthropology. With an unprecedented number of approximately 12,000 Y-chromosomal and approximately 3,300 mtDNA SNPs and over 130,000 autosomal and X-chromosomal SNPs without any known health, medical, or phenotypic relevance, the GenoChip is a useful tool for genetic anthropology and population genetics.

Determination of population origin: a comparison of autosomal SNPs, Y-chromosomal and mtDNA haplogroups using a Malagasy population as example

Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms have been used for population studies for a long time. However, there is another possibility to define the origin of a population: autosomal single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) whose allele frequencies differ considerably in different populations. In an attempt to compare the usefulness of these approaches we studied a population from Madagascar using all the three mentioned approaches. Former investigations of Malagasy maternal (mtDNA) and paternal (Y chromosome) lineages have led to the assumption that the Malagasy are an admixed population with an African and Asian-Indonesian heritage. Our additional study demonstrated that more than two-third of the Malagasy investigated showed clearly a West African genotype regarding only the autosomal SNPs despite the fact that 64% had an Asian mtDNA and more than 70% demonstrated an Asian-Indonesian heritage in either mtDNA or Y-chromosomal haplogroup or both. Nonetheless, the admixture of the Malagasy could be confirmed. A clear African or Asian-Indonesian heritage according to all the three DNA approaches investigated was only found in 14% and 1% of male samples, respectively. Not even the European or Northern African influences, detected in 9% of males (Y-chromosomal analysis) and 11% of samples (autosomal SNPs) were consistent. No Malagasy in our samples showed a European or Northern African origin in both categories. So, the analysis of autosomal SNPs could confirm the admixed character of the Malagasy population, even if it pointed to a greater African influence as detectable by Y-chromosomal or mtDNA analysis.

Indian ocean crossroads: Human genetic origin and population structure in the maldives

The Maldives are an 850 km-long string of atolls located centrally in the northern Indian Ocean basin. Because of this geographic situation, the present-day Maldivian population has potential for uncovering genetic signatures of historic migration events in the region. We therefore studied autosomal DNA-, mitochondrial DNA-, and Y-chromosomal DNA markers in a representative sample of 141 unrelated Maldivians, with 119 from six major settlements. We found a total of 63 different mtDNA haplotypes that could be allocated to 29 mtDNA haplogroups, mostly within the M, R, and U clades. We found 66 different Y-STR haplotypes in 10 Y-chromosome haplogroups, predominantly H1, J2, L, R1a1a, and R2. Parental admixture analysis for mtDNA- and Y-haplogroup data indicates a strong genetic link between the Maldive Islands and mainland South Asia, and excludes significant gene flow from Southeast Asia. Paternal admixture from West Asia is detected, but cannot be distinguished from admixture from South Asia. Maternal admixture from West Asia is excluded. Within the Maldives, we find a subtle genetic substructure in all marker systems that is not directly related to geographic distance or linguistic dialect. We found reduced Y-STR diversity and reduced male-mediated gene flow between atolls, suggesting independent male founder effects for each atoll. Detected reduced female-mediated gene flow between atolls confirms a Maldives-specific history of matrilocality. In conclusion, our new genetic data agree with the commonly reported Maldivian ancestry in South Asia, but furthermore suggest multiple, independent immigration events and asymmetrical migration of females and males across the archipelago. Am J Phys Anthropol 151:58–67, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Analysis of cd45- [cd34+/kdr+] Endothelial Progenitor Cells as Juvenile Protective Factors in a Rat Model of Ischemic-Hemorrhagic Stroke

BackgroundIdentification of juvenile protective factors (JPFs) which are altered with age and contribute to adult-onset diseases could identify novel pathways for reversing the effects of age, an accepted non-modifiable risk factor to adult-onset diseases. Since endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been observed to be altered in stroke, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, said EPCs are candidate JPFs for adult-onset stroke. A priori, if EPC aging plays a ‘master-switch JPF-role’ in stroke pathogenesis, juvenile EPC therapy alone should delay stroke-onset. Using a hypertensive, transgenic-hyperlipidemic rat model of spontaneous ischemic-hemorrhagic stroke, spTg25, we tested the hypothesis that freshly isolated juvenile EPCs are JPFs that can attenuate stroke progression and delay stroke onset.Methodology/Principal FindingsFACS analysis revealed that cd45- [cd34+/kdr+] EPCs decrease with progression to stroke in spTg25 rats, exhibit differential expression of the dual endodthelin-1/VEGFsp receptor (DEspR) and undergo differential DEspR-subtype specific changes in number and in vitro angiogenic tube-incorporation. In vivo EPC infusion of male, juvenile non-expanded cd45-[cd34+/kdr+] EPCs into female stroke-prone rats prior to stroke attenuated progression and delayed stroke onset (P<0.003). Detection of Y-chromosome DNA in brain microvessels of EPC-treated female spTg25 rats indicates integration of male EPCs into female rat brain microvessels. Gradient-echo MRI showed delay of ischemic-hemorrhagic lesions in EPC-treated rats. Real-time RT-PCR pathway-specific array-analysis revealed age-associated gene expression changes in cd45-[cd34+/kdr]EPC subtypes, which were accelerated in stroke-prone rats. Pro-angiogenic genes implicated in intimal hyperplasia were increased in stroke-prone rat EPCs (P<0.0001), suggesting a maladaptive endothelial repair system which acts like a double-edged sword repairing while predisposing to age-associated intimal hyperplasia.Conclusions/SignificanceAltogether, the data demonstrate that cd45-[cd34/kdr+]EPCs are juvenile protective factors for ischemic hemorrhagic stroke as modeled in the spTg25-rat model. The ability to delay stroke onset emphasizes the importance of EPC-mediated roles in vascular health for ischemic-hemorrhagic stroke, a high unmet need.

Y-Chromosome Detection in Turner Syndrome

Turner syndrome is a chromosomal disorder characterized by the presence of a single normal X chromosome in women. Additionally to the X chromosome monosomy, other cell lines can co-exist, containing the Y chromosome or part of it. The presence of Y chromosome in patients with Turner syndrome represents an increased risk (15- 30%) of developing gonadoblastoma. In this study we screened for the absence/presence of four genes mapped on Y chromosome (SRY, TSPY, DDX3Y and HSFY) in 98 female samples obtained from different tissues, namely peripheral blood, amniotic fluid, gonadal tissue and miscarriages samples, previously characterized cytogenetically having at least one cell line with monosomy X or an abnormal X chromosome. We also evaluate the importance of a molecular test for detection of Y chromosome sequences using a combination of conventional cytogenetic methods and DNA analysis. Three miscarriages and one gonadal tissue presented Y-chromosome DNA sequences out of the 98 studied samples. We have discussed the higher frequency of the Y sequences in spontaneous abortions with 45, X karyotype and we have advised the detection of Y-chromosome material in Turner patients in order to improve the clinical orientation and the consequent prognosis.

The efficiency of Y-chromosome markers in forensic trace analysis and their inclusion in the Austrian National DNA Database

Y-STR markers are a valuable tool in the analysis of biological traces in which a mixture of male and female trace material is to be expected. It is possible to generate a Y-chromosome DNA profile, even if all the prior sperm tests are negative and no sign of any male component is found in amelogenin. In 38 of a total of 239 sexual offences a perpetrator trace was identified solely using Y-STR analysis. Based on these findings, the Austrian National DNA Database was expanded to include Y-STRs in 2012 with the primary objective to identify serial sexual offences.

Molecular Genetic Analysis of Bilateral Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors

Ovarian germ cell tumors (oGCTs) are rare and highly heterogeneous with regard to their clinical and histologic appearance. The risk of tumor development is higher in children with aberrant sexual differentiation. Development of gonadoblastomas is seen in young women with 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis. At least 50 % of gonadoblastomas may develop into malignant oGCTs, mostly dysgerminomas. In this study, we evaluated bilateral oGCTs in clinically inapparent patients for sex chromosomal aberrations. We analyzed tumor samples of 15 patients with synchronous bilateral oGCTs enrolled onto the consecutive MAKEI trials for non-testicular GCTs. Paraffin embedded samples from the Kiel German Childhood Tumor Registry were evaluated for the presence of Y-chromosomal sequences. Molecular genetic techniques included comparative genomic hybridization, polymerase chain reaction, and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Among 15 patients with bilateral oGCTs, Y-chromosomal DNA sequences were detected in 6 tumors. Both mature teratomas were negative for Y-chromosomal DNA. Thus, 5 of 12 malignant oGCTs and 1 immature teratoma (with elevated AFP) showed Y-chromosomal material. A 45(X,0) karyotype could not be demonstrated. These investigations provide additional insight into the development of oGCTs: mature teratomas, which develop from postmeiotic germ cells, are not associated with gonadal dysgenesis. Bilateral immature teratomas, dysgerminomas and mixed malignant oGCTs may frequently show Y-chromosomal DNA, indicating underlying but clinically inapparent gonadal dysgenesis. Thus, the presence of aberrant Y-chromosomal sequences appears to be involved in tumor development in about half of these patients.