Citation

Riman S, Shek CH, Peck MA, Benjamin J, Podini D. Forensic Sci. Int. Genet. 2018; 37: 64-72.

Affiliation

Department of Forensic Sciences, The George Washington University, 2100 Foxhall Road NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.fsigen.2018.07.019

PMID

30086532

Abstract

The positive identification of seminal fluids in sexual assault crimes is considered crucial evidence to determine whether a sexual act occurred or not. However, current presumptive methods lack specificity and sensitivity. Confirmation of semen by microscopic examination of spermatozoa is laborious, time consuming, and can sometimes lead to negative or inconclusive results. Here we report the use of the Proximity Ligation Real-Time PCR (PLiRT-PCR) assay as an attractive and promising confirmatory method for the identification of semen and sperm proteins using two polyclonal antibodies, Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) and Sperm-Specific Protein (SP10), respectively. PLiRT-PCR, relies on protein recognition by pairs of proximity probes (antibody-DNA conjugates) that give rise to a ligated DNA strand. The ligated DNA strand is then amplified and detected by qPCR.

Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Proximity ligation; Proximity probes; Semen identification; Sexual assault; Sperm