High-Fidelity Amplification of Ribosomal Gene Sequences from South American Mummies

Abstract

The condition of nucleic acids in mummified tissues depends on several variables, including the presence or absence of specific embalming treatments, the conditions of storage, and the natural chemical reactions that have occurred over time (Pääbo et al. 1989). These factors substantially reduce the yield of nucleic acids from ancient tissues; however, ancient DNA (aDNA) can be analyzed by amplifying specific sequences in vitro, with modifications of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (Pääbo et al. 1988; Rogan and Salvo 1991). Even when nucleic acids can be retrieved, manipulation of aDNA with molecular biological techniques is not always successful. Inhibitors of the PCR process that either copurify with or are components of the nucleic acid template have been shown to interfere with the processivity of the DNA polymerase used to amplify the template (Rogan and Salvo 1990).