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Mitochondrial DNA control region sequences from Nairobi (Kenya): inferring phylogenetic parameters for the establishment of a forensic database

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Abstract

Large forensic mtDNA databases which adhere to strict guidelines for generation and maintenance, are not available for many populations outside of the United States and western Europe. We have established a high quality mtDNA control region sequence database for urban Nairobi as both a reference database for forensic investigations, and as a tool to examine the genetic variation of Kenyan sequences in the context of known African variation. The Nairobi sequences exhibited high variation and a low random match probability, indicating utility for forensic testing. Haplogroup identification and frequencies were compared with those reported from other published studies on African, or African-origin populations from Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and the United States, and suggest significant differences in the mtDNA compositions of the various populations. The quality of the sequence data in our study was investigated and supported using phylogenetic measures. Our data demonstrate the diversity and distinctiveness of African populations, and underline the importance of establishing additional forensic mtDNA databases of indigenous African populations.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Hans-Jürgen Bandelt (University of Hamburg, Germany) for many helpful comments and Vincent Macaulay (University of Glasgow, UK) for valuable assistance with SPECTRA. The manuscript benefited greatly from comments made by two anonymous reviewers. We thank Jennifer O’Callaghan and Rebecca Just (AFDIL) for assistance with database confirmation, and James Ross (AFDIL) and Jon Norris (Future Technologies, Inc., Fairfax, VA, USA) for bioinformatics assistance. We thank James C. Canik, Kevin S. Carroll, and Brion C. Smith (AFDIL) for logistical, administrative, and moral support. The opinions and assertions contained herein are solely those of the authors and are not to be construed as official or as views of the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. Department of the Army.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Innsbruck, Müllerstrasse 44, 6020 , Innsbruck, Austria

    Anita Brandstätter & Walther Parson

  2. Immunology Laboratory, CBRD Kenya Medical Research Institute, Mbagathi Way, PO BOX 54840, 00200, Nairobi, Kenya

    Solomon Mpoke & Davy K. Koech

  3. Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Building 101 1413 Research Boulevard, Rockville, MD, 20850 , USA

    Christine T. Peterson, Jodi A. Irwin & Thomas J. Parsons

  4. The Institute for Genomic Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA

    Christine T. Peterson

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  1. Anita Brandstätter
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  2. Christine T. Peterson
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Correspondence to Thomas J. Parsons.

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Brandstätter, A., Peterson, C.T., Irwin, J.A. et al. Mitochondrial DNA control region sequences from Nairobi (Kenya): inferring phylogenetic parameters for the establishment of a forensic database. Int J Legal Med 118, 294–306 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-004-0466-z

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