Extraction, Evaluation, and Amplification of DNA From Decalcified and Undecalcified United States Civil War Bone

• NCJ Number: 140915
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 38 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1993) Pages: 60-68
• Author(s): D L Fisher; M M Holland; L Mitchell; P S Sledzik; A W Wilcox; M Wadhams; V W Weedn
• Date Published: 1993
• Length: 9 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Technical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted from documented skeletal specimens of U.S. Civil War soldiers to determine the need for decalcification prior to extraction.

Abstract

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to determine if calcification state affected the ability to amplify extracts and to see how successful amplification would be with aged specimens. One set of samples was decalcified, while another set was left undecalcified. Both sets were extracted using an organic procedure. Results demonstrated that decalcification was not a necessary step in the extraction process and that DNA yield was generally two times greater when decalcification was omitted. Further, calcification state had no effect on the ability to perform the PCR. Although extracted DNA was very degraded, a 410 base pair segment of the mitochondrial DNA control region was amplified. The authors conclude thaat DNA can be extracted and amplified from 125-year-old bone without decalcification and that this process may assist in identifying modern and historic forensic specimens. 26 references, 3 tables, and 1 figure