Evaluation of Informative SNPs in Iranian Azeri Population

Two of the most important tests used in the forensic genetics are DNA fingerprinting and paternity testing. Short tandem repeats (STRs) are very frequently used in identification. Nevertheless, there are limitations on the use of these markers in identifying badly degraded DNA. In these cases, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are used because of their shorter amplicon lengths. Recognition of SNPs of high informativeness is a vital step in preparing a list of suitable SNPs. The present research aimed to determine the maximum informative SNPs to be used for identification in Iranian Azari population. Four SNPs developed by the SNPforID Consortium were selected. The allele frequencies of the SNPs were obtained using HRM Analysis on DNA samples taken from 100 different individuals. The SNPs that satisfied the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and had heterozygosity of higher than 0.50 and equal allele frequency were selected as SNPs of the maximum informativeness. Two polymorphisms (Rs2107612 and Rs1355366) had equal allele frequencies and heterozygosity of higher than 50 percent. Therefore, these 2 polymorphisms are considered highly informative among the studied Azeri population and can be considered in preparing a list of suitable SNPs. Results of the present study can be used along with other SNPs to increase the identification power for some samples. It can also help preparing a database of suitable SNPs to be used for identification in Azeri population in Iran.