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Biomedical subjects

E Hagelberg

Publications and source records attributed to E Hagelberg.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Analysis of ancient bone DNA: techniques and applications.

The analysis of DNA from ancient bone has numerous applications in archaeology and molecular evolution. Significant amounts of genetic information can be recovered from ancient bone: mitochondrial DNA sequences of 800 base pairs have been amplified from a 750-year-old human femur by using the polymerase chain reaction. DNA recovery varies considerably between bone samples and is not dependent on the age of the specimen. We present the results of a study on a small number of bones from a mediaeval and a 17th-century cemetery in Abingdon showing the relation between gross preservation, microscopic preservation and DNA recovery.

Bone and Bones↗

Identification of the skeletal remains of a murder victim by DNA analysis.

There is considerable anthropological and forensic interest in the possibility of DNA typing skeletal remains. Trace amounts of DNA can be recovered even from 5,500-year-old bones and multicopy human mitochondrial DNA sequences can frequently be amplified from such DNA using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). But given the sensitivity of PCR, it is very difficult to exclude contaminating material. We now report the successful identification of the 8-year-old skeletal remains of a murder victim, by comparative typing of nuclear microsatellite markers in the remains and in the presumptive parents of the victim. This analysis establishes the authenticity of the bone DNA and the feasibility of bone DNA typing in forensic investigations.

Adolescent↗

Isolation and characterization of DNA from archaeological bone.

DNA was extracted from human and animal bones recovered from archaeological sites and mitochondrial DNA sequences were amplified from the extracts using the polymerase chain reaction. Evidence is presented that the amplified sequences are authentic and do not represent contamination by extraneous DNA. The results show that significant amounts of genetic information can survive for long periods in bone, and have important implications for evolutionary genetics, anthropology and forensic science.

Animals↗

Commitment of bacterial spores to germinate. A measure of the trigger reaction.

The rate of commitment of bacterial spores to germinate after short exposure to L-alanine increases exponentially from the time of addition of L-alanine. This absence of a lag facilitates kinetic analysis and allows the dependence of commitment on temperature and pH to be determined. The pH profile of commitment has been compared with that obtained from measurements of absorbance decreases during germination, and the two profiles exhibit differing pK values. It is suggested that because the decrease in A600 of spore suspensions is a late event in germination, it is an unsuitable parameter for studying germination-triggering reactions. Commitment has been shown to be temperature-dependent, with an optimum at approx. 37 degrees C and an activation energy (mu) of 1.08 X 10(5) J/mol. The data obtained from the present studies have been used to develop a model for the triggering of germination.

Alanine↗