Analysis of the methylation profiles in imprinted genes applicable to parental allele discrimination.

This study investigated the distribution of methylated CpGs around several SNPs in five imprinted genes, which are useful to discriminate the differentially methylated parental allele (DMPA), by bisulfite-sequencing method. The genomic DNAs from peripheral blood, saliva and relatively fresh postmortem tissues except for testis showed a differentially methylated status in each parental allele, however, DNAs from the other sources (nail, hair, semen, bloodstains and testis) revealed unexpected methylation patterns with no obvious tendency. Therefore, it would be better to have a cautiousness when the forensic evidences under various conditions are examined by the DMPA detection method.