Online reference database of European Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (STR) haplotypes

Received 26 September 2000; accepted 18 October 2000.

Abstract

The reference database of highly informative Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (STR) haplotypes (YHRD), available online at http://ystr.charite.de, represents the largest collection of male-specific genetic profiles currently available for European populations. By September 2000, YHRD contained 4688 9-locus (so-called “minimal”) haplotypes, 40% of which have been extended further to include two additional loci. Establishment of YHRD has been facilitated by the joint efforts of 31 forensic and anthropological institutions. All contributing laboratories have agreed to standardize their Y-STR haplotyping protocols and to participate in a quality assurance exercise prior to the inclusion of any data. In view of its collaborative character, and in order to put YHRD to its intended use, viz. the support of forensic caseworkers in their routine decision-making process, the database has been made publicly available via the Internet in February 2000. Online searches for complete or partial Y-STR haplotypes from evidentiary or non-probative material can be performed on a non-commercial basis, and yield observed haplotype counts as well as extrapolated population frequency estimates. In addition, the YHRD website provides information about the quality control test, genotyping protocols, haplotype formats and informativity, population genetic analysis, literature references, and a list of contact addresses of the contributing laboratories.

Keywords: Database, Y chromosome, STR, Haplotype, Forensics

a Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Humboldt Universität, Hannoversche Straße 6, D-10115 Berlin, Germany

b Institute of Medical Genetics, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff C14 4XN, UK

c IPATIMUP, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200 Porto, Portugal

d Institut für Rechtsmedizin München, Frauenlobstraße 7a, D-80337 München, Germany

e Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Butenfeld 34, D-22529 Hamburg, Germany

f Landeskriminalamt Baden-Württemberg, Taubenheimstraße 85, D-70372 Stuttgart, Germany

g Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Adrian Building, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK

h Instituto di Medicina Legale, Universitá Cattolica del S. Cuore, Largo Franceso Vito 1, I-00168 Rome, Italy

i Institute of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain

j Servicio de Huellas Digitales Geneticas, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquimica UBA, Junin 956, 1113 Buenos Aires, Argentina

k Institut National de Criminalistique et de Criminologie, Ch. De Vilvorde 98-100, B-1120 Brussels, Belgium

l Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical University Wroclaw, Mikulicza-Radeckiego 4, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland

m Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Oslo, Rikshospitalet, 0027 Oslo, Norway

n Institute for Forensic Sciences, P.O. Box 314/4, H-1903 Budapest, Hungary

o Institut de Médecine Légale Genève et Lausanne, 9 av. de Champel, 1211 Genève 4, Switzerland

p Institut für Blutgruppenforschung, Hohenzollernring 57, D-50672 Köln, Germany

q Institut für Rechtsmedizin der Universität zu Köln, Melatengürtel 60-62, D-50823 Köln, Germany

r Institut für Rechtsmedizin der Universität Münster, von-Esmarch-Straße 62, D-48149 Münster, Germany

s Landeskriminalamt Sachsen-Anhalt, Lübecker Str. 53-63, D-39124 Magdeburg, Germany

t MGC Department of Human and Clinical Genetics, Forensic Laboratory for DNA Research, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9503, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands

u Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität Leipzig, D-4103 Leipzig, Johannisallee 28, Germany

v Landeskriminalamt Berlin, Tempelhofer Damm 12, D-12101 Berlin, Germany

w Department of Legal Medicine, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Granada, Avda. de Madrid 12, 18071 Granada, Spain

x Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Zaragoza, C/Domingo Miral s/n, 50.009 Zaragoza, Spain

y Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical Academy Warsaw, ul. Oczki 1, 02-007 Warszawa, Poland

z Institut für Gerichtliche Medizin, Universität Innsbruck, Müllerstraße 44, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria

A Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Klinikum der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 9, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany

B Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität Mainz, Am Pulverturm 3, D-55131 Mainz, Germany

C Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, D-39112 Magdeburg, Germany

D Bayerisches Landeskriminalamt, Maillingerstraße 15, D-80636 München, Germany

E Max-Planck-Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie, Abt. Evolutionäre Genetik, Inselstraße 22, D-4103 Leipzig, Germany

Corresponding author. Fax: +49-30-2093-7240

PII: S0379-0738(00)00478-3

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