Abstract
It is common for forensic biology laboratories to perform Y-chromosome DNA analysis in samples containing traces of male DNA in the presence of high levels of female DNA associated with sexual assault cases. Given the nature of inheritance of the Y-chromosome from the paternal line, the addition of rapidly mutating (RM) Y-STR markers can help distinguish between closely related males. This study compared the performance of Yfiler (TM) Plus and Investigator Argus Y-28, assessing kit-specific sensitivity of single donor and mixed donor samples and the tolerance to three known PCR inhibitors. This study demonstrated both kits offer comparable sensitivity and DNA profiling outcomes for single donor samples. The Investigator Argus Y28 kit was more robust in the presence of inhibitors, whilst the Yfiler (TM) Plus kit showed improved minor contributor detection in mixed samples. Overall, each kit provides alternate advantages for casework, with the value of each kit being dependent on the sample type.
