Novei contribution on the diagenetic physicochemical features of bone and teeth minerals, as substrates for ancient DNA typing

The extraction of DNA from skeletal remains is a major step in archeological or forensic contexts. However, diagnesis of mineralized tissues often compromises this task although bones and teeth may represent preservation niches allowing DNA to persist over a wide timescale. This exceptional persiste...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry 2014-07, Vol.406 (19), p.4691-4704
Main Authors: Grunenwald, A, Keyser, C, Sautereau, A M, Crubezy, E, Ludes, B, Drouet, C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Apatite
Bones
Composing
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Mathematical analysis
Minerals
Preservation
Teeth
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Summary:The extraction of DNA from skeletal remains is a major step in archeological or forensic contexts. However, diagnesis of mineralized tissues often compromises this task although bones and teeth may represent preservation niches allowing DNA to persist over a wide timescale. This exceptional persistence is not only explained on the basis of complex organo-mineral interactions through DNA adsorption on apatite crystals composing the mineral part of bones and teeth but is also linked to environmental factors such as low temperatures and/or a dry environment. With the view to bring physicochemical evidence of the preservation or alteration of diagenetic biominerals, we developed here an analytical approach on various skeletal specimens, allowing us to highlight several diagenetic indices so as to better apprehend the complexity of bone diagenesis. As a perspective, this analytical approach could be extended to more numerous sets of specimens so as to draw statistical relationships between mineral and molecular conservation.
ISSN:1618-2642
1618-2650
DOI:10.1007/s00216-014-7863-z