Overview of PCR-Based Systems in Identity Testing

PCR-VNTRs are important markers for questions of identification, individualization, and discrimination. They already form an integral part of forensic DNA analysis. They can be subdivided into the systems of short tandem repeats (STR) with fragment lengths ranging between approx 100 and 300 bp (1 -5 ) and amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AmpFLP) with fragment lengths between 350-1000 bp (6 ,7 ). Several hundred thousand STR loci are interspersed throughout the mammalian genome, and thousands have been further developed and mapped for the human genome (8 ,9 ).