Prototype PowerPlex® Y23 System: A concordance study

The Prototype PowerPlex® Y23 System (Promega Corporation, Madison, WI) is a polymerase chain reaction-based amplification kit that targets the 23 Y STR loci DYS19, DYS385a/b, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS448, DYS456, DYS458, DYS481, DYS533, DYS549, DYS570, DYS576, DYS635, DYS643, and Y-GATA-H4. A total of 951 samples from six populations were typed to evaluate the kit and examine concordance for 17 of the loci that are in common with those that can be typed using the AmpFlSTR® Yfiler™ kit (Life Technologies, Carlsbad, CA). A total of 16,167 loci were analyzed for each multiplex, and overall concordance was observed. Because of different kit designs, and although concordant for the genetic type, discordant calls can occur due to a deletion at the DYS448 locus. Users should take into consideration such nomenclature anomalies when comparing Y STR profiles. This new kit allows a large battery of Y STR loci to be analyzed using the same basic technologies already employed in forensic laboratories.