Pesko, B. K., Weidt, S., McLaughlin, M. , Wescott, D. J., Torrance, H., Burgess, K. and Burchmore, R. (2020) Post-mortomics: the potential of untargeted metabolomics to highlight markers for time since death. OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology, 24(11), pp. 649-659. (doi: 10.1089/omi.2020.0084) (PMID:33095683)
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Abstract
The success of forensic investigations involving fatalities very often depends on the establishment of the correct timeline of events. Currently used methods for estimating the postmortem interval (PMI) are mostly dependent on the professional and tacit experience of the investigator, and often with poor reliability in the absence of robust biological markers. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of metabolomic approaches to highlight molecular markers for PMI. Rat and human muscle tissues, collected at various times postmortem, were analyzed using an untargeted metabolomics approach. Levels of certain metabolites (skatole, xanthine, n-acetylneuraminate, 1-methylnicotinamide, choline phosphate, and uracil) as well as most proteinogenic amino acids increased steadily postmortem. Threonine, tyrosine, and lysine show the most predictable evolution over the postmortem period, and may thus have potential for possible PMI markers in the future. This study demonstrates how a biomarker discovery approach can be extended to forensic investigations using untargeted metabolomics.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Burgess, Dr Karl and McLaughlin, Dr Mark and Burchmore, Dr Richard and Weidt, Dr Stefan and Torrance, Dr Hazel |
| Authors: | Pesko, B. K., Weidt, S., McLaughlin, M., Wescott, D. J., Torrance, H., Burgess, K., and Burchmore, R. |
| College/School: | College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine |
| Journal Name: | OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology |
| Publisher: | Mary Ann Liebert |
| ISSN: | 1536-2310 |
| ISSN (Online): | 2218-1989 |
| Published Online: | 13 October 2020 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2020 Bogumila K. Pesko, et al |
| First Published: | First published in OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology 24(11):649-659 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence |
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