Abstract
Recently, a first direct estimate of the single base-pair substitution rate in the
human germline was derived from genome-wide DNA sequence data. This result has shed
new light upon the question of whether cutting-edge molecular genetic analysis could,
in a paternity dispute, potentiate discrimination between two alleged fathers who
are monozygotic (MZ) twins. Such paternity cases are not infrequent and usually receive
a high level of public attention. We performed a ‘thought experiment’, the outcome
of which strongly suggests that, by a combination of currently available laboratory
techniques, paternity testing is indeed feasible in the context of MZ twins. Taking
into consideration what is known about the biology of the human male germline, we
would predict that >80% of the offspring of one twin brother would carry at least
one germline mutation that would be detectable in the sperm of their father, but not
in that of the other twin.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 16, 2011
Received:
November 3,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
