In this study, a novel multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed for amplifying the newly introduced 13 rapidly mutating Y-STR markers (RM Y-STRs) including DYF387S1, DYF399S1, DYF403S1a/b, DYF404S1, DYS449, DYS518, DYS526b, DYS547, DYS570, DYS576, DYS612, DYS626, and DYS627. In addition, a survey for mutation rates of the 13 RM Y-STRs in Chinese Han population was performed to make sure of the mutation characteristic and application in Chinese group. With 14,476 allele transfers in 1034 father-son pairs, 221 mutation events occurred, of which 215 were one-step mutations and 6 were two-step mutations. Nineteen father-son pairs were found to have mutations at two loci and one pair at three loci. Based upon our research data, 18.96 % of all 1034 father-son pairs were successfully differentiated, and the estimated locus-specific mutation rates varied from 4.84 × 10-3 to 6.29 × 10-2, with an average estimated mutation rate 1.53 × 10-2 (95 % CI 1.33 × 10-2 to 1.74 × 10-2). Among the 13 Y-STR markers, eight loci (DYF399S1, DYF403S1a, DYF404S1, DYS449, DYS518, DYS547, DYS576, and DYS612) had mutation rates higher than 1.00 × 10-2, and the rest loci lower than 1.00 × 10-2 in Chinese samples.
Keywords: Lineage differentiation; Multiplex assay; Mutation; Rapidly mutating Y-STR.