The Potential of High-throughput Metagenomic Sequencing of Aquatic Bacterial Communities to Estimate the Postmortem Submersion Interval

Mark Eric Benbow ^[1] ; Jennifer L. Pechal ^[1] ; Jennifer M. Lang ^[2] ; Racheal Erb ^[3] ; John R. Wallace ^[3]
1. [1] Michigan State University
  
  Michigan State University
  
  City of East Lansing, Estados Unidos
2. [2] University of Dayton
  
  University of Dayton
  
  City of Dayton, Estados Unidos
3. [3] Millersville University
  
  Millersville University
  
  Borough of Millersville, Estados Unidos
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Localización: Journal of forensic sciences, ISSN-e 1556-4029, ISSN 0022-1198, Vol. 60, Nº. 6, 2015, págs. 1500-1510
Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
- Human remains can be discovered in freshwater or marine ecosystems, circumstances where insects and other invertebrates have infrequently been used for understanding the time of postmortem submersion. In this study, the identification and succession of epinecrotic bacterial communities on vertebrate remains were described during decomposition in a temperate headwater stream during two seasons (summer and winter). Bacterial communities were characterized with 454 pyrosequencing and analyzed at phyletic and generic taxonomic resolutions. There was a significant increase in genera richness over decomposition during both seasons. Additionally, multivariate statistical modeling revealed significant differences in bacterial communities between seasons at both taxonomic resolutions and siginificant genera differences among sampling days within each season, suggesting a succession of these communities. These data are the first to describe aquatic bacterial succession using high-throughput metagenomic sequencing on vertebrate remains submerged in a freshwater habitat, and provide initial evidence for their potential use in forensic investigations.