Postdegradation proteomics: A novel proteomics aproach in forensic medicine

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22756
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 58:Society medicine, nursing, and related fields
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Ishii Akira 名古屋大学, 医学系研究科, 教授 (30252175)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 名取 雄人 名古屋大学, 医学系研究科, 助教 (80610104)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 法医学 / 法医鑑定 / 法医生化学 / ミオグロビン / 質量分析 / 電気泳動 / ペプチド分析 / プロテオミクス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Not only histological or toxicological examinations, but also some biochemical examinations have been applied to forensic autopsies. However, only a few biochemical tests could be useful for the purpose, because the enzymes released from cells (e.g. aspartate transaminase or alanine transaminase) are discharged from the cells after death.In the present research, we investigated the possibilty and limitation of the application of myoglobin in urine and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in blood. Digested peptides of myoglobin were determined with high sensitivity after trypsin deegestion; however,the bands of myoglobin were not detected in putrefied urine samples in Western blotting analyses. We finally succeeded in detecting and determining the peptides digested with trypsin/lysil endopeptidase in putrefied urine samples; concomiatnts in putrefied urine may have caused the supression of the ionization of the peptide fragments.

Free Research Field

法医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

前述したように、法医解剖に付されるご遺体は、死亡に至る情報や検査結果が得られず、死後の腐敗変性が著明であることも多いため、より正確な鑑定を行うため、病理解剖では通常施行されない検査も応用することがある。特に、法医生化学的検査は、種々の限界があるものの、場合によっては有効なものもある。本研究を進めることにより、ある種の生体中タンパクの高感度分析法が確立され、応用の限界等が明らかになれば、法医鑑定の制度が向上し、司法解剖のみならず、死因究明の解剖にも還元されるため、学術的のみならず、社会的意義は大きい。