Intra- and Intermuscular Variations of Postmortem Protein Degradation for PMI Estimation

Overview

Journal Int J Legal Med

Specialty Forensic Sciences

Date 2020 Jul 8

PMID 32632798

Citations 7

Authors

Stefan Pittner

Walther Gotsmy

Angela Zissler

Bianca Ehrenfellner

Dominik Baumgartner

Anna Schrufer

Peter Steinbacher

Fabio Monticelli

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In recent years, protein decomposition has become of increasing interest for the use in forensic estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI). Especially skeletal muscle tissue has proven to be a prime target tissue, among other reasons, due to its large abundance in the human body. In this regard, it is important to know whether there are any intra- and intermuscular differences in the behavior of protein degradation. Thus, samples from different locations within several skeletal muscles as well as from cardiac and smooth muscle tissue samples were collected from three autopsy cases with varying degree of decomposition. Samples were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting and compared for protein degradation patterns. Intramuscular variations turned out to be minimal and without major influence for the use of the method. Observed intermuscular differences provide possibilities for future improvement of the precision and temporal application range. The results of this study show the strengths and current limitations of protein degradation-based PMI estimation and provide a deeper understanding of intraindividual postmortem protein degradation processes.

Citing Articles

Visual analysis of postmortem interval estimation trends and collaborative networks: a 15-year study (2006-2020).

Zhai C Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2024; .

PMID: 39476300 DOI: 10.1007/s12024-024-00908-2.

microRNAs as New Biomolecular Markers to Estimate Time since Death: A Systematic Review.

Cianci V, Mondello C, Sapienza D, Guerrera M, Cianci A, Craco A Int J Mol Sci. 2024; 25(17).

PMID: 39273155 PMC: 11394707. DOI: 10.3390/ijms25179207.

The Role of Protein Degradation in Estimation Postmortem Interval and Confirmation of Cause of Death in Forensic Pathology: A Literature Review.

Huang W, Zhao S, Liu H, Pan M, Dong H Int J Mol Sci. 2024; 25(3).

PMID: 38338938 PMC: 10855206. DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031659.

Forensic Proteomics for the Discovery of New Interval Biomarkers: A Preliminary Study.

Marrone A, La Russa D, Barberio L, Murfuni M, Gaspari M, Pellegrino D Int J Mol Sci. 2023; 24(19).

PMID: 37834074 PMC: 10572818. DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914627.

Systematic Review on Post-Mortem Protein Alterations: Analysis of Experimental Models and Evaluation of Potential Biomarkers of Time of Death.

Sacco M, Cordasco F, Scalise C, Ricci P, Aquila I Diagnostics (Basel). 2022; 12(6).

PMID: 35741301 PMC: 9222196. DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12061490.

References

Poloz Y, ODay D . Determining time of death: temperature-dependent postmortem changes in calcineurin A, MARCKS, CaMKII, and protein phosphatase 2A in mouse. Int J Legal Med. 2009; 123(4):305-14. DOI: 10.1007/s00414-009-0343-x. View

Pittner S, Monticelli F, Pfisterer A, Zissler A, Sanger A, Stoiber W . Postmortem degradation of skeletal muscle proteins: a novel approach to determine the time since death. Int J Legal Med. 2015; 130(2):421-31. DOI: 10.1007/s00414-015-1210-6. View

Janssen I, Heymsfield S, Wang Z, Ross R . Skeletal muscle mass and distribution in 468 men and women aged 18-88 yr. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2000; 89(1):81-8. DOI: 10.1152/jappl.2000.89.1.81. View

Foditsch E, Saenger A, Monticelli F . Skeletal muscle proteins: a new approach to delimitate the time since death. Int J Legal Med. 2015; 130(2):433-40. DOI: 10.1007/s00414-015-1204-4. View

Pittner S, Ehrenfellner B, Monticelli F, Zissler A, Sanger A, Stoiber W . Postmortem muscle protein degradation in humans as a tool for PMI delimitation. Int J Legal Med. 2016; 130(6):1547-1555. PMC: 5055573. DOI: 10.1007/s00414-016-1349-9. View

Zissler A, Ehrenfellner B, Foditsch E, Monticelli F, Pittner S . Does altered protein metabolism interfere with postmortem degradation analysis for PMI estimation?. Int J Legal Med. 2018; 132(5):1349-1356. PMC: 6096570. DOI: 10.1007/s00414-018-1814-8. View

Choi K, Zissler A, Kim E, Ehrenfellner B, Cho E, Lee S . Postmortem proteomics to discover biomarkers for forensic PMI estimation. Int J Legal Med. 2019; 133(3):899-908. PMC: 6469664. DOI: 10.1007/s00414-019-02011-6. View

Lee D, Yang K, Hwang J, Kang H, Lee S, Choi S . Degradation of Kidney and Psoas Muscle Proteins as Indicators of Post-Mortem Interval in a Rat Model, with Use of Lateral Flow Technology. PLoS One. 2016; 11(8):e0160557. PMC: 4995019. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160557. View

da Fonseca C, Paltian J, Dos Reis A, Bortolatto C, Wilhelm E, Luchese C . Na/K-ATPase, acetylcholinesterase and glutathione S-transferase activities as new markers of postmortem interval in Swiss mice. Leg Med (Tokyo). 2018; 36:67-72. DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2018.11.003. View

10.

Mall G, Eisenmenger W . Estimation of time since death by heat-flow Finite-Element model. Part I: method, model, calibration and validation. Leg Med (Tokyo). 2004; 7(1):1-14. DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2004.06.006. View

11.

Muroya S, Ertbjerg P, Pomponio L, Christensen M . Desmin and troponin T are degraded faster in type IIb muscle fibers than in type I fibers during postmortem aging of porcine muscle. Meat Sci. 2010; 86(3):764-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2010.06.019. View

12.

Dahmane R, Djordjevic S, Simunic B, Valencic V . Spatial fiber type distribution in normal human muscle Histochemical and tensiomyographical evaluation. J Biomech. 2005; 38(12):2451-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2004.10.020. View

13.

Charvet B, Ruggiero F, Le Guellec D . The development of the myotendinous junction. A review. Muscles Ligaments Tendons J. 2013; 2(2):53-63. PMC: 3666507. View

14.

Pittner S, Bugelli V, Weitgasser K, Zissler A, Sanit S, Lutz L . A field study to evaluate PMI estimation methods for advanced decomposition stages. Int J Legal Med. 2020; 134(4):1361-1373. PMC: 7295721. DOI: 10.1007/s00414-020-02278-0. View

15.

Pittner S, Ehrenfellner B, Zissler A, Racher V, Trutschnig W, Bathke A . First application of a protein-based approach for time since death estimation. Int J Legal Med. 2016; 131(2):479-483. PMC: 5591615. DOI: 10.1007/s00414-016-1459-4. View

16.

Hudlicka O . Growth of capillaries in skeletal and cardiac muscle. Circ Res. 1982; 50(4):451-61. DOI: 10.1161/01.res.50.4.451. View

17.

Henssge C . Death time estimation in case work. I. The rectal temperature time of death nomogram. Forensic Sci Int. 1988; 38(3-4):209-36. DOI: 10.1016/0379-0738(88)90168-5. View

18.

Madea B, Rodig A . Precision of estimating the time since death using different criteria of supravital muscular excitability. Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2015; 2(2):127-33. DOI: 10.1385/FSMP:2:2:127. View

19.

Pillai-Kastoori L, Heaton S, Shiflett S, Roberts A, Solache A, Schutz-Geschwender A . Antibody validation for Western blot: By the user, for the user. J Biol Chem. 2019; 295(4):926-939. PMC: 6983856. DOI: 10.1074/jbc.RA119.010472. View