Spanish population data and forensic usefulness of a novel Y-STR set (DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS460, DYS461, GATA A10, GATA C4, GATA H4).

DNA typing of 8 recently described STRs on the Y chromosome was carried out by means of 2 multiplex amplification reactions for 134 unrelated males from Cantabria, a region in northern Spain. Multiplex 1 included loci DYS460 (GATA A7.1), GATA A10, GATA H4 and DYS439; multiplex 2 included DYS461 (GATA A7.2), GATA C4, DYS437 and DYS438. Haplotype diversity was found to be 99.36%, similar to that obtained with the standard 9-STR set ("minimal haplotype") of the European Y-user group (99.35%). The 13-locus haplotype resulting from the combination of the standard minimal haplotype and the 4-locus multiplex 1 showed a 99.89% diversity. Further inclusion of the 4 loci in multiplex 2 resulted in a haplotype diversity of 99.93%. The combination of the "minimal haplotype" and the multiplex 1 in the present study may be an efficient way of increasing the power of discrimination in forensic cases.