Postmortem submersion interval estimation of cadavers recovered from freshwater based on gut microbial community succession
Microbial community succession during decomposition has been proven to be a useful tool for postmortem interval (PMI) estimation. Numerous studies have shown that the intestinal microbial community presented chronological changes after death and was stable in terrestrial corpses with different cause...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-12-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.988297/full |
| _version_ | 1797987365486067712 |
|---|---|
| author | Fuyuan Zhang Pengfei Wang Pengfei Wang Kuo Zeng Huiya Yuan Huiya Yuan Ziwei Wang Xinjie Li Haomiao Yuan Shukui Du Dawei Guan Dawei Guan Linlin Wang Linlin Wang Rui Zhao Rui Zhao |
| author_facet | Fuyuan Zhang Pengfei Wang Pengfei Wang Kuo Zeng Huiya Yuan Huiya Yuan Ziwei Wang Xinjie Li Haomiao Yuan Shukui Du Dawei Guan Dawei Guan Linlin Wang Linlin Wang Rui Zhao Rui Zhao |
| author_sort | Fuyuan Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Microbial community succession during decomposition has been proven to be a useful tool for postmortem interval (PMI) estimation. Numerous studies have shown that the intestinal microbial community presented chronological changes after death and was stable in terrestrial corpses with different causes of death. However, the postmortem pattern of intestinal microbial community succession in cadavers retrieved from water remains unclear. For immersed corpses, the postmortem submersion interval (PMSI) is a useful indicator of PMI. To provide reliable estimates of PMSI in forensic investigations, we investigated the gut microbial community succession of corpses submersed in freshwater and explored its potential application in forensic investigation. In this study, the intestinal microbial community of mouse submersed in freshwater that died of drowning or CO2 asphyxia (i.e., postmortem submersion) were characterized by 16S rDNA amplification and high-throughput sequencing, followed by bioinformatic analyses. The results demonstrated that the chronological changes in intestinal bacterial communities were not different between the drowning and postmortem submersion groups. α-diversity decreased significantly within 14 days of decomposition in both groups, and the β-diversity bacterial community structure ordinated chronologically, inferring the functional pathway and phenotype. To estimate PMSI, a regression model was established by random forest (RF) algorithm based on the succession of postmortem microbiota. Furthermore, 15 genera, including Proteus, Enterococcus, and others, were selected as candidate biomarkers to set up a concise predicted model, which provided a prediction of PMSI [MAE (± SE) = 0.818 (± 0.165) d]. Overall, our present study provides evidence that intestinal microbial community succession would be a valuable marker to estimate the PMSI of corpses submerged in an aquatic habitat. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T07:47:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bf190e94fca3479db104640c1939fed9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T07:47:32Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-bf190e94fca3479db104640c1939fed92022-12-22T04:36:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2022-12-011310.3389/fmicb.2022.988297988297Postmortem submersion interval estimation of cadavers recovered from freshwater based on gut microbial community successionFuyuan Zhang0Pengfei Wang1Pengfei Wang2Kuo Zeng3Huiya Yuan4Huiya Yuan5Ziwei Wang6Xinjie Li7Haomiao Yuan8Shukui Du9Dawei Guan10Dawei Guan11Linlin Wang12Linlin Wang13Rui Zhao14Rui Zhao15Department of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, ChinaDepartment of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, ChinaLiaoning Province Key Laboratory of Forensic Bio-evidence Science, Shenyang, ChinaInstitute of Evidence Law and Forensic Science, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, ChinaLiaoning Province Key Laboratory of Forensic Bio-evidence Science, Shenyang, ChinaDepartment of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, ChinaDepartment of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, ChinaDepartment of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, ChinaDepartment of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, ChinaDepartment of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, ChinaLiaoning Province Key Laboratory of Forensic Bio-evidence Science, Shenyang, ChinaDepartment of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, ChinaLiaoning Province Key Laboratory of Forensic Bio-evidence Science, Shenyang, ChinaDepartment of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, ChinaLiaoning Province Key Laboratory of Forensic Bio-evidence Science, Shenyang, ChinaMicrobial community succession during decomposition has been proven to be a useful tool for postmortem interval (PMI) estimation. Numerous studies have shown that the intestinal microbial community presented chronological changes after death and was stable in terrestrial corpses with different causes of death. However, the postmortem pattern of intestinal microbial community succession in cadavers retrieved from water remains unclear. For immersed corpses, the postmortem submersion interval (PMSI) is a useful indicator of PMI. To provide reliable estimates of PMSI in forensic investigations, we investigated the gut microbial community succession of corpses submersed in freshwater and explored its potential application in forensic investigation. In this study, the intestinal microbial community of mouse submersed in freshwater that died of drowning or CO2 asphyxia (i.e., postmortem submersion) were characterized by 16S rDNA amplification and high-throughput sequencing, followed by bioinformatic analyses. The results demonstrated that the chronological changes in intestinal bacterial communities were not different between the drowning and postmortem submersion groups. α-diversity decreased significantly within 14 days of decomposition in both groups, and the β-diversity bacterial community structure ordinated chronologically, inferring the functional pathway and phenotype. To estimate PMSI, a regression model was established by random forest (RF) algorithm based on the succession of postmortem microbiota. Furthermore, 15 genera, including Proteus, Enterococcus, and others, were selected as candidate biomarkers to set up a concise predicted model, which provided a prediction of PMSI [MAE (± SE) = 0.818 (± 0.165) d]. Overall, our present study provides evidence that intestinal microbial community succession would be a valuable marker to estimate the PMSI of corpses submerged in an aquatic habitat.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.988297/fullforensic medicinepostmortem submersion intervalmicrobial communityaquatic habitatsdecomposition |
| spellingShingle | Fuyuan Zhang Pengfei Wang Pengfei Wang Kuo Zeng Huiya Yuan Huiya Yuan Ziwei Wang Xinjie Li Haomiao Yuan Shukui Du Dawei Guan Dawei Guan Linlin Wang Linlin Wang Rui Zhao Rui Zhao Postmortem submersion interval estimation of cadavers recovered from freshwater based on gut microbial community succession Frontiers in Microbiology forensic medicine postmortem submersion interval microbial community aquatic habitats decomposition |
| title | Postmortem submersion interval estimation of cadavers recovered from freshwater based on gut microbial community succession |
| title_full | Postmortem submersion interval estimation of cadavers recovered from freshwater based on gut microbial community succession |
| title_fullStr | Postmortem submersion interval estimation of cadavers recovered from freshwater based on gut microbial community succession |
| title_full_unstemmed | Postmortem submersion interval estimation of cadavers recovered from freshwater based on gut microbial community succession |
| title_short | Postmortem submersion interval estimation of cadavers recovered from freshwater based on gut microbial community succession |
| title_sort | postmortem submersion interval estimation of cadavers recovered from freshwater based on gut microbial community succession |
| topic | forensic medicine postmortem submersion interval microbial community aquatic habitats decomposition |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.988297/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fuyuanzhang postmortemsubmersionintervalestimationofcadaversrecoveredfromfreshwaterbasedongutmicrobialcommunitysuccession AT pengfeiwang postmortemsubmersionintervalestimationofcadaversrecoveredfromfreshwaterbasedongutmicrobialcommunitysuccession AT pengfeiwang postmortemsubmersionintervalestimationofcadaversrecoveredfromfreshwaterbasedongutmicrobialcommunitysuccession AT kuozeng postmortemsubmersionintervalestimationofcadaversrecoveredfromfreshwaterbasedongutmicrobialcommunitysuccession AT huiyayuan postmortemsubmersionintervalestimationofcadaversrecoveredfromfreshwaterbasedongutmicrobialcommunitysuccession AT huiyayuan postmortemsubmersionintervalestimationofcadaversrecoveredfromfreshwaterbasedongutmicrobialcommunitysuccession AT ziweiwang postmortemsubmersionintervalestimationofcadaversrecoveredfromfreshwaterbasedongutmicrobialcommunitysuccession AT xinjieli postmortemsubmersionintervalestimationofcadaversrecoveredfromfreshwaterbasedongutmicrobialcommunitysuccession AT haomiaoyuan postmortemsubmersionintervalestimationofcadaversrecoveredfromfreshwaterbasedongutmicrobialcommunitysuccession AT shukuidu postmortemsubmersionintervalestimationofcadaversrecoveredfromfreshwaterbasedongutmicrobialcommunitysuccession AT daweiguan postmortemsubmersionintervalestimationofcadaversrecoveredfromfreshwaterbasedongutmicrobialcommunitysuccession AT daweiguan postmortemsubmersionintervalestimationofcadaversrecoveredfromfreshwaterbasedongutmicrobialcommunitysuccession AT linlinwang postmortemsubmersionintervalestimationofcadaversrecoveredfromfreshwaterbasedongutmicrobialcommunitysuccession AT linlinwang postmortemsubmersionintervalestimationofcadaversrecoveredfromfreshwaterbasedongutmicrobialcommunitysuccession AT ruizhao postmortemsubmersionintervalestimationofcadaversrecoveredfromfreshwaterbasedongutmicrobialcommunitysuccession AT ruizhao postmortemsubmersionintervalestimationofcadaversrecoveredfromfreshwaterbasedongutmicrobialcommunitysuccession |