Genetic Report

Description of the performed Search and the results
In the last fifteen years varied attempts have been completed, to work of different international equips, to recover material genetic from human rests mummified deriving from situated archaeological of Egypt. Nevertheless, while the first publications, exits in the scientific literature, pointed out that, at least in some mummies, they were indeed present residual of the original DNA, following results have not confirmed, or they have confirmed partially only these observations.
It is necessary to specify, on the subject, that the search archeomolecular has made particularly difficult from varied factors. For example, the residual DNA, if it foresees, it is very rare however and strongly damaged. Besides the possibility exists always (in I dig it archaeological as in the laboratory) that the champion comes to contact with modern human DNA, with the result to produce unreliable data. At the present moment, therefore, there is, also in specialist field, a state of notable uncertainty on the validity of the analysis of the DNA in the sector of the Egyptology. E' instead recognized the value of this test in the study of the mummies and of the human skeletal rests and deriving animals from cold climates.
For this motive we have conducted some studies finalized to verify, in the most rigorous way, the presence, or less, of original DNA in a group of deriving finds from excavations or from collections egyptologic. To such elegant, for every find the parameters shown has been determined. Is of diagenesi of the organic material: is determined through the isolation of the collagene from bony champions or of desiccated soft fabric which follows the examination of the degree of racemizzazione of the sour aspartico (D/LAsp); a relationship inferior D/LAsp to 0.8 is considered compatible with the maintenance of the DNA, while a value superior D/LAsp to 0.8-1.0 index of degradation of the material is considered.
Presence and state of maintenance of the DNA mitocondriale:
is determined through the extraction of the total nucleic acids from the champion and the enzymatic amplification of the DNA through PCR, using specific systems for the regions ipervariabili (HVR) of the molecule; every cell of mammal contains 1000-10.000 copies of DNA mitocondriale, while it is containing two copies of the nuclear DNA only, the first one results therefore more easily traceable of the second in the material archeos - and paleoanthropologic.
Presence and state of maintenance of the bacterial DNA:
is determined through the extraction of the total nucleic acids from the champion and the enzymatic amplification of the DNA through PCR using specific systems for the gene procariotico for the RNA ribosomale 16S (rDNA 16S); the examination furnishes important information on the composition of the microbial flora of a dead body (cadaverous flora), therefore it can serve to understand the mechanisms (natural or artificial) that have produced a phenomenon of mummification. These tests have been applied to the examination of champions of soft fabric and bony fabric isolated by the followings human rests:
1) mummy of Merneit, of epoch Saitic (VII-there sec. b.C.), necropolis of Saqqara;
2) mummy of individual of deriving masculine sex from the necropolis of Saqqara (Ptolemaic Epoch);
3) mummy of individual of deriving female sex from the necropolis of Saqqara (Ptolemaic Epoch);
4) "mummy of Narni" (III sec. b.C.).
The examination of the degree of racemizzazione of the sour aspartico (D/LAsp), performed on the different champions, has furnished superior values to 0.2, coherent with the absolute age of the materials. Such results are, in line of principle, incompatible with the maintenance of the DNA. Correspondingly, all the attempts to amplify DNA human mitocondriale or bacterial DNA have produced negative results. Particularly the examination of some fragments of ribs withdrawn by the mummy of Merneit has shown that the contact of the bony fabric with the organic substances used in the process of imbalsamation, doesn't increase the ability of the DNA to survive in the time.
I have been then you examine two heads mummified preserved near the Museum of History of the Medicine of the university in Rome. In passed the heads they belonged to the harvests of the Egyptian Face in Turin; they had moved in Rome to the years ' 50.
The determination of the degree of racemizzazione of the sour aspartico, performed on champions of muscle and bone, has furnished, for both the finds, a series of values that they oscillate between 0.6-0.75. Such relationship is, as says above, index of a good state of maintenance of the organic macromolecoles and it results compatible with the maintenance of the aboriginal genetic material. Nevertheless, an absolute dating through radiocarbonio performed in the edited by last years the Archaeological Superintendence for the Abruzzo (Chieti) it establishes, for one of the two heads, a non anterior age to the XVIII century AD we Have therefore to that to do with built " forgeries " to art for the Europeans that visited Egypt in the last centuries. These " forgeries " are very interesting however for the scientific search in how much they can help to clarify the mechanisms responsible of the degradation of the human and bacterial DNA in the Egyptian environment. Currently we are performing some examinations of the DNA mitocondriale finalized to typify the heads anthropologically. In a parallel search we have submitted some racemizzazione of the sour aspartico to the examination of the DNA and that 13 fragments of paper-papyrus of different age (Byzantine, Arab, Greek-Roman, faraonica). In this case the examination of the DNA has consisted in the search of fragments of the DNA of the plant (Cyperus papyrus) with which the paper has been manufactured. The results have confirmed how much previously observed in the case of the human mummies and that is that the DNA, in the warm environment of Egypt it is degraded completely in an arc of brief time relatively, respectable in 600-700 years. The most important conclusions of the study is that, for how much it concerns the archaeological sites of Egypt, it is extremely unlikely that can be isolated material genetic original from the ancient mummies. This is worth relatively also for the mummies of slow age, as the Ptolemaic mummies. The speed of degradation of the DNA is, of other song, sufficiently low because this molecule can recover in the " forgeries " beginning from the Renaissance.
Produced of the performed Search
The principal product of the search consists in a new method to verify the state of maintenance of the DNA in the material archaeological Egyptian. Such method is founded on the observation that the speed of decadence of the DNA and that of racemizzazione of the sour aspartico are very similar in the paper-papyrus and in the human rests and animals.
The method set consists of two parts:
1) a protocol of extraction of the aminoacidis of the ancient paper-papyrus and determination of the relationship between the enantiomeris D and L of the sour aspartico through HPLC;
2)un method of amplification of fragments of residual DNA using couples of oligonucleotidi from us planned.
Between the products of the search it is from to also include a method to identify the false " mummies " quickly through the examination of the relationship D-L aspartico in fragments of desiccated soft fabric and bone.
The methods are described in details in the publications listed in the special paragraph.