Mycobacterium leprae diversity and population dynamics in medieval Europe from novel ancient genomes

Author:

Pfrengle Saskia,Neukamm Judith,Guellil Meriam,Keller Marcel,Molak Martyna,Avanzi Charlotte,Kushniarevich Alena,Montes Núria,Neumann Gunnar U.,Reiter Ella,Tukhbatova Rezeda I.,Berezina Nataliya Y.,Buzhilova Alexandra P.,Korobov Dmitry S.,Suppersberger Hamre Stian,Matos Vitor M. J.,Ferreira Maria T.,González-Garrido Laura,Wasterlain Sofia N.,Lopes Célia,Santos Ana Luisa,Antunes-Ferreira Nathalie,Duarte Vitória,Silva Ana Maria,Melo Linda,Sarkic Natasa,Saag Lehti,Tambets Kristiina,Busso Philippe,Cole Stewart T.,Avlasovich Alexei,Roberts Charlotte A.,Sheridan Alison,Cessford Craig,Robb John,Krause Johannes,Scheib Christiana L.,Inskip Sarah A.,Schuenemann Verena J.ORCID

Abstract

Abstract Background Hansen’s disease (leprosy), widespread in medieval Europe, is today mainly prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions with around 200,000 new cases reported annually. Despite its long history and appearance in historical records, its origins and past dissemination patterns are still widely unknown. Applying ancient DNA approaches to its major causative agent, Mycobacterium leprae, can significantly improve our understanding of the disease’s complex history. Previous studies have identified a high genetic continuity of the pathogen over the last 1500 years and the existence of at least four M. leprae lineages in some parts of Europe since the Early Medieval period. Results Here, we reconstructed 19 ancient M. leprae genomes to further investigate M. leprae’s genetic variation in Europe, with a dedicated focus on bacterial genomes from previously unstudied regions (Belarus, Iberia, Russia, Scotland), from multiple sites in a single region (Cambridgeshire, England), and from two Iberian leprosaria. Overall, our data confirm the existence of similar phylogeographic patterns across Europe, including high diversity in leprosaria. Further, we identified a new genotype in Belarus. By doubling the number of complete ancient M. leprae genomes, our results improve our knowledge of the past phylogeography of M. leprae and reveal a particularly high M. leprae diversity in European medieval leprosaria. Conclusions Our findings allow us to detect similar patterns of strain diversity across Europe with branch 3 as the most common branch and the leprosaria as centers for high diversity. The higher resolution of our phylogeny tree also refined our understanding of the interspecies transfer between red squirrels and humans pointing to a late antique/early medieval transmission. Furthermore, with our new estimates on the past population diversity of M. leprae, we gained first insights into the disease’s global history in relation to major historic events such as the Roman expansion or the beginning of the regular transatlantic long distance trade. In summary, our findings highlight how studying ancient M. leprae genomes worldwide improves our understanding of leprosy’s global history and can contribute to current models of M. leprae’s worldwide dissemination, including interspecies transmissions.

Funder

University of Zurich’s University Research Priority Program “Evolution in Action: From Genomes to Ecosystems”

the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (S-HEP) at the University of Tübingen

Max-Planck Society

European Regional Development Fund

Estonian Research Council personal research grants

Research Council personal research grants

Wellcome Trust

St John’s College, Cambridge

National Science Centre in Poland

H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Fondation Raoul Follereau

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Subject

Cell Biology,Developmental Biology,Plant Science,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology,Physiology,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics,Structural Biology,Biotechnology

Reference166 articles.

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