Lipid biomarkers provide evolutionary signposts for the oldest known cases of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis
Oona Y-C LeeDavid E Minnikin

Abstract

Studies on the evolution of tuberculosis, and the influence of this disease on human and animal development and interaction, require the accumulation of indisputable biomarker evidence. Ideally, the determination of full genomes would provide all the necessary information, but for very old specimens DNA preservation may be compromised and only limited DNA amplification may be a possibility. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is characterised by the presence of unusual cell envelope lipids, with specific biomarker potential. Lipid biomarker recognition has been decisive in pinpointing the oldest known cases of human and animal tuberculosis; the former are a woman and child from a pre-pottery settlement at Atlit-Yam, Israel (∼9,000 ka) and the latter is an extinct Bison antiquus from Natural Trap Cave, Wyoming (∼17,000 ka). Including some new data, it is demonstrated how analysis of a combination of mycolic, mycocerosic and mycolipenic acid and phthiocerol biomarkers provide incontrovertible evidence for tuberculosis in these landmark specimens.

References

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Citations

Apr 14, 2016·Trends in Microbiology·Vegard Eldholm, François Balloux
Apr 12, 2016·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Charlotte J Houldcroft, Simon J Underdown
Jul 27, 2015·European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases : Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology·H W WitasJ J Gładykowska-Rzeczycka
Dec 5, 2016·International Journal of Infectious Diseases : IJID : Official Publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases·Helen D Donoghue
Mar 14, 2017·Future Microbiology·Gurkamaljit Kaur, Jagdeep Kaur
Aug 16, 2018·Royal Society Open Science·Dawid SurmikBruce M Rothschild
Apr 11, 2019·Frontiers in Immunology·Joseph W SaelensDavid M Tobin
Jan 22, 2019·International Journal of Paleopathology·Dorthe Dangvard PedersenJesper Lier Boldsen
Jun 24, 2016·Microbiology Spectrum·Michel Drancourt
Oct 12, 2016·Microbiology Spectrum·Helen D Donoghue
Oct 12, 2016·Microbiology Spectrum·Maxime Barbier, Thierry Wirth

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