US EditionAncient DNA Sheds Light on Evolution of Relapsing Fever Bacteria
- Scientists from UCL and the Francis Crick Institute analyzed ancient Borrelia recurrentis DNA, dating between 2,300 and 600 years old, to investigate the bacterium's evolutionary history.
- This work follows the unknown timing and impact of B. Recurrentis switching its vector from ticks to human body lice around 5,000 years ago during shifts in human behavior.
- The researchers found gene losses and gains that enhanced the bacteria’s specialization to lice and ability to evade the human immune system, linking genetic changes to environmental conditions.
- Dr Lucy van Dorp explained that studying the genetics of B. Recurrentis from ancient human cases has enabled researchers to observe how the bacterium has alternated between losing and gaining genes over time.
- The findings suggest changes in human society like denser settlements and wool use facilitated B. Recurrentis spread, illustrating how human behaviors and pathogen evolution intertwine with implications for infection control.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Ancient DNA sheds light on evolution of relapsing fever bacteria
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and UCL have analyzed ancient DNA from Borrelia recurrentis, a type of bacteria that causes relapsing fever, pinpointing when it evolved to spread through lice rather than ticks, and how it gained and lost genes in the process.
Science Daily
Ancient DNA used to map evolution of fever-causing bacteria
Researchers have analyzed ancient DNA from Borrelia recurrentis, a type of bacteria that causes relapsing fever, pinpointing when it evolved to spread through lice rather than ticks, and how it gained and lost genes in the process.
Archaeology: The ‘relapsing fever’ is a deadly disease that was initially transmitted only by ticks. The rise of woolen clothing in the…
Gene Loss and Gain Shaped the Evolution of Relapsing Fever Bacteria
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and UCL have analyzed ancient DNA from Borrelia recurrentis, a type of bacteria that causes relapsing fever, pinpointing when it evolved to spread through lice rather than ticks, and how it gained and lost genes in the process.
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