scholarly journals Treponema pallidum genome sequencing from six continents reveals variability in vaccine candidate genes and dominance of Nichols clade strains in Madagascar

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0010063
Author(s):  
Nicole A. P. Lieberman ◽  
Michelle J. Lin ◽  
Hong Xie ◽  
Lasata Shrestha ◽  
Tien Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Outer Membrane Proteins ◽  
Treponema Pallidum ◽  
Temporal Analysis ◽  
Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Effective Vaccine ◽  
Most Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Critical Resource

In spite of its immutable susceptibility to penicillin, Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum) subsp. pallidum continues to cause millions of cases of syphilis each year worldwide, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality and underscoring the urgency of developing an effective vaccine to curtail the spread of the infection. Several technical challenges, including absence of an in vitro culture system until very recently, have hampered efforts to catalog the diversity of strains collected worldwide. Here, we provide near-complete genomes from 196 T. pallidum strains–including 191 T. pallidum subsp. pallidum–sequenced directly from patient samples collected from 8 countries and 6 continents. Maximum likelihood phylogeny revealed that samples from most sites were predominantly SS14 clade. However, 99% (84/85) of the samples from Madagascar formed two of the five distinct Nichols subclades. Although recombination was uncommon in the evolution of modern circulating strains, we found multiple putative recombination events between T. pallidum subsp. pallidum and subsp. endemicum, shaping the genomes of several subclades. Temporal analysis dated the most recent common ancestor of Nichols and SS14 clades to 1717 (95% HPD: 1543–1869), in agreement with other recent studies. Rates of SNP accumulation varied significantly among subclades, particularly among different Nichols subclades, and was associated in the Nichols A subclade with a C394F substitution in TP0380, a ERCC3-like DNA repair helicase. Our data highlight the role played by variation in genes encoding putative surface-exposed outer membrane proteins in defining separate lineages, and provide a critical resource for the design of broadly protective syphilis vaccines targeting surface antigens.

scholarly journals Genome sequencing of 196 Treponema pallidum strains from six continents reveals additional variability in vaccine candidate genes and dominance of Nichols clade strains in Madagascar

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole AP Lieberman ◽  
Michelle J Lin ◽  
Hong Xie ◽  
Lasata Shretha ◽  
Tien Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Outer Membrane Proteins ◽  
Treponema Pallidum ◽  
Temporal Analysis ◽  
Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Effective Vaccine ◽  
Most Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Critical Resource

In spite of its immutable susceptibility to penicillin, Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum) subsp. pallidum continues to cause millions of cases of syphilis each year worldwide, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality and underscoring the urgency of developing an effective vaccine to curtail the spread of the infection. Several technical challenges, including absence of an in vitro culture system until very recently, have hampered efforts to catalog the diversity of strains collected worldwide. Here, we provide near-complete genomes from 196 T. pallidum strains, including 191 T. pallidum subsp. pallidum, sequenced directly from patient samples collected from 8 countries and 6 continents. Maximum likelihood phylogeny revealed that samples from most sites were predominantly SS14 clade. However, 99% (84/85) of the samples from Madagascar formed two of the five distinct Nichols subclades. Although recombination was uncommon in the evolution of modern circulating strains, we found multiple putative recombination events between T. pallidum subsp. pallidum and subsp. endemicum, shaping the genomes of several subclades. Temporal analysis dated the most recent common ancestor of Nichols and SS14 clades to 1717 (95% HPD: 1543-1869), in agreement with other recent studies. Rates of SNP accumulation varied significantly among subclades, particularly among different Nichols subclades, and was associated in the Nichols A subclade with a C394F substitution in TP0380, a ERCC3-like DNA repair helicase. Our data highlight the role played by variation in genes encoding putative surface-exposed outer membrane proteins in defining separate lineages, and provide a critical resource for the design of broadly protective syphilis vaccines targeting surface antigens.

scholarly journals Thermotoga lettingae Can Salvage Cobinamide To Synthesize Vitamin B12

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (22) ◽  
pp. 7006-7012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas C. Butzin ◽  
Michael A. Secinaro ◽  
Kristen S. Swithers ◽  
J. Peter Gogarten ◽  
Kenneth M. Noll
Keyword(s):  
Gene Cluster ◽  
Common Ancestor ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
Ancestral State ◽  
Salvage Pathway ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Most Recent Common Ancestor

ABSTRACTWe recently reported that theThermotogalesacquired the ability to synthesize vitamin B12by acquisition of genes from two distantly related lineages,ArchaeaandFirmicutes(K. S. Swithers et al., Genome Biol. Evol. 4:730–739, 2012). Ancestral state reconstruction suggested that the cobinamide salvage gene cluster was present in theThermotogales' most recent common ancestor. We also predicted thatThermotoga lettingaecould not synthesize B12de novobut could use the cobinamide salvage pathway to synthesize B12. In this study, these hypotheses were tested, and we found thatTt. lettingaedid not synthesize B12de novobut salvaged cobinamide. The growth rate ofTt. lettingaeincreased with the addition of B12or cobinamide to its medium. It synthesized B12when the medium was supplemented with cobinamide, and no B12was detected in cells grown on cobinamide-deficient medium. Upstream of the cobinamide salvage genes is a putative B12riboswitch. In other organisms, B12riboswitches allow for higher transcriptional activity in the absence of B12. WhenTt. lettingaewas grown with no B12, the salvage genes were upregulated compared to cells grown with B12or cobinamide. Another gene cluster with a putative B12riboswitch upstream is thebtuFCDABC transporter, and it showed a transcription pattern similar to that of the cobinamide salvage genes. The BtuF proteins from species that can and cannot salvage cobinamides were shownin vitroto bind both B12and cobinamide. These results suggest thatThermotogalesspecies can use the BtuFCD transporter to import both B12and cobinamide, even if they cannot salvage cobinamide.

scholarly journals Complete loss of the MHC II pathway in an anglerfish, Lophius piscatorius

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 20190594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arseny Dubin ◽  
Tor Erik Jørgensen ◽  
Truls Moum ◽  
Steinar Daae Johansen ◽  
Lars Martin Jakt
Keyword(s):  
Mhc Class Ii ◽  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Gene Loss ◽  
Complete Loss ◽  
Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
T Helper ◽  
Mhc Ii ◽  
Most Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Compatibility Complex

Genome studies in fish provide evidence for the adaptability of the vertebrate immune system, revealing alternative immune strategies. The reported absence of the major compatibility complex (MHC) class II pathway components in certain species of pipefish (genus Syngnathus ) and cod-like fishes (order Gadiformes) is of particular interest. The MHC II pathway is responsible for immunization and defence against extracellular threats through the presentation of exogenous peptides to T helper cells. Here, we demonstrate the absence of all genes encoding MHC II components (CD4, CD74 A/B, and both classical and non-classical MHC II α / β ) in the genome of an anglerfish, Lophius piscatorius , indicating loss of the MHC II pathway. By contrast, it has previously been reported that another anglerfish, Antennarius striatus , retains all MHC II genes, placing the loss of MHC II in the Lophius clade to their most recent common ancestor . In the three taxa where MHC II loss has occurred, the gene loss has been restricted to four or five core MHC II components, suggesting that, in teleosts, only these genes have functions that are restricted to the MHC II pathway.

scholarly journals Allelic Genealogies in Sporophytic Self-Incompatibility Systems in Plants

Genetics ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 150 (3) ◽  
pp. 1187-1198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikkel H Schierup ◽  
Xavier Vekemans ◽  
Freddy B Christiansen
Keyword(s):  
Dominance Hierarchy ◽  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Self Incompatibility ◽  
Most Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Dominance Interactions ◽  
Turnover Process ◽  
Neutral Gene ◽  
Interspecific Comparisons ◽  
Coalescence Times

Abstract Expectations for the time scale and structure of allelic genealogies in finite populations are formed under three models of sporophytic self-incompatibility. The models differ in the dominance interactions among the alleles that determine the self-incompatibility phenotype: In the SSIcod model, alleles act codominantly in both pollen and style, in the SSIdom model, alleles form a dominance hierarchy, and in SSIdomcod, alleles are codominant in the style and show a dominance hierarchy in the pollen. Coalescence times of alleles rarely differ more than threefold from those under gametophytic self-incompatibility, and transspecific polymorphism is therefore expected to be equally common. The previously reported directional turnover process of alleles in the SSIdomcod model results in coalescence times lower and substitution rates higher than those in the other models. The SSIdom model assumes strong asymmetries in allelic action, and the most recessive extant allele is likely to be the most recent common ancestor. Despite these asymmetries, the expected shape of the allele genealogies does not deviate markedly from the shape of a neutral gene genealogy. The application of the results to sequence surveys of alleles, including interspecific comparisons, is discussed.

scholarly journals Molecular epidemiological characteristics of echovirus 6 in mainland China: extensive circulation of genotype F from 2007 to 2018

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjun Cheng ◽  
Tianjiao Ji ◽  
Shuaifeng Zhou ◽  
Yong Shi ◽  
Lili Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Genetic Characteristics ◽  
Most Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Echovirus 6 ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics ◽  
Highest Posterior Density ◽  
Genotype F

AbstractEchovirus 6 (E6) is associated with various clinical diseases and is frequently detected in environmental sewage. Despite its high prevalence in humans and the environment, little is known about its molecular phylogeography in mainland China. In this study, 114 of 21,539 (0.53%) clinical specimens from hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) cases collected between 2007 and 2018 were positive for E6. The complete VP1 sequences of 87 representative E6 strains, including 24 strains from this study, were used to investigate the evolutionary genetic characteristics and geographical spread of E6 strains. Phylogenetic analysis based on VP1 nucleotide sequence divergence showed that, globally, E6 strains can be grouped into six genotypes, designated A to F. Chinese E6 strains collected between 1988 and 2018 were found to belong to genotypes C, E, and F, with genotype F being predominant from 2007 to 2018. There was no significant difference in the geographical distribution of each genotype. The evolutionary rate of E6 was estimated to be 3.631 × 10-3 substitutions site-1 year-1 (95% highest posterior density [HPD]: 3.2406 × 10-3-4.031 × 10-3 substitutions site-1 year-1) by Bayesian MCMC analysis. The most recent common ancestor of the E6 genotypes was traced back to 1863, whereas their common ancestor in China was traced back to around 1962. A small genetic shift was detected in the Chinese E6 population size in 2009 according to Bayesian skyline analysis, which indicated that there might have been an epidemic around that year.

scholarly journals The Ancestry of a Sample of Sequences Subject to Recombination

Genetics ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 151 (3) ◽  
pp. 1217-1228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carsten Wiuf ◽  
Jotun Hein
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Distance ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Upper Bound ◽  
Recombination Rate ◽  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Sequence Length ◽  
Most Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Mean Time

Abstract In this article we discuss the ancestry of sequences sampled from the coalescent with recombination with constant population size 2N. We have studied a number of variables based on simulations of sample histories, and some analytical results are derived. Consider the leftmost nucleotide in the sequences. We show that the number of nucleotides sharing a most recent common ancestor (MRCA) with the leftmost nucleotide is ≈log(1 + 4N Lr)/4Nr when two sequences are compared, where L denotes sequence length in nucleotides, and r the recombination rate between any two neighboring nucleotides per generation. For larger samples, the number of nucleotides sharing MRCA with the leftmost nucleotide decreases and becomes almost independent of 4N Lr. Further, we show that a segment of the sequences sharing a MRCA consists in mean of 3/8Nr nucleotides, when two sequences are compared, and that this decreases toward 1/4Nr nucleotides when the whole population is sampled. A measure of the correlation between the genealogies of two nucleotides on two sequences is introduced. We show analytically that even when the nucleotides are separated by a large genetic distance, but share MRCA, the genealogies will show only little correlation. This is surprising, because the time until the two nucleotides shared MRCA is reciprocal to the genetic distance. Using simulations, the mean time until all positions in the sample have found a MRCA increases logarithmically with increasing sequence length and is considerably lower than a theoretically predicted upper bound. On the basis of simulations, it turns out that important properties of the coalescent with recombinations of the whole population are reflected in the properties of a sample of low size.

The evolutionary history and conservation value of disjunct Bartonia paniculata subsp. paniculata (Branched Bartonia) populations in Canada

Botany ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 91 (9) ◽  
pp. 605-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Ciotir ◽  
Chris Yesson ◽  
Joanna Freeland
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Great Lakes Region ◽  
Conservation Value ◽  
Most Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Disjunct Populations ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Global Status

Understanding the spatial distribution of genetic diversity and its evolutionary history is an essential part of developing effective biodiversity management plans. This may be particularly true when considering the value of peripheral or disjunct populations. Although conservation decisions are often made with reference to geopolitical boundaries, many policy-makers also consider global distributions, and therefore a species’ global status may temper its regional status. Many disjunct populations can be found in the Great Lakes region of North America, including those of Bartonia paniculata subsp. paniculata, a species that has been designated as threatened in Canada but globally secure. We compared chloroplast sequences between disjunct (Canada) and core (USA) populations of B. paniculata subsp. paniculata separated by 600 km, which is the minimum distance between disjunct and core populations in this subspecies. We found that although lineages within the disjunct populations shared a relatively recent common ancestor, the genetic divergence between plants from Ontario and New Jersey was substantially greater than expected for a consubspecific comparison. A coalescence-based analysis dated the most recent common ancestor of the Canadian and US populations at approximately 534 000 years ago with the lower confidence estimate at 226 000 years ago. This substantially predates the Last Glacial Maximum and suggests that disjunct and core populations have followed independent evolutionary trajectories throughout multiple glacial–interglacial cycles. Our findings provide important insight into the diverse processes that have resulted in numerous disjunct species in the Great Lakes region and highlight a need for additional work on Canadian B. paniculata subsp. paniculata taxonomy prior to a reevaluation of its conservation value.

scholarly journals Phylogenetic and genetic characterization of Treponema pallidum strains from syphilis patients in Japan by whole-genome sequence analysis from global perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shingo Nishiki ◽  
Kenichi Lee ◽  
Mizue Kanai ◽  
Shu-ichi Nakayama ◽  
Makoto Ohnishi
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Difference ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Treponema Pallidum ◽  
Whole Genome Sequence ◽  
Epidemiological Surveillance ◽  
Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Global Perspectives ◽  
Most Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Sex With Men

AbstractJapan has had a substantial increase in syphilis cases since 2013. However, research on the genomic features of the Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum (TPA) strains from these cases has been limited. Here, we elucidated the genetic variations and relationships between TPA strains in Japan (detected between 2014 and 2018) and other countries by whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analyses, including syphilis epidemiological surveillance data and information on patient sexual orientation. Seventeen of the 20 strains in Japan were SS14- and the remaining 3 were Nichols-lineage. Sixteen of the 17 SS14-lineage strains were classified into previously reported Sub-lineage 1B. Sub-lineage 1B strains in Japan have formed distinct sub-clusters of strains from heterosexuals and strains from men who have sex with men. These strains were closely related to reported TPA strains in China, forming an East-Asian cluster. However, those strains in these countries evolved independently after diverging from their most recent common ancestor and expanded their genetic diversity during the time of syphilis outbreak in each country. The genetic difference between the TPA strains in these countries was characterized by single-nucleotide-polymorphism analyses of their penicillin binding protein genes. Taken together, our results elucidated the detailed phylogenetic features and transmission networks of syphilis.

Whole-genome analysis-based phylogeographic investigation of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 19A sequence type 320 isolates in Japan.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoshi Nakano ◽  
Takao Fujisawa ◽  
Bin Chang ◽  
Yutaka Ito ◽  
Hideki Akeda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Sampling Bias ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Whole Genome Analysis ◽  
Identification Rate ◽  
Most Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
The Common ◽  
The U.S

After the introduction of the seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, the global spread of multidrug resistant serotype 19A-ST320 strains became a public health concern. In Japan, the main genotype of serotype 19A was ST3111, and the identification rate of ST320 was low. Although the isolates were sporadically detected in both adults and children, their origin remains unknown. Thus, by combining pneumococcal isolates collected in three nationwide pneumococcal surveillance studies conducted in Japan between 2008 and 2020, we analyzed 56 serotype 19A-ST320 isolates along with 931 global isolates, using whole-genome sequencing to uncover the transmission route of the globally distributed clone in Japan. The clone was frequently detected in Okinawa Prefecture, where the U.S. returned to Japan in 1972. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the isolates from Japan were genetically related to those from the U.S.; therefore, the common ancestor may have originated in the U.S. In addition, Bayesian analysis suggested that the time to the most recent common ancestor of the isolates form Japan and the U.S. was approximately the 1990s to 2000, suggesting the possibility that the common ancestor could have already spread in the U.S. before the Taiwan 19F-14 isolate was first identified in a Taiwanese hospital in 1997. The phylogeographical analysis supported the transmission of the clone from the U.S. to Japan, but the analysis could be influenced by sampling bias. These results suggested the possibility that the serotype 19A-ST320 clone had already spread in the U.S. before being imported into Japan.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document