Analysis of genomic DNA from medieval plague victims suggests long-term effect of Yersinia pestis on human immunity genes.

摘要: Pathogens and associated outbreaks of infectious disease exert selective pressure on human populations, any changes in allele frequencies that result may be especially evident for genes involved immunity. In this regard, the 1346-1353 Yersinia pestis-caused Black Death pandemic, with continued plague spanning several hundred years, is one most devastating recorded history. To investigate potential impact Y. pestis immunity we extracted DNA from 36 victims buried a mass grave Ellwangen, Germany 16th century. We targeted 488 immune-related genes, including HLA, using novel in-solution hybridization capture approach. comparison 50 modern native inhabitants find differences variants innate proteins Ficolin-2 NLRP14 at sites determining specificity. also observed HLA-DRB1*13 more than twice as frequent population, whereas HLA-B alleles encoding an isoleucine position 80 (I-80+), HLA C*06:02 HLA-DPB1 histidine 9 are half population. Simulations show natural selection has likely driven these frequency changes. Thus, our data suggests adaptive responsible extracellular intracellular responses to pathogenic bacteria, such pestis, could have been affected by historical epidemics occurred Europe.