Emergence of human-adapted Salmonella enterica is linked to the Neolithization process

Emergence of human-adapted Salmonella enterica is linked to the Neolithization process 

Authors: Key et al. 2020 (led by Felix M. Key, Alexander Herbig, and Johannes Krause of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

Recently, aDNA analysis identified human-specific bacterial pathogen Salmonella enterica in two skeletons (450 and 800-yr-old), prompting an in-depth genomic study of the pathogen. 

Using human teeth from Eurasian Neolithic until the Middle Age, researchers analyzed 2,739 ancient metagenomes using DNA extracted from the dental pulp chamber (~6,500-yr-old). 

They found eight ancient Salmonella genomes, found within the AESB and contained the human-adapted serovar Paratyphi C. During the transition from a nomadic lifestyle to that of farming, roughly ~10,000ka, humans lived in close proximity to domestic animals and their waste. During this time human-adapted pathogens, like Salmonella enterica were able to emerge, allowing for the evolution of the S. enterica pathogen to occur over thousands of years, linking it to human culture. 

One of the ways that we are able to study ancient pathogens is through skeletal indicators and fossil evidence. With pathogens like Salmonella, there are no skeletal lesions or physical indicator for archaeologists to find. By using recent advances in ancient DNA, researchers are now able to conduct paleogenomic studies on clinically relevant pathogens and study human diseases in a new light. 

Kailie Batsche

Potluck for 25 February 2020

Citation: Key, F.M., Posth, C., Esquivel-Gomez, L.R. et al. Emergence of human-adapted Salmonella enterica is linked to the Neolithization process. Nat Ecol Evol (2020). https://doi-org.proxygw.wrlc.org/10.1038/s41559-020-1106-9

Link to article: https://www-nature-com.proxygw.wrlc.org/articles/s41559-020-1106-9

Image: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/02/farming-gave-us-salmonella-ancient-dna-suggests