Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( M.tb ) is a globally distributed, obligate pathogen of humans that can be divided into seven clearly defined lineages. An emerging consensus places the origin and global dispersal of M.tb within the past 6,000 years: identifying how the ancestral clone of M.tb spread and differentiated within this timeframe is important for identifying the ecological drivers of the current pandemic. We used Bayesian phylogeographic inference to reconstruct the migratory history of M.tb in Africa and Eurasia and to investigate lineage specific patterns of spread from a geographically diverse sample of 552 M.tb genomes. Applying evolutionary rates inferred with ancient M.tb genome calibration, we estimated the timing of major events in the migratory history of the pathogen. Inferred timings contextualize M.tb dispersal within historical phenomena that altered patterns of connectivity throughout Africa and Eurasia: trans‐Indian Ocean trade in spices and other goods, the Silk Road and its predecessors, the expansion of the Roman Empire, and the European Age of Exploration. We found that Eastern Africa and Southeast Asia have been critical in the dispersal of M.tb . Our results further reveal that M.tb populations have grown through range expansion, as well as in situ, and delineate the independent evolutionary trajectories of bacterial subpopulations underlying the current pandemic.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) is a globally distributed, obligate pathogen of humans that can be divided into seven clearly defined lineages. Identifying how the ancestral clone of M.tb spread and differentiated is important for identifying the ecological drivers of the current pandemic. We reconstructed M.tb migration in Africa and Eurasia, and investigated lineage specific patterns of spread. Applying evolutionary rates inferred with ancient M.tb genome calibration, we link M.tb dispersal to historical phenomena that altered patterns of connectivity throughout Africa and Eurasia: trans-Indian Ocean trade in spices and other goods, the Silk Road and its predecessors, the expansion of the Roman Empire and, the European Age of Exploration. We find that Eastern Africa and Southeast Asia have been critical in the dispersal of M.tb. Our results reveal complex relationships between spatial dispersal and expansion of M.tb populations, and delineate the independent evolutionary trajectories of bacterial sub-populations underlying the current pandemic.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.