03126nas a2200361   4500000000100000008004100001260000900042653001200051653003000063653002100093653000700114653001500121100001300136700001800149700001300167700001400180700000900194700001200203700001300215700001200228700001100240700001400251700001400265700001300279700001500292245011800307856006600425300000800491490000700499050001600506520222800522022001402750       2014                            d  c201410aleprosy10aMedieval leprosy hospital10aSt Mary Magdalen10aUK10aWinchester1 aMendum T1 aSchuenemann V1 aRoffey S1 aTaylor MG1 aWu H1 aSingh P1 aTucker K1 aHinds J1 aCole S1 aKierzek A1 aNieselt K1 aKrause J1 aStewart GR00aMycobacterium leprae genomes from a British medieval leprosy hospital: towards understanding an ancient epidemic.  uhttp://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2164-15-270.pdf  a2700 v15  aMENDUM 20143 a<p>BACKGROUND: Leprosy has afflicted humankind throughout history leaving evidence in both early texts and the archaeological record. In Britain, leprosy was widespread throughout the Middle Ages until its gradual and unexplained decline between the 14th and 16th centuries. The nature of this ancient endemic leprosy and its relationship to modern strains is only partly understood. Modern leprosy strains are currently divided into 5 phylogenetic groups, types 0 to 4, each with strong geographical links. Until recently, European strains, both ancient and modern, were thought to be exclusively type 3 strains. However, evidence for type 2 strains, a group normally associated with Central Asia and the Middle East, has recently been found in archaeological samples in Scandinavia and from two skeletons from the medieval leprosy hospital (or leprosarium) of St Mary Magdalen, near Winchester, England. RESULTS: Here we report the genotypic analysis and whole genome sequencing of two further ancient M. leprae genomes extracted from the remains of two individuals, Sk14 and Sk27, that were excavated from 10th-12th century burials at the leprosarium of St Mary Magdalen. DNA was extracted from the surfaces of bones showing osteological signs of leprosy. Known M. leprae polymorphisms were PCR amplified and Sanger sequenced, while draft genomes were generated by enriching for M. leprae DNA, and Illumina sequencing. SNP-typing and phylogenetic analysis of the draft genomes placed both of these ancient strains in the conserved type 2 group, with very few novel SNPs compared to other ancient or modern strains. CONCLUSIONS: The genomes of the two newly sequenced M. leprae strains group firmly with other type 2F strains. Moreover, the M. leprae strain most closely related to one of the strains, Sk14, in the worldwide phylogeny is a contemporaneous ancient St Magdalen skeleton, vividly illustrating the epidemic and clonal nature of leprosy at this site. The prevalence of these type 2 strains indicates that type 2F strains, in contrast to later European and associated North American type 3 isolates, may have been the co-dominant or even the predominant genotype at this location during the 11th century.</p>
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