Historical variations in mutation rate in an epidemic pathogen, Yersinia pestis

Determinants of rapid adaptation in species with large variance in offspring production

The speed of population adaptation to changing biotic and abiotic environments is determined by the interaction between genetic drift, positive selection and linkage effects. Many marine species (fish, crustaceans), invertebrates and pathogens of humans and crops, exhibit sweepstakes reproduction characterized by the production of a very large amount of offspring (fecundity phase) from which only a small fraction may survive to the next generation (viability phase). Using stochastic simulations, we investigate whether the occurrence of sweepstakes reproduction affects the efficiency of a positively selected unlinked locus, and thus, the speed of adaptation since fecundity and/or viability have distinguishable consequences on mutation rate, probability and fixation time of advantageous alleles. We observe that the mean number of mutations at the next generation is always the function of the population size, but the variance increases with stronger sweepstakes reproduction when mutations occur in the parents. On the one hand, stronger sweepstakes reproduction magnifies the effect of genetic drift thus increasing the probability of fixation of neutral allele and decreasing that of selected alleles. On the other hand, the time to fixation of advantageous (as well as neutral) alleles is shortened by stronger sweepstakes reproduction. Importantly, fecundity and viability selection exhibit different probabilities and times to fixation of advantageous alleles under intermediate and weak sweepstakes reproduction. Finally, alleles under both strong fecundity and viability selection display a synergistic efficiency of selection. We conclude that measuring and modelling accurately fecundity and/or viability selection are crucial to predict the adaptive potential of species with sweepstakes reproduction.

Yersinia pestis can infect the Pawlowsky glands of human body lice and be transmitted by louse bite

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is a highly lethal vector-borne pathogen responsible for killing large portions of Europe's population during the Black Death of the Middle Ages. In the wild, Y. pestis cycles between fleas and rodents; occasionally spilling over into humans bitten by infectious fleas. For this reason, fleas and the rats harboring them have been considered the main epidemiological drivers of previous plague pandemics. Human ectoparasites, such as the body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus), have largely been discounted due to their reputation as inefficient vectors of plague bacilli. Using a membrane-feeder adapted strain of body lice, we show that the digestive tract of some body lice become chronically infected with Y. pestis at bacteremia as low as 1 × 105 CFU/ml, and these lice routinely defecate Y. pestis. At higher bacteremia (≥1 × 107 CFU/ml), a subset of the lice develop an infection within the Pawlowsky glands (PGs), a pair of putative accessory salivary glands in the louse head. Lice that developed PG infection transmitted Y. pestis more consistently than those with bacteria only in the digestive tract. These glands are thought to secrete lubricant onto the mouthparts, and we hypothesize that when infected, their secretions contaminate the mouthparts prior to feeding, resulting in bite-based transmission of Y. pestis. The body louse's high level of susceptibility to infection by gram-negative bacteria and their potential to transmit plague bacilli by multiple mechanisms supports the hypothesis that they may have played a role in previous human plague pandemics and local outbreaks.

The Natural and Clinical History of Plague: From the Ancient Pandemics to Modern Insights

The human pathogen Yersinia pestis is responsible for bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plague. A deeply comprehensive overview of its historical context, bacteriological characteristics, genomic analysis based on ancient DNA (aDNA) and modern strains, and its impact on historical and actual human populations, is explored. The results from multiple studies have been synthesized to investigate the origins of plague, its transmission, and effects on different populations. Additionally, molecular interactions of Y. pestis, from its evolutionary origins to its adaptation to flea-born transmission, and its impact on human and wild populations are considered. The characteristic combinations of aDNA patterns, which plays a decisive role in the reconstruction and analysis of ancient genomes, are reviewed. Bioinformatics is fundamental in identifying specific Y. pestis lineages, and automated pipelines are among the valuable tools in implementing such studies. Plague, which remains among human history's most lethal infectious diseases, but also other zoonotic diseases, requires the continuous investigation of plague topics. This can be achieved by improving molecular and genetic screening of animal populations, identifying ecological and social determinants of outbreaks, increasing interdisciplinary collaborations among scientists and public healthcare providers, and continued research into the characterization, diagnosis, and treatment of these diseases.

Tuberculosis before and after the Black Death (1346-1353 CE) in the Hospital of St John the Evangelist in Cambridge, England

This research explores how the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in a medieval hospital was affected by the demographic and social changes that following the Black Death (1346-1353 CE), the initial years of the Second Plague Pandemic. To do this, skeletal remains of individuals buried at the Hospital of St John the Evangelist in Cambridge, England, that could be dated to living before (n = 77) or after (n = 55) the Black Death were assessed for evidence of TB (indicated by destructive lesions of the spine, ribs, large joints, and other recognised criteria). Overall, the odds of females having skeletal lesions caused by TB were over four times higher than males. No significant difference was detected in the prevalence rates in those who lived before and after the Black Death (7.8%, 6/77 before and 11.0%, 6/55 after). However, the odds of females having skeletal evidence of TB were over five times greater after the Black Death than they were before. These findings indicate that women may have been 1) more susceptible to TB, 2) surviving longer post-infection than men, and/or 3) that women with TB were more likely to be admitted to the Hospital especially following the Black Death. It is also possible that impairment due to TB infection may have been a contributing factor for entry into the Hospital for women but not men.

Characterization of an aspartate aminotransferase encoded by YPO0623 with frequent nonsense mutations in Yersinia pestis

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is a genetically monomorphic bacterial pathogen that evolved from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis approximately 7,400 years ago. We observed unusually frequent mutations in Y. pestis YPO0623, mostly resulting in protein translation termination, which implies a strong natural selection. These mutations were found in all phylogenetic lineages of Y. pestis, and there was no apparent pattern in the spatial distribution of the mutant strains. Based on these findings, we aimed to investigate the biological function of YPO0623 and the reasons for its frequent mutation in Y. pestis. Our in vitro and in vivo assays revealed that the deletion of YPO0623 enhanced the growth of Y. pestis in nutrient-rich environments and led to increased tolerance to heat and cold shocks. With RNA-seq analysis, we also discovered that the deletion of YPO0623 resulted in the upregulation of genes associated with the type VI secretion system (T6SS) at 26°C, which probably plays a crucial role in the response of Y. pestis to environment fluctuations. Furthermore, bioinformatic analysis showed that YPO0623 has high homology with a PLP-dependent aspartate aminotransferase in Salmonella enterica, and the enzyme activity assays confirmed its aspartate aminotransferase activity. However, the enzyme activity of YPO0623 was significantly lower than that in other bacteria. These observations provide some insights into the underlying reasons for the high-frequency nonsense mutations in YPO0623, and further investigations are needed to determine the exact mechanism.

Parallel signatures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and human Y-chromosome phylogeography support the Two Layer model of East Asian population history

The Two Layer hypothesis is fast becoming the favoured narrative describing East Asian population history. Under this model, hunter-gatherer groups who initially peopled East Asia via a route south of the Himalayas were assimilated by agriculturalist migrants who arrived via a northern route across Eurasia. A lack of ancient samples from tropical East Asia limits the resolution of this model. We consider insight afforded by patterns of variation within the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) by analysing its phylogeographic signatures jointly with the human Y-chromosome. We demonstrate the Y-chromosome lineages enriched in the traditionally hunter-gatherer groups associated with East Asia's first layer of peopling to display deep roots, low long-term effective population size, and diversity patterns consistent with a southern entry route. These characteristics mirror those of the evolutionarily ancient Mtb lineage 1. The remaining East Asian Y-chromosome lineage is almost entirely absent from traditionally hunter-gatherer groups and displays spatial and temporal characteristics which are incompatible with a southern entry route, and which link it to the development of agriculture in modern-day China. These characteristics mirror those of the evolutionarily modern Mtb lineage 2. This model paves the way for novel host-pathogen coevolutionary research hypotheses in East Asia.

Comparative sequence analysis elucidates the evolutionary patterns of Yersinia pestis in New Mexico over thirty-two years

Background

Yersinia pestis, a Gram-negative bacterium, is the causative agent of plague. Y. pestis is a zoonotic pathogen that occasionally infects humans and became endemic in the western United States after spreading from California in 1899.

Methods

To better understand evolutionary patterns in Y. pestis from the southwestern United States, we sequenced and analyzed 22 novel genomes from New Mexico. Analytical methods included, assembly, multiple sequences alignment, phylogenetic tree reconstruction, genotype-phenotype correlation, and selection pressure.

Results

We identified four genes, including Yscp and locus tag YPO3944, which contained codons undergoing negative selection. We also observed 42 nucleotide sites displaying a statistically significant skew in the observed residue distribution based on the year of isolation. Overall, the three genes with the most statistically significant variations that associated with metadata for these isolates were sapA, fliC, and argD. Phylogenetic analyses point to a single introduction of Y. pestis into the United States with two subsequent, independent movements into New Mexico. Taken together, these analyses shed light on the evolutionary history of this pathogen in the southwestern US over a focused time range and confirm a single origin and introduction into North America.

mStrain: strain-level identification of Yersinia pestis using metagenomic data

Motivation

High-resolution target pathogen detection using metagenomic sequencing data represents a major challenge due to the low concentration of target pathogens in samples. We introduced mStrain, a novel Yesinia pestis strain/lineage-level identification tool that utilizes metagenomic data. mStrain successfully identified Y. pestis at the strain/lineage level by extracting sufficient information regarding single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which can therefore be an effective tool for identification and source tracking of Y. pestis based on metagenomic data during a plague outbreak.

Definition

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Strain-level identification

Assigning the reads in the metagenomic sequencing data to an exactly known or most closely representative Y. pestis strain.

Lineage-level identification

Assigning the reads in the metagenomic sequencing data to a specific lineage on the phylogenetic tree.

canoSNPs

The unique and typical SNPs present in all representative strains.

Ancestor/derived state

An SNP is defined as the ancestor state when consistent with the allele of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strain IP32953; otherwise, the SNP is defined as the derived state.

Availability and implementation

The code for running mStrain, the test dataset, and instructions for running the code can be found at the following GitHub repository: https://github.com/xwqian1123/mStrain.

Genomic diversity of Yersinia pestis from Yunnan Province, China, implies a potential common ancestor as the source of two plague epidemics

Plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, is a zoonotic disease that can reemerge and cause outbreaks following decades of latency in natural plague foci. However, the genetic diversity and spread pattern of Y. pestis during these epidemic-silent cycles remain unclear. In this study, we analyze 356 Y. pestis genomes isolated between 1952 and 2016 in the Yunnan Rattus tanezumi plague focus, China, covering two epidemic-silent cycles. Through high-resolution genomic epidemiological analysis, we find that 96% of Y. pestis genomes belong to phylogroup 1.ORI2 and are subdivided into two sister clades (Sublineage1 and Sublineage2) characterized by different temporal-spatial distributions and genetic diversity. Most of the Sublineage1 strains are isolated from the first epidemic-silent cycle, while Sublineage2 strains are predominantly from the second cycle and revealing a west to east spread. The two sister clades evolved in parallel from a common ancestor and independently lead to two separate epidemics, confirming that the pathogen responsible for the second epidemic following the silent interval is not a descendant of the causative strain of the first epidemic. Our results provide a mechanism for defining epidemic-silent cycles in natural plague foci, which is valuable in the prevention and control of future plague outbreaks.

Genomic epidemiological analysis of county-scale Yersinia pestis spread pattern over 50 years in a Southwest Chinese prefecture

Plague, one of the most devastating infectious diseases in human history, is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Since the 1950s, the Dehong Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture (DH) in Yunnan Province, China, has recorded plague outbreaks that have resulted in 1,153 human cases and 379 deaths. The genetic diversity and transmission characteristics of Y. pestis strains in this region remain unknown. Here, we performed high-resolution genomic epidemiological analysis of 175 Y. pestis strains isolated from five counties and 19 towns in DH between 1953 and 2007. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that most DH strains were located in lineage 1.ORI2, which could be further subdivided into seven sub-phylogroups (SPG1-SPG7). The dominant sub-phylogroups of Y. pestis in DH varied during different periods and presented a population shift. Genomic evidence showed that plague might have emerged from the southwest of DH (e.g., Longchuan or Ruili counties) or its bordering countries, and subsequently spread to the northeast in multiple waves between 1982 and 2007. Our study infers a fine-scale phylogeny and spread pattern of the DH Y. pestis population, which extends our knowledge regarding its genetic diversity and provides clues for the future prevention and control of plague in this region.

The complex genomic diversity of Yersinia pestis on the long-term plague foci in Qinghai-Tibet plateau

Plague is a typical natural focus disease that circulates in different ecology of vectors and reservoir hosts. We conducted genomic population and phylogenetic analyses of the Yersinia pestis collected from the 12 natural plague foci in China with more than 20 kinds of hosts and vectors. Different ecological landscapes with specific hosts, vectors, and habitat which shape various niches for Y. pestis. The phylogeographic diversity of Y. pestis in different kinds plague foci in China showed host niches adaptation. Most natural plague foci strains are region-and focus-specific, with one predominant subpopulation; but the isolates from the Qinghai-Tibet plateau harbor a higher genetic diversity than other foci. The Y. pestis from Marmota himalayana plague foci are defined as the ancestors of different populations at the root of the evolutionary tree, suggesting several different evolutionary paths to other foci. It has the largest pan-genome and widest SNP distances with most accessory genes enriched in mobilome functions (prophages, transposons). Geological barriers play an important role in the maintenance of local Y. pestis species and block the introduction of non-native strains. This study provides new insights into the control of plague outbreaks and epidemics, deepened the understanding of the evolutionary history of MHPF (M. himalayana plague focus) in China. The population structure and identify clades among different natural foci of China renewed the space cognition of the plague.

Ancient Yersinia pestis genomes lack the virulence-associated YpfΦ prophage present in modern pandemic strains

Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of at least three major plague pandemics (Justinianic, Medieval and Modern). Previous studies on ancient Y. pestis genomes revealed that several genomic alterations had occurred approximately 5000-3000 years ago and contributed to the remarkable virulence of this pathogen. How a subset of strains evolved to cause the Modern pandemic is less well-understood. Here, we examined the virulence-associated prophage (YpfΦ), which had been postulated to be exclusively present in the genomes of strains associated with the Modern pandemic. The analysis of two new Y. pestis genomes from medieval/early modern Denmark confirmed that the phage is absent from the genome of strains dating to this time period. An extended comparative genome analysis of over 300 strains spanning more than 5000 years showed that the prophage is found in the genomes of modern strains only and suggests an integration into the genome during recent Y. pestis evolution. The phage-encoded Zot protein showed structural homology to a virulence factor of Vibrio cholerae. Similar to modern Y. pestis, we observed phages with a common origin to YpfΦ in individual strains of other bacterial species. Our findings present an updated view on the prevalence of YpfΦ, which might contribute to our understanding of the host spectrum, geographical spread and virulence of Y. pestis responsible for the Modern pandemic.

14th century Yersinia pestis genomes support emergence of pestis secunda within Europe

Pestis secunda (1356-1366 CE) is the first of a series of plague outbreaks in Europe that followed the Black Death (1346-1353 CE). Collectively this period is called the Second Pandemic. From a genomic perspective, the majority of post-Black Death strains of Yersinia pestis thus far identified in Europe display diversity accumulated over a period of centuries that form a terminal sub-branch of the Y. pestis phylogeny. It has been debated if these strains arose from local evolution of Y. pestis or if the disease was repeatedly reintroduced from an external source. Plague lineages descended from the pestis secunda, however, are thought to have persisted in non-human reservoirs outside Europe, where they eventually gave rise to the Third Pandemic (19th and 20th centuries). Resolution of competing hypotheses on the origins of the many post-Black Death outbreaks has been hindered in part by the low representation of Y. pestis genomes in archaeological specimens, especially for the pestis secunda. Here we report on five individuals from Germany that were infected with lineages of plague associated with the pestis secunda. For the two genomes of high coverage, one groups within the known diversity of genotypes associated with the pestis secunda, while the second carries an ancestral genotype that places it earlier. Through consideration of historical sources that explore first documentation of the pandemic in today's Central Germany, we argue that these data provide robust evidence to support a post-Black Death evolution of the pathogen within Europe rather than a re-introduction from outside. Additionally, we demonstrate retrievability of Y. pestis DNA in post-cranial remains and highlight the importance of hypothesis-free pathogen screening approaches in evaluations of archaeological samples.

Parallelism in Speciation and Intraspecific Diversification of the Plague Microbe Yersinia pestis

Modern "molecular genetic (MG) phylogenies" of the plague microbe Yersinia pestis, built on models of neutral evolution using statistical methods of phylogenetic analysis, contradict numerous obvious environmental (ECO) patterns and are not consistent with the concept of adaptatiogenesis. The reason for the discrepancy between MG and ECO phylogenies is seen in the underestimation by the MG approach of parallelisms in the processes of speciation and intraspecific diversification of the plague microbe. ECO methods showed the parallel tritope (almost) simultaneous speciation of three primary genovariants (populations, subspecies) Y. pestis 2.ANT3, 3.ANT2, and 4.ANT1 in three geographical populations of the Mongolian marmot (Marmota sibirica), which in the MG approach is mistaken for polytomy ("Big Bang"), caused by unknown natural phenomena on the eve of the first pandemic (Justinian's plague, 6th-8th centuries AD). The discrepancy between the MG and ECO interpretations of the evolution of intraspecifically-derived phylogenetic subbranches 0.PE and 2.MED is also associated with parallel evolutionary processes in independent lines, based on genovariants 2.ANT3, 3.ANT2, and 4.ANT1. The independence of these phylogenetic lines and parallelisms of sub-branches 0.PE and 2.MED associated with them are not taken into account in the MG approach. The prospect of creating a real phylogenetic tree for Y. pestis depends on a creative synthesis of the two approaches-MG and ECO.

Improving the extraction of ancient Yersinia pestis genomes from the dental pulp

Ancient DNA preserved in the dental pulp offers the opportunity to characterize the genome of some of the deadliest pathogens in human history. However, while DNA capture technologies help, focus sequencing efforts, and therefore, reduce experimental costs, the recovery of ancient pathogen DNA remains challenging. Here, we tracked the kinetics of ancient Yersinia pestis DNA release in solution during a pre-digestion of the dental pulp. We found that most of the ancient Y. pestis DNA is released within 60 min at 37°C in our experimental conditions. We recommend a simple pre-digestion as an economical procedure to obtain extracts enriched in ancient pathogen DNA, as longer digestion times release other types of templates, including host DNA. Combining this procedure with DNA capture, we characterized the genome sequences of 12 ancient Y. pestis bacteria from France dating to the second pandemic outbreaks of the 17^th and 18^th centuries Common Era.

The role of reservoir species in mediating plague's dynamic response to climate

The distribution and transmission of Yersinia pestis, the bacterial agent of plague, responds dynamically to climate, both within wildlife reservoirs and human populations. The exact mechanisms mediating plague's response to climate are still poorly understood, particularly across large environmentally heterogeneous regions encompassing several reservoir species. A heterogeneous response to precipitation was observed in plague intensity across northern and southern China during the Third Pandemic. This has been attributed to the response of reservoir species in each region. We use environmental niche modelling and hindcasting methods to test the response of a broad range of reservoir species to precipitation. We find little support for the hypothesis that the response of reservoir species to precipitation mediated the impact of precipitation on plague intensity. We instead observed that precipitation variables were of limited importance in defining species niches and rarely showed the expected response to precipitation across northern and southern China. These findings do not suggest that precipitation-reservoir species dynamics never influence plague intensity but that instead, the response of reservoir species to precipitation across a single biome cannot be assumed and that limited numbers of reservoir species may have a disproportional impact upon plague intensity.

A frameshift in Yersinia pestis rcsD alters canonical Rcs signalling to preserve flea-mammal plague transmission cycles

Multiple genetic changes in the enteric pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis have driven the emergence of Yesinia pestis, the arthropod-borne, etiological agent of plague. These include developing the capacity for biofilm-dependent blockage of the flea foregut to enable transmission by flea bite. Previously, we showed that pseudogenization of rcsA, encoding a component of the Rcs signalling pathway, is an important evolutionary step facilitating Y. pestis flea-borne transmission. Additionally, rcsD, another important gene in the Rcs system, harbours a frameshift mutation. Here, we demonstrated that this rcsD mutation resulted in production of a small protein composing the C-terminal RcsD histidine-phosphotransferase domain (designated RcsD-Hpt) and full-length RcsD. Genetic analysis revealed that the rcsD frameshift mutation followed the emergence of rcsA pseudogenization. It further altered the canonical Rcs phosphorylation signal cascade, fine-tuning biofilm production to be conducive with retention of the pgm locus in modern lineages of Y. pestis. Taken together, our findings suggest that a frameshift mutation in rcsD is an important evolutionary step that fine-tuned biofilm production to ensure perpetuation of flea-mammal plague transmission cycles.

Yersinia pestis Δail Mutants Are Not Susceptible to Human Complement Bactericidal Activity in the Flea

Ail confers serum resistance in humans and is a critical virulence factor of Y. pestis, the causative agent of plague. Here, the contribution of Ail for Y. pestis survival in the flea vector was examined. Rat or human but not mouse sera were bactericidal against a Y. pestis Δail mutant at 28°C in vitro. Complement components deposited rapidly on the Y. pestis surface as measured by immunofluorescent microscopy. Ail reduced the amount of active C3b on the Y. pestis surface. Human sera retained bactericidal activity against a Y. pestis Δail mutant in the presence of mouse sera. However, in the flea vector, the serum protective properties of Ail were not required. Flea colonization studies using murine sera and Y. pestis KIM6+ wild type, a Δail mutant, and the Δail/ail+ control showed no differences in bacterial prevalence or numbers during the early stage of flea colonization. Similarly, flea studies with human blood showed Ail was not required for serum resistance. Finally, a variant of Ail (AilF100V E108_S109insS) from a human serum-sensitive Y. pestis subsp. microtus bv. Caucasica 1146 conferred resistance to human complement when expressed in the Y. pestis KIM6+ Δail mutant. This indicated that Ail activity was somehow blocked, most likely by lipooligosaccharide, in this serum sensitive strain. IMPORTANCE This work contributes to our understanding of how highly virulent Y. pestis evolved from its innocuous enteric predecessor. Among identified virulence factors is the attachment invasion locus protein, Ail, that is required to protect Y. pestis from serum complement in all mammals tested except mice. Murine sera is not bactericidal. In this study, we asked, is bactericidal sera from humans active in Y. pestis colonized fleas? We found it was not. The importance of this observation is that it identifies a protective niche for the growth of serum sensitive and nonsensitive Y. pestis strains.

Yersiniomics, a Multi-Omics Interactive Database for Yersinia Species

The genus Yersinia includes a large variety of nonpathogenic and life-threatening pathogenic bacteria, which cause a broad spectrum of diseases in humans and animals, such as plague, enteritis, Far East scarlet-like fever (FESLF), and enteric redmouth disease. Like most clinically relevant microorganisms, Yersinia spp. are currently subjected to intense multi-omics investigations whose numbers have increased extensively in recent years, generating massive amounts of data useful for diagnostic and therapeutic developments. The lack of a simple and centralized way to exploit these data led us to design Yersiniomics, a web-based platform allowing straightforward analysis of Yersinia omics data. Yersiniomics contains a curated multi-omics database at its core, gathering 200 genomic, 317 transcriptomic, and 62 proteomic data sets for Yersinia species. It integrates genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic browsers, a genome viewer, and a heatmap viewer to navigate within genomes and experimental conditions. For streamlined access to structural and functional properties, it directly links each gene to GenBank, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), UniProt, InterPro, IntAct, and the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) and each experiment to Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA), or the Proteomics Identifications Database (PRIDE). Yersiniomics provides a powerful tool for microbiologists to assist with investigations ranging from specific gene studies to systems biology studies. IMPORTANCE The expanding genus Yersinia is composed of multiple nonpathogenic species and a few pathogenic species, including the deadly etiologic agent of plague, Yersinia pestis. In 2 decades, the number of genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic studies on Yersinia grew massively, delivering a wealth of data. We developed Yersiniomics, an interactive web-based platform, to centralize and analyze omics data sets on Yersinia species. The platform allows user-friendly navigation between genomic data, expression data, and experimental conditions. Yersiniomics will be a valuable tool to microbiologists.

SNP-Profiles of <i>Yersinia pestis</i> Strains of the Medieval Biovar from the Caspian Sea Region Plague Foci

The SNP-typing method based on the detection of stable genetic markers in the genome, i.e., single nucleotide polymorphisms, is successfully used for genotyping of pathogenic microorganisms and can be applied for SNP-profiling of Yersinia pestis strains and molecular-genetic certification of focal areas. The aim of the study was to determine the SNP profiles of Y. pestis strains of the medieval biovar isolated in the Caspian Sea region plague foci in 1912–2015 and to develop a method for identifying unique SNPs using the Sanger sequencing for molecular-genetic certification of these territories. Materials and methods. A comprehensive study of the phenotypic and genotypic properties of 190 Y. pestis strains from plague foci in the Caspian Sea region was carried out. Phylogenetic reconstruction by the Maximum Likelihood method (GTR model) in the SeaView 5.0.4 software was performed on the basis of 1621 SNPs identified among 50 Y. pestis strains according to WG-SNP analysis in the snippy 4.6 program. Primers for PCR amplification of the SNP loci selected as target were calculated using the Vector NTI program. Sanger sequencing of SNPs loci was conducted on an ABI PRISM 3500XL genetic analyzer (Applied Biosystems, USA). Results and discussion. According to phenotypic characteristics, all studied strains from the Caspian foci belonged to a highly virulent and epidemically significant medieval biovar of the main subspecies of Y. pestis. According to the results of the WG-SNP analysis, 9 SNP genotypes were identified based on the polymorphism of single nucleotides of 24 genes characteristic of the main phylopopulations, which include strains isolated during various periods of epidemic and epizootic activity in the Caspian plague foci. Determining of SNP genotypes of Y. pestis strains of the medieval biovar, obtained over a hundred years in the Caspian foci, creates the prerequisites for defining the canonical SNP profile (canSNP) and for developing an algorithm for molecular epidemiological monitoring of the foci in which this highly virulent biovar circulates.

Advanced Molecular-Genetic Methods and Prospects for Their Application for the Indication and Identification of <i>Yersinia pestis</i> Strains

The review provides an analysis of the literature data on the use of various modern molecular-genetic methods for the indication and identification of Yersinia pestis strains with different properties and degree of virulence, which is caused by the diverse natural conditions in which they circulate. The methods are also considered from the perspective of their promising application at three levels (territorial, regional and federal) of the system for laboratory diagnosis of infectious diseases at the premises of Rospotrebnadzor organizations to solve the problem of maintaining the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the country’s population. The main groups of methods considered are as follows: based on the analysis of the lengths of restriction fragments (ribo- and IS-typing, pulse gel electrophoresis); based on the analysis of specific fragments (DFR typing, VNTR typing); based on sequencing (MLST, CRISPR analysis, SNP analysis); PCR methods (including IPCR, SPA); isothermal amplification methods (LAMP, HDA, RPA, SEA, PCA, SHERLOCK); DNA-microarray; methods using aptamer technology; bio- and nano-sensors; DNA origami; methods based on neural networks. We can conclude that the rapid development of molecular diagnostics and genetics is aimed at increasing efficiency, multi-factorial approaches and simplifying the application of techniques with no need for expensive equipment and highly qualified personnel for analysis. At all levels of the system for laboratory diagnosis of infectious diseases at the Rospotrebnadzor organizations, it is possible to use methods based on PCR, isothermal amplification, SHERLOCK, biosensors, and small-sized sequencing devices. At the territorial level, at plague control stations, the use of immuno-PCR and SPA for the indication of Y. pestis is viable. At the regional level, introduction of the technologies based on the use of aptamers and DNA chips looks promising. For the federal level, the use of DNA origami methods and new technologies of whole genome sequencing is a prospect within the framework of advanced identification, molecular typing and sequencing of the genomes of plague agent strains.

Variability of <i>pgm</i>‑Region Genes in <i>Yersinia pestis</i> Strains from the Caspian Sandy and Adjacent Plague Foci

The aim of the study was to compare the nucleotide sequences of pgm‑region genes in Yersinia pestis strains isolated on the territory of the Caspian sandy and adjacent plague foci in 1925–2015. Materials and methods. 65 Y. pestis strains from the Caspian sandy and adjacent plague foci were used in the work. DNA isolation was performed using the PureLink Genomic DNA Mini Kit. Whole genome sequencing was conducted in Ion S5 XL System (Thermo Fischer Scientific). Data processing was carried out using Ion Torrent Suite software package 3.4.2 and NewblerGS Assembler 2.6. To compare the obtained sequences with the NCBI GenBank database, the Blast algorithm was used. The phylogenetic analysis was performed according to the data of whole genome SNP analysis based on 1183 identified SNPs. The search for marker SNPs was performed using the Snippy 4.6 program. The phylogenetic tree was constructed using the Maximum Likelihood algorithm, the GTR nucleotide substitution model. Results and discussion. The nucleotide sequences of pgm‑region genes of 65 Y. pestis strains from the Caspian sandy and adjacent plague foci have been assessed. Single nucleotide substitutions have been identified in Y. pestis strains from the Caspian sandy and Kobystan plain-foothill foci in the hmsR, astB, ybtS, ypo1944, ypo1943, ypo1936 genes, as well as a deletion of 5 bp in the ypo1945 gene, which is characteristic of strains of one of the phylogenetic lines of Y. pestis from the foci of Caucasus and Transcaucasia, isolated in 1968–2001. The data obtained can be used to differentiate Y. pestis strains from the Caspian sandy focus, as well as to establish the directions of microevolution of the plague pathogen in this region and adjacent foci.

Historical and Modern Classifications of the Plague Agent

The review presents the data on domestic and foreign phenotypic classifications of Yersinia pestis strains developed in the XX century; genetic classifications of the XXI century; as well as on the genealogy of ancient strains of the plague microbe, reconstructed using paleogenomic technologies. Since the discovery of the plague agent in 1894, many classifications were created that corresponded to the level of development of microbiology at that time. The intraspecific classification schemes of the XX century were based on three principles: phenotypic differences between strains, features of the species composition of carriers, and geographical affiliation. With the development of molecular microbiology early on in the XXI century, a genetic nomenclature of the branches of the pathogen evolution was developed and a number of classifications based on the analysis of the population structure of Y. pestis were created. Through the prism of the genetic diversity of Y. pestis strains from natural plague foci in Russia, near and far abroad countries, an improved classification with a division into seven subspecies has been developed: pestis, tibetica, caucasica, qinghaica, angolica, central asiatica, ulegeica, which allocates the subspecies according to the phylogenetic principle and epidemic significance. With the advancements in paleomicrobiology, prehistoric lineages of evolution have been included in the genealogy of Y. pestis, which expand the data on the intraspecific diversity of the plague microbe.

Plagued by a cryptic clock: insight and issues from the global phylogeny of Yersinia pestis

Plague has an enigmatic history as a zoonotic pathogen. This infectious disease will unexpectedly appear in human populations and disappear just as suddenly. As a result, a long-standing line of inquiry has been to estimate when and where plague appeared in the past. However, there have been significant disparities between phylogenetic studies of the causative bacterium, Yersinia pestis, regarding the timing and geographic origins of its reemergence. Here, we curate and contextualize an updated phylogeny of Y. pestis using 601 genome sequences sampled globally. Through a detailed Bayesian evaluation of temporal signal in subsets of these data we demonstrate that a Y. pestis-wide molecular clock is unstable. To resolve this, we developed a new approach in which each Y. pestis population was assessed independently, enabling us to recover substantial temporal signal in five populations, including the ancient pandemic lineages which we now estimate may have emerged decades, or even centuries, before a pandemic was historically documented from European sources. Despite this methodological advancement, we only obtain robust divergence dates from populations sampled over a period of at least 90 years, indicating that genetic evidence alone is insufficient for accurately reconstructing the timing and spread of short-term plague epidemics.

Yersinia pestis and Plague: some knowns and unknowns

Since its first identification in 1894 during the third pandemic in Hong Kong, there has been significant progress of understanding the lifestyle of Yersinia pestis, the pathogen that is responsible for plague. Although we now have some understanding of the pathogen's physiology, genetics, genomics, evolution, gene regulation, pathogenesis and immunity, there are many unknown aspects of the pathogen and its disease development. Here, we focus on some of the knowns and unknowns relating to Y. pestis and plague. We notably focus on some key Y. pestis physiological and virulence traits that are important for its mammal-flea-mammal life cycle but also its emergence from the enteropathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Some aspects of the genetic diversity of Y. pestis, the distribution and ecology of plague as well as the medical countermeasures to protect our population are also provided. Lastly, we present some biosafety and biosecurity information related to Y. pestis and plague.

A minisatellite-based MLVA for deciphering the global epidemiology of the bacterial cassava pathogen Xanthomonas phaseoli pv. manihotis

Cassava Bacterial Blight (CBB) is a destructive disease widely distributed in the different areas where this crop is grown. Populations studies have been performed at local and national scales revealing a geographical genetic structure with temporal variations. A global epidemiology analysis of its causal agent Xanthomonas phaseoli pv. manihotis (Xpm) is needed to better understand the expansion of the disease for improving the monitoring of CBB. We targeted new tandem repeat (TR) loci with large repeat units, i.e. minisatellites, that we multiplexed in a scheme of Multi-Locus Variable number of TR Analysis (MLVA-8). This genotyping scheme separated 31 multilocus haplotypes in three clusters of single-locus variants and a singleton within a worldwide collection of 93 Xpm strains isolated over a period of fifty years. The major MLVA-8 cluster 1 grouped strains originating from all countries, except the unique Chinese strain. On the contrary, all the Xpm strains genotyped using the previously developed MLVA-14 microsatellite scheme were separated as unique haplotypes. We further propose an MLVA-12 scheme which takes advantage of combining TR loci with different mutation rates: the eight minisatellites and four faster evolving microsatellite markers, for global epidemiological surveillance. This MLVA-12 scheme identified 78 haplotypes and separated most of the strains in groups of double-locus variants (DLV) supporting some phylogenetic relationships. DLV groups were subdivided into closely related clusters of strains most often sharing the same geographical origin and isolated over a short period, supporting epidemiological relationships. The main MLVA-12 DLV group#1 was composed by strains from South America and all the African strains. The MLVA-12 scheme combining both minisatellite and microsatellite loci with different discriminatory power is expected to increase the accuracy of the phylogenetic signal and to minimize the homoplasy effects. Further investigation of the global epidemiology of Xpm will be helpful for a better control of CBB worldwide.

Pathogen diversity in meta-population networks

The pathogen diversity means that multiple strains coexist, and widely exist in the biology systems. The new mutation of SARS-CoV-2 leading to worldwide pathogen diversity is a typical example. What are the main factors of inducing the pathogen diversity? Previous studies indicated the pathogen mutation is the most important reason for inducing the pathogen diversity. The traffic network and gene network are crucial in shaping the dynamics of pathogen contagion, while their roles for the pathogen diversity still lacking a theoretical study. To this end, we propose a reaction-diffusion process of pathogens with mutations on meta-population networks, which includes population movement and strain mutation. We extend the Microscopic Markov Chain Approach (MMCA) to describe the model. Traffic networks make pathogen diversity more likely to occur in cities with lower infection densities. The likelihood of pathogen diversity is low in cities with short effective distances in the traffic network. Star-type gene network is more likely to lead to pathogen diversity than lattice-type and chain-type gene networks. When pathogen localization is present, infection is localized to strains that are at the endpoints of the gene network. Both the increased probability of movement and mutation promote pathogen diversity. The results also show that the population tends to move to cities with short effective distances, resulting in the infection density is high.

Retrospective analysis of dissemination of the 2.MED1 phylogenetic branch of Yersinia pestis in the Caucasus

The 2.MED1 phylogenetic branch of Yersinia pestis of the medieval biovar became widespread in the Caspian Sea region, the Caucasus, and the Northern Aral Sea region in the 20th century, causing outbreaks and epizootics of plague there. Some of the formed natural foci of 2.MED1 still show epizootic activity and retain their epidemic potential. In this work, we carried out a phylogenetic analysis of 46 Y. pestis strains of the medieval biovar isolated in the Caucasus, the Caspian Sea, and the Northern Aral Sea regions during epidemic outbreaks and epizootics from 1922-2014. The obtained phylogenetic data, together with epidemiological and epizootological data accumulated over a period of about a hundred years, indicate the presence of two waves of penetration of the 2.MED1 branch into the Caucasus. The first occurred, apparently, in the first half of the 20th century as a result of the penetration of 2.MED1 from the foci of the Northern and North-Western Caspian Sea. The second wave was caused by the spread of 2.MED1 from the Northern Aral to the foci of the North-Western, Northern and Eastern Caspian Sea regions at the beginning of the second half of the 20th century, followed by introduction into the Pre-Caucasus and Transcaucasia. The rapid spread of 2.MED1 could be associated with the transfer of the pathogen by land and sea transport in the process of economic activity of the population.

Genotypic properties of collection plague microbes strains from the natural plague foci of Kazakhstan

Background. Epidemiological and epizootological monitoring of natural plague foci requires an integrated approach to solving problems, taking into account the phenotypic and genetic variability of Y. pestis and zoning of natural plague foci. The introduction of a new molecular genetic methodology aimed at studying the genomic polymorphism of the plague pathogen provides reliable results for the differentiation of not only groups, but also individual strains.The aim. To determine the genotypes of the plague microbe from different autonomous foci of the Republic of Kazakhstan.Materials and methods. 105 strains of Y. pestis isolated from various natural plague foci of Kazakhstan in 1951–2015 were studied. The phenotypic properties of the strains were studied using standard microbiological methods. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect fragments of the cafl, pst and YPO2088 genes. Multilocus variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA) was performed for 25 VNTR loci.Results. The phenotypic properties of the strains were preliminarily studied and the strains of the plague microbe were tested for specificity using the Pest-Quest test system (Kazakhstan). The PCR study confirmed the species-specific affiliation of Y. pestis strains. A variety of strains with typical phenotypic characteristics was revealed. MLVA for 25 key loci (MLVA25) revealed that the studied strains of the plague microbe are phylogenetically closest to the Mediaevalis biovar representatives. A phylogenetic tree of the studied strains has been obtained. It was found that 9 genotypes circulate on the territory of Kazakhstan, and their distribution in certain natural plague foci was determined.Conclusions. The resulting clustering indicates the relationship between the strain groups obtained on the dendrogram by the MLVA25 method and the territories of certain natural plague foci.

Epidemiological Characteristics of Human and Animal Plague in Yunnan Province, China, 1950 to 2020

This study analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of 3,464 human plague cases and the distribution pattern of 4,968 Yersinia pestis isolates from humans, hosts, and vector insects from 1950 to 2020 among two natural plague foci in Yunnan Province, China. These foci include the Rattus flavipectus plague focus of the Yunnan, Guangdong, and Fujian provinces and the Apodemus chevrieri-Eothenomys miletus plague focus of the highlands of northwestern Yunnan Province. The case fatality rate for plague in humans was 18.39% (637/3,464), and the total isolation rate of Y. pestis was 0.17% (4,968/2,975,288). Despite that the frequency of human cases declined rapidly, the animal plague fluctuated greatly, alternating between activity and inactivity in these foci. The tendency among human cases can be divided into 4 stages, 1950 to 1955, 1956 to 1989, 1990 to 2005, and 2006 to 2020. Bubonic plague accounted for the majority of cases in Yunnan, where pneumonic and septicemic plague rarely occurred. The natural plague foci have been in a relatively active state due to the stability of local ecology. Dense human population and frequent contact with host animals contribute to the high risk of human infection. This study systematically analyzed the epidemic pattern of human plague and the distribution characteristics of Y. pestis in the natural plague foci in Yunnan, providing a scientific basis for further development and adjustment of plague prevention and control strategies. IMPORTANCE Yunnan is the origin of the third plague pandemic. The analysis of human and animal plague characteristics of plague foci in Yunnan enlightens the prevention and control of the next plague pandemics. The plague characteristics of Yunnan show that human plague occurred when animal plague reached a certain scale, and strengthened surveillance of animal plague and reducing the density of host animals and transmission vectors contribute to the prevention and control of human plague outbreaks. The phenomenon of alternation between the resting period and active period of plague foci in Yunnan further proves the endogenous preservation mechanism of plague.

Ecological scenario of the plague microbe <i>Yersinia pestis</i> speciation underlying adequate molecular evolutionary model

It is known that the psychrophilic pseudotuberculosis microbe serotype 1 (Y. pseudotuberculosis 0:1b) causing Far East scarlet-like fever (FESLF) an intestinal infection found in a wide range of invertebrates and vertebrates inhabiting cold regions in the Northern and Central Asia as well as Far East is direct ancestor of the plague causative agent Yersinia pestis. However, the mechanism of Y. pestis speciation remains poorly elucidated. Numerous Y. pestis phylogenies created by using molecular genetic (MG) technologies are largely contradictory, being not in line with reliable data obtained by natural science approaches (e.g., ecology, epizootology, biogeography, and paleontology), which disagree with current evolutionary doctrine (synthetic theory of evolution). The MG approach provides no definitive answer to the questions of where, when, how, and under what circumstances the species Y. pestis arose. One of the reasons for such situation might be due to inadequacy of using the molecular evolutionary model for Y. pestis phylogenetics. Knowledge of the life cycles for the ancestral pseudotuberculosis and derivative plague microbes as well as related unique environmental features allows to create a reliable ecological model for the plague microbe evolution to be further used for assessing patterns of molecular variability and building proper molecular model that might be accepted for MG-reconstruction of plague microbe history. According to the ecological model, the species Y. pestis was formed in a tritopic manner (almost) simultaneously from FESLF clones (populations) in the three geographical populations of the Mongolian marmot-tarbagan (Marmota sibirica) and the flea Oropsylla silantiewi parasitizing on it. The inducer of speciation was coupled to the last maximum (Sartan) cooling in Central Asia occurred 2215 thousand years ago. Soil cooling and deep freezing resulted in altered behavior of the marmot flea larvae with emergence of facultative hematophagy, which, in turn, led to a unique traumatic (compared to routine alimentary) infection route of sleeping marmots with FESLF and, as a result, a unique way of Y. pestis speciation. The molecular model should predict a Y. pestis peripatric tritope speciation, existing numerous parallelisms in intraspecific variability associated with tritope speciation, and the quantum principle of speciation in the highly variable heterothermic (heteroimmune) stressful marmot-flea (Marmota sibirica Oropsylla silantiewi) host-vector environment involving stress-induced mutagenesis. Such molecular model of evolution may be useful for improving molecular methodology of phylogenetic constructions for a wide range of parasitic microorganisms.

<i>Yersinia pestis</i> Strains of the 1.ORI Line as Etiological Agent of the Plague Pandemic III

Yersinia pestis strains of the 1.ORI lineage originate from China as a result of evolution of the 1.ANT phylogenetic branch. Strains of the biovar orientalis are divided into three major lines of evolution: 1.ORI1, 1.ORI2, 1.ORI3. Lines 1.ORI1 and 1.ORI2 originated in China and then spread across the east and west coasts of India, respectively. Strains of the biovar orientalis have widely spread throughout the world, mainly as a result of introduction by sea. This way, the 1.ORI1 line was imported onto the territory of North America. 1.ORI2 line has spread to Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America. In addition, the strains of the biovar orientalis were brought to the territory of Australia, however, the formation of natural foci did not occur. The spread of strains to new territories during the third plague pandemic, as a rule, took place with the participation of one strain, which caused epizootics among synanthropic rodents. After that, outbreaks were recorded among the population of port cities, followed by drifting into the countryside and the formation of natural foci under suitable natural conditions. In the absence of such, the plague pathogen was eliminated from natural biotopes, and the formation of a natural focus did not occur. In recent decades, most cases of human plague in the world have been caused by strains of the biovar orientalis (1.ORI). However, the emergence and spread of the evolutionary line “1” is insufficiently studied. Currently, there is a lack of both historical data and strains that are ancestors of modern strains in many countries to clarify the details of the irradiation of strains of the biovar orientalis. As a result, the concepts of dissemination of many evolution branches of the strains, biovar orientalis are in the form of hypotheses to date. In this work, the collection and analysis of literature data on the history and epidemiology of plague over the third pandemic, a search for a connection between epidemic manifestations and the appurtenance of the strains that caused them to certain phylogenetic lineages was carried out.

Climate Changes in Central Asia as a Prerequisite and Trigger of Plague Microbe (Yersinia pestis) Speciation

Two physical and climatic factors that were distant and recent prerequisites and a transformation trigger for a clone of the ancestral pseudotuberculous microbe Yersinia pseudotuberculosis O:1b (the causative agent of the Far East scarlet-like fever (FESLF)) into a population of the plague microbe derivative Y. pestis are considered. One remote prerequisite was the aridification of the Central Asian landscapes in the second half of the Cenozoic period and the formation of the Gobi Arid Zone. The arid conditions of Central Asia determined the formation of adaptive species-specific protective behavior in the Tarbagan marmot (Marmota sibirica) when installing the plug of a wintering hole, which later contributed to the massive infection of the animals with FESLF by the aberrant (traumatic, not alimentary) method during hibernation. A recent prerequisite and a real trigger of Y. pestis speciation was the onset of the last maximum (Sartan) ice age in Central Asia at the turn of the Pleistocene and Holocene, 22 000–15 000 years ago. Freezing of the cooling burrows of the Tarbagan marmot caused a behavioral shift in the larval population of the marmot flea Oropsylla silantiewi and the transition to the cold winter–spring months of the year from saprophagy in the nesting litter to hematophagy on the bodies of sleeping animals. Larval scarifications in the oral cavity of sleeping marmots have become the entrance gate for a unique traumatic FESLF infection. The constellation of climatic changes, the heterothermal (and, accordingly, heteroimmune) condition of the family groups of sleeping marmots, and the year-round propagation of marmot fleas in wintering burrows, combined with behavioral shifts in marmots and fleas caused by climatic changes, led to the formation of conditions in the parasitic system M. sibirica–O. silantiewi in which the transformation of the FESLF microbe into the causative agent of the plague occurred according to peripatric speciation. Thus, the climatic changes that happened at different times in the Cenozoic initially led to a shift in behavior of the Tarbagan marmot and, subsequently, to a shift in the behavior of the fleas parasitizing it. Ultimately, the change in the behavior of marmots and fleas caused the transition of the clone(s) of the FESLF causative agent into a new ecological niche and adaptive zone, as well as the transformation into a population(s) of the plague microbe.

Ancient Yersinia pestis and Salmonella enterica genomes from Bronze Age Crete

During the late 3^rd millennium BCE, the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East witnessed societal changes in many regions, which are usually explained with a combination of social and climatic factors.^1-4 However, recent archaeogenetic research forces us to rethink models regarding the role of infectious diseases in past societal trajectories.⁵ The plague bacterium Yersinia pestis, which was involved in some of the most destructive historical pandemics,^5-8 circulated across Eurasia at least from the onset of the 3^rd millennium BCE,^9-13 but the challenging preservation of ancient DNA in warmer climates has restricted the identification of Y.pestis from this period to temperate climatic regions. As such, evidence from culturally prominent regions such as the Eastern Mediterranean is currently lacking. Here, we present genetic evidence for the presence of Y. pestis and Salmonella enterica, the causative agent of typhoid/enteric fever, from this period of transformation in Crete, detected at the cave site Hagios Charalambos. We reconstructed one Y. pestis genome that forms part of a now-extinct lineage of Y. pestis strains from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age that were likely not yet adapted for transmission via fleas. Furthermore, we reconstructed two ancient S. enterica genomes from the Para C lineage, which cluster with contemporary strains that were likely not yet fully host adapted to humans. The occurrence of these two virulent pathogens at the end of the Early Minoan period in Crete emphasizes the necessity to re-introduce infectious diseases as an additional factor possibly contributing to the transformation of early complex societies in the Aegean and beyond.

Pandemic Outbreaks and the Language of Violence

The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought renewed attention to past narratives of disease outbreaks. What do the Black Death and COVID-19 have in common? How we tell outbreak stories is shaped by political, cultural, social, and historical contexts. It is deeply rhetorical. The general public relies on experts (scientists, historians, and government officials) to provide credible information, but uncertainties during an outbreak can make it difficult to provide definitive answers quickly. Experts need to be conscious about the contexts in which their statements would be received. Regarding the Black Death, historians of medicine have relied heavily on a single medieval account of the outbreak, which confirmed their preconceptions about Mongol violence, allowing them to present the Black Death as an instance of biological warfare. Looking at other medieval accounts, however, makes clear that this narrative of Mongol biological warfare is false. Similarly, modern outbreak narratives also tend to use militarized language, which results in othering peoples and cultures where a disease might have originated. Given the contemporary political tensions between China and the United States, narratives about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its transmission have led to a transnational infodemic of misinformation as well as discrimination and violence against people of Asian descent. In light of this long-running pattern, we argue for more interdisciplinary collaborations between the experts whose work is used to build outbreak narratives to adopt more critical rhetorical approaches in communicating with the public.

The source of the Black Death in fourteenth-century central Eurasia

The origin of the medieval Black Death pandemic (ad 1346–1353) has been a topic of continuous investigation because of the pandemic’s extensive demographic impact and long-lasting consequences^1,2. Until now, the most debated archaeological evidence potentially associated with the pandemic’s initiation derives from cemeteries located near Lake Issyk-Kul of modern-day Kyrgyzstan^1,3–9. These sites are thought to have housed victims of a fourteenth-century epidemic as tombstone inscriptions directly dated to 1338–1339 state ‘pestilence’ as the cause of death for the buried individuals⁹. Here we report ancient DNA data from seven individuals exhumed from two of these cemeteries, Kara-Djigach and Burana. Our synthesis of archaeological, historical and ancient genomic data shows a clear involvement of the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis in this epidemic event. Two reconstructed ancient Y. pestis genomes represent a single strain and are identified as the most recent common ancestor of a major diversification commonly associated with the pandemic’s emergence, here dated to the first half of the fourteenth century. Comparisons with present-day diversity from Y. pestis reservoirs in the extended Tian Shan region support a local emergence of the recovered ancient strain. Through multiple lines of evidence, our data support an early fourteenth-century source of the second plague pandemic in central Eurasia.

Small Insertions and Deletions Drive Genomic Plasticity during Adaptive Evolution of Yersinia pestis

The life cycle of Yersinia pestis has changed a lot to adapt to flea-borne transmission since it evolved from an enteric pathogen, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Small insertions and deletions (indels), especially frameshift mutations, can have major effects on phenotypes and contribute to virulence and host adaptation through gene disruption and inactivation. Here, we analyzed 365 Y. pestis genomes and identified 2,092 genome-wide indels on the core genome. As recently reported in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we also detected "indel pockets" in Y. pestis, with average complexity scores declining around indel positions, which we speculate might also exist in other prokaryotes. Phylogenic analysis showed that indel-based phylogenic tree could basically reflect the phylogenetic relationships of major phylogroups in Y. pestis, except some inconsistency around the Big Bang polytomy. We observed 83 indels arising in the trunk of the phylogeny, which played a role in accumulation of pseudogenes related to key metabolism and putatively pathogenicity. We also discovered 32 homoplasies at the level of phylogroups and 7 frameshift scars (i.e., disrupted reading frame being rescued by a second frameshift). Additionally, our analysis showed evidence of parallel evolution at the level of genes, with sspA, rpoS, rnd, and YPO0624, having enriched mutations in Brazilian isolates, which might be advantageous for Y. pestis to cope with fluctuating environments. The diversified selection signals observed here demonstrates that indels are important contributors to the adaptive evolution of Y. pestis. Meanwhile, we provide potential targets for further exploration, as some genes/pseudogenes with indels we focus on remain uncharacterized. IMPORTANCE Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is a highly pathogenic clone of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Previous genome-wide SNP analysis provided few adaptive signatures during its evolution. Here by investigating 365 public genomes of Y. pestis, we give a comprehensive overview of general features of genome-wide indels on the core genome and their roles in Y. pestis evolution. Detection of "indel pockets," with average complexity scores declining around indel positions, in both Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Y. pestis, gives us a clue that this phenomenon might appear in other bacterial genomes. Importantly, the identification of four different forms of selection signals in indels would improve our understanding on adaptive evolution of Y. pestis, and provide targets for further physiological mechanism researches of this pathogen. As evolutionary research based on genome-wide indels is still rare in bacteria, our study would be a helpful reference in deciphering the role of indels in other species.

Sialoglycan binding patterns of bacterial AB5 toxin B subunits correlate with host range and toxicity, indicating evolution independent of A subunits

Many pathogenic bacteria secrete AB₅ toxins that can be virulence factors. Cytotoxic A subunits are delivered to the cytosol following B subunit binding to specific host cell surface glycans. Some B subunits are not associated with A subunits, for example, YpeB of Yersinia pestis, the etiologic agent of plague. Plague cannot be eradicated because of Y. pestis' adaptability to numerous hosts. We previously showed selective binding of other B₅ pentamers to a sialoglycan microarray, with sialic acid (Sia) preferences corresponding to those prominently expressed by various hosts, for example, N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac; prominent in humans) or N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc; prominent in ruminant mammals and rodents). Here, we report that A subunit phylogeny evolved independently of B subunits and suggest a future B subunit nomenclature based on bacterial species names. We also found via phylogenetic analysis of B subunits, which bind Sias, that homologous molecules show poor correlation with species phylogeny. These data indicate ongoing lateral gene transfers between species, including mixing of A and B subunits. Consistent with much broader host range of Y. pestis, we show that YpeB recognizes all mammalian Sia types, except for 4-O-acetylated ones. Notably, YpeB alone causes dose-dependent cytotoxicity, which is abolished by a mutation (Y77F) eliminating Sia recognition, suggesting that cell proliferation and death are promoted via lectin-like crosslinking of cell surface sialoglycoconjugates. These findings help explain the host range of Y. pestis and could be important for pathogenesis. Overall, our data indicate ongoing rapid evolution of both host Sias and pathogen toxin-binding properties.

PgtE Enzyme of Salmonella enterica Shares the Similar Biological Roles to Plasminogen Activator (Pla) in Interacting With DEC-205 (CD205), and Enhancing Host Dissemination and Infectivity by Yersinia pestis

Yersinia pestis, the cause of plague, is a newly evolved Gram-negative bacterium. Through the acquisition of the plasminogen activator (Pla), Y. pestis gained the means to rapidly disseminate throughout its mammalian hosts. It was suggested that Y. pestis utilizes Pla to interact with the DEC-205 (CD205) receptor on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to initiate host dissemination and infection. However, the evolutionary origin of Pla has not been fully elucidated. The PgtE enzyme of Salmonella enterica, involved in host dissemination, shows sequence similarity with the Y. pestis Pla. In this study, we demonstrated that both Escherichia coli K-12 and Y. pestis bacteria expressing the PgtE-protein were able to interact with primary alveolar macrophages and DEC-205-transfected CHO cells. The interaction between PgtE-expressing bacteria and DEC-205-expressing transfectants could be inhibited by the application of an anti-DEC-205 antibody. Moreover, PgtE-expressing Y. pestis partially re-gained the ability to promote host dissemination and infection. In conclusion, the DEC-205-PgtE interaction plays a role in promoting the dissemination and infection of Y. pestis, suggesting that Pla and the PgtE of S. enterica might share a common evolutionary origin.

The performance of outgroup-free rooting under evolutionary radiations

Tree rooting implies a temporal dimension to phylogenies. Only after defining the position of the root node is that the ancestral-descendant relationship between branches can be fully deduced. Rooting has been usually carried out by employing evolutionarily close outgroup lineages, which is a drawback when these lineages are unavailable or unknown. Alternatively, outgroup-free rooting methods were proposed, which rely on the constancy of evolutionary rates to varying degrees. In this work we analyzed the performance of two of these methods, the midpoint rooting (MPR) and the minimal ancestor deviation (MAD), in rooting topologies evolved under challenging scenarios of fast evolutionary radiations derived from empirical data, characterized by short internal branches near the crown node. Considering all branch length combinations investigated, both methods exhibited average success rates below 50%, although MAD slightly outperformed MPR. Moreover, tree balance significantly impacted the relative performance of the methods. We found that, in four-taxa unrooted trees, the outcome of whether both methodologies will correctly root the tree can be roughly predicted by two simple dimensionless metrics: the coefficient of variation of the external branch lengths, and the ratio between the internal branch length to the total sum of branch lengths, which were employed to devise a general linear model that allowed calculating the probability of correct placing the root node for any four-taxa tree. We predicted that the performance of both outgroup-free rooting methods on loci representing the placental mammal radiation ranged between 50% and 75%.

An invasive Haemophilus influenzae serotype b infection in an Anglo-Saxon plague victim

Background

The human pathogen Haemophilus influenzae was the main cause of bacterial meningitis in children and a major cause of worldwide infant mortality before the introduction of a vaccine in the 1980s. Although the occurrence of serotype b (Hib), the most virulent type of H. influenzae, has since decreased, reports of infections with other serotypes and non-typeable strains are on the rise. While non-typeable strains have been studied in-depth, very little is known of the pathogen’s evolutionary history, and no genomes dating prior to 1940 were available.

Results

We describe a Hib genome isolated from a 6-year-old Anglo-Saxon plague victim, from approximately 540 to 550 CE, Edix Hill, England, showing signs of invasive infection on its skeleton. We find that the genome clusters in phylogenetic division II with Hib strain NCTC8468, which also caused invasive disease. While the virulence profile of our genome was distinct, its genomic similarity to NCTC8468 points to mostly clonal evolution of the clade since the 6th century. We also reconstruct a partial Yersinia pestis genome, which is likely identical to a published first plague pandemic genome of Edix Hill.

Conclusions

Our study presents the earliest genomic evidence for H. influenzae, points to the potential presence of larger genomic diversity in the phylogenetic division II serotype b clade in the past, and allows the first insights into the evolutionary history of this major human pathogen. The identification of both plague and Hib opens questions on the effect of plague in immunocompromised individuals already affected by infectious diseases.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13059-021-02580-z.

Multiple phylogenetically-diverse, differentially-virulent Burkholderia pseudomallei isolated from a single soil sample collected in Thailand

Burkholderia pseudomallei is a soil-dwelling bacterium endemic to Southeast Asia and northern Australia that causes the disease, melioidosis. Although the global genomic diversity of clinical B. pseudomallei isolates has been investigated, there is limited understanding of its genomic diversity across small geographic scales, especially in soil. In this study, we obtained 288 B. pseudomallei isolates from a single soil sample (~100g; intensive site 2, INT2) collected at a depth of 30cm from a site in Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand. We sequenced the genomes of 169 of these isolates that represent 7 distinct sequence types (STs), including a new ST (ST1820), based on multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) analysis. A core genome SNP phylogeny demonstrated that all identified STs share a recent common ancestor that diverged an estimated 796-1260 years ago. A pan-genomics analysis demonstrated recombination between clades and intra-MLST phylogenetic and gene differences. To identify potential differential virulence between STs, groups of BALB/c mice (5 mice/isolate) were challenged via subcutaneous injection (500 CFUs) with 30 INT2 isolates representing 5 different STs; over the 21-day experiment, eight isolates killed all mice, 2 isolates killed an intermediate number of mice (1-2), and 20 isolates killed no mice. Although the virulence results were largely stratified by ST, one virulent isolate and six attenuated isolates were from the same ST (ST1005), suggesting that variably conserved genomic regions may contribute to virulence. Genomes from the animal-challenged isolates were subjected to a bacterial genome-wide association study to identify genomic regions associated with differential virulence. One associated region is a unique variant of Hcp1, a component of the type VI secretion system, which may result in attenuation. The results of this study have implications for comprehensive sampling strategies, environmental exposure risk assessment, and understanding recombination and differential virulence in B. pseudomallei.

Genomic epidemiology links Burkholderia pseudomallei from individual human cases to B. pseudomallei from targeted environmental sampling in Northern Australia

Each case of melioidosis results from a single event when a human is infected by the environmental bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. Darwin in tropical northern Australia has the highest incidences of melioidosis globally and the Darwin Prospective Melioidosis Study (DPMS) commenced in 1989, documenting all culture confirmed melioidosis cases. From 2000-2019 we sampled DPMS patient's environments for B. pseudomallei when a specific location was considered to have been where infection occurred. With the aim to use genomic epidemiology to understand B. pseudomallei transmission and infecting scenarios. Environmental sampling was performed at 98 DPMS patient sites, where we collected 975 environmental samples (742 soil; 233 water). Genotyping matched the clinical and epidemiologically linked environmental B. pseudomallei for 19 patients (19%), with the environmental isolates cultured from soil (n=11) or water (n=8) sources. B. pseudomallei isolates from patients and their local environments that matched on genotyping were whole genome sequenced (WGS). Of the 19 patients with a clinical-environmental genotype match, 17 pairs clustered on a Darwin core genome single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) phylogeny, later confirmed by single ST phylogenies and pairwise comparative genomics. When related back to patient clinical scenarios, the matched clinical and environmental B. pseudomallei pairs informed likely modes of infection: percutaneous inoculation, inhalation, and ingestion. Targeted environmental sampling for B. pseudomallei can inform infecting scenarios for melioidosis and dangerous occupational and recreational activities and identify hot spots of B. pseudomallei presence. However, WGS and careful genomics are required to avoid overcalling the relatedness between clinical and environmental isolates of B. pseudomallei.

Heightened Virulence of Yersinia Is Associated with Decreased Function of the YopJ Protein

Despite the maintenance of YopP/J alleles throughout the human-pathogenic Yersinia lineage, the benefit of YopP/J-induced phagocyte death for Yersinia pathogenesis in animals is not obvious. To determine how the sequence divergence of YopP/J has impacted Yersinia virulence, we examined protein polymorphisms in this type III secreted effector protein across 17 Yersinia species and tested the consequences of polymorphism in a murine model of subacute systemic yersiniosis. Our evolutionary analysis revealed that codon 177 has been subjected to positive selection; the Yersinia enterocolitica residue had been altered from a leucine to a phenylalanine in nearly all Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia pestis strains examined. Despite this change being minor, as both leucine and phenylalanine have hydrophobic side chains, reversion of YopJ^F177 to the ancestral YopJ^L177 variant yielded a Y. pseudotuberculosis strain with enhanced cytotoxicity toward macrophages, consistent with previous findings. Surprisingly, expression of YopJ^F177L in the mildly attenuated ksgA^- background rendered the strain completely avirulent in mice. Consistent with this hypothesis that YopJ activity relates indirectly to Yersinia pathogenesis in vivo, ksgA^- strains lacking functional YopJ failed to kill macrophages but actually regained virulence in animals. Also, treatment with the antiapoptosis drug suramin prevented YopJ-mediated macrophage cytotoxicity and enhanced Y. pseudotuberculosis virulence in vivo. Our results demonstrate that Yersinia-induced cell death is detrimental for bacterial pathogenesis in this animal model of illness and indicate that positive selection has driven YopJ/P and Yersinia evolution toward diminished cytotoxicity and increased virulence, respectively.

Acquisition of yersinia murine toxin enabled Yersinia pestis to expand the range of mammalian hosts that sustain flea-borne plague

Yersinia murine toxin (Ymt) is a phospholipase D encoded on a plasmid acquired by Yersinia pestis after its recent divergence from a Yersinia pseudotuberculosis progenitor. Despite its name, Ymt is not required for virulence but acts to enhance bacterial survival in the flea digestive tract. Certain Y. pestis strains circulating in the Bronze Age lacked Ymt, suggesting that they were not transmitted by fleas. However, we show that the importance of Ymt varies with host blood source. In accordance with the original description, Ymt greatly enhanced Y. pestis survival in fleas infected with bacteremic mouse, human, or black rat blood. In contrast, Ymt was much less important when fleas were infected using brown rat blood. A Y. pestis Ymt- mutant infected fleas nearly as well as the Ymt+ parent strain after feeding on bacteremic brown rat blood, and the mutant was transmitted efficiently by flea bite during the first weeks after infection. The protective function of Ymt correlated with red blood cell digestion kinetics in the flea gut. Thus, early Y. pestis strains that lacked Ymt could have been maintained in flea-brown rat transmission cycles, and perhaps in other hosts with similar blood characteristics. Acquisition of Ymt, however, served to greatly expand the range of hosts that could support flea-borne plague.

Distribution and Characteristics of Human Plague Cases and Yersinia pestis Isolates from 4 Marmota Plague Foci, China, 1950-2019

We analyzed epidemiologic characteristics and distribution of 1,067 human plague cases and 5,958 Yersinia pestis isolates collected from humans, host animals, and insect vectors during 1950–2019 in 4 Marmota plague foci in China. The case-fatality rate for plague in humans was 68.88%; the overall trend slowly decreased over time but fluctuated greatly. Most human cases (98.31%) and isolates (82.06%) identified from any source were from the Marmota himalayana plague focus. The tendency among human cases could be divided into 3 stages: 1950–1969, 1970–2003, and 2004–2019. The Marmota sibirica plague focus has not had identified human cases nor isolates since 1926. However, in the other 3 foci, Y. pestis continues to circulate among animal hosts; ecologic factors might affect local Y. pestis activity. Marmota plague foci are active in China, and the epidemic boundary is constantly expanding, posing a potential threat to domestic and global public health.

Quantifying bacterial evolution in the wild: A birthday problem for Campylobacter lineages

Measuring molecular evolution in bacteria typically requires estimation of the rate at which nucleotide changes accumulate in strains sampled at different times that share a common ancestor. This approach has been useful for dating ecological and evolutionary events that coincide with the emergence of important lineages, such as outbreak strains and obligate human pathogens. However, in multi-host (niche) transmission scenarios, where the pathogen is essentially an opportunistic environmental organism, sampling is often sporadic and rarely reflects the overall population, particularly when concentrated on clinical isolates. This means that approaches that assume recent common ancestry are not applicable. Here we present a new approach to estimate the molecular clock rate in Campylobacter that draws on the popular probability conundrum known as the 'birthday problem'. Using large genomic datasets and comparative genomic approaches, we use isolate pairs that share recent common ancestry to estimate the rate of nucleotide change for the population. Identifying synonymous and non-synonymous nucleotide changes, both within and outside of recombined regions of the genome, we quantify clock-like diversification to estimate synonymous rates of nucleotide change for the common pathogenic bacteria Campylobacter coli (2.4 x 10-6 s/s/y) and Campylobacter jejuni (3.4 x 10-6 s/s/y). Finally, using estimated total rates of nucleotide change, we infer the number of effective lineages within the sample time frame-analogous to a shared birthday-and assess the rate of turnover of lineages in our sample set over short evolutionary timescales. This provides a generalizable approach to calibrating rates in populations of environmental bacteria and shows that multiple lineages are maintained, implying that large-scale clonal sweeps may take hundreds of years or more in these species.

A mirror in fiction: drawing parallelisms between Camus's La Peste and COVID-19

COVID-19 represents one of the most challenging global health issues in modern times. However, as epidemics have affected humans since our origins, many before us have described how significantly they compromise human lives. Leaving apart the aspects more linked to medicine and health sciences, we focus here on analysing how epidemics force people to change their habits, what type of emotions and behaviours they promote, and which roles are played by different social actors. For such a purpose, especially if we wish to draw some parallels between past epidemics and COVID-19, historical records seemed to be more suitable than literary works. Nonetheless, we have taken this approach relying on La Peste (Albert Camus, 1947), a novel based on a fictional epidemic of plague in the Algerian town of Oran. Far from creating a barrier separating fiction from reality, this reading allowed us to establish several links with our current situation. Recognising that context and solutions vary widely between the two scenarios, core matters concerning epidemics seemed to remain invariable. The important role of data and statistics, the leadership acquired by health authorities, the separations of relatives or the negative effects on trade and business are some issues which took place in Oran as well as nowadays. Besides that, epidemics also affect humans at an individual level, and certain thoughts and feelings in La Peste's main characters may make us identify with our own fears and desires.