Origin of plague!!!

Yersinia pestis genome sequencing identifies patterns of global phylogenetic diversity.

Morelli G, Song Y, Mazzoni CJ, Eppinger M, Roumagnac P, Wagner DM, Feldkamp M, Kusecek B, Vogler AJ, Li Y, Cui Y, Thomson NR, Jombart T, Leblois R, Lichtner P, Rahalison L, Petersen JM, Balloux F, Keim P, Wirth T, Ravel J, Yang R, Carniel E, Achtman M.

Abstract

Plague is a pandemic human invasive disease caused by the bacterial agent Yersinia pestis. We here report a comparison of 17 whole genomes of Y. pestis isolates from global sources. We also screened a global collection of 286 Y. pestis isolates for 933 SNPs using Sequenom MassArray SNP typing. We conducted phylogenetic analyses on this sequence variation dataset, assigned isolates to populations based on maximum parsimony and, from these results, made inferences regarding historical transmission routes. Our phylogenetic analysis suggests that Y. pestis evolved in or near China and spread through multiple radiations to Europe, South America, Africa and Southeast Asia, leading to country-specific lineages that can be traced by lineage-specific SNPs. All 626 current isolates from the United States reflect one radiation, and 82 isolates from Madagascar represent a second radiation. Subsequent local microevolution of Y. pestis is marked by sequential, geographically specific SNPs.


Nat Genet. 2010 Dec;42(12):1140-3. Epub 2010 Oct 31.

Why is this cool?

 Imagine everyone around you dying. WOW on all levels. It is even some next level WOW. Every child should already know the many symptoms of plague infection and its effect on the world, but does everyone know the origin of where Yersinia pestis came from? I didn't and that is why today's paper was really cool.
 The researchers gathered many different strains of Y. pestis from around the world and then they compared the genetic sequences at different areas of the genome looking for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). A SNP is where one letter of the genetic sequence has been changed to another. By comparing the presence or absence of SNPs the researchers were able to put together a tree that shows which strain of Y. pestis is the oldest. Once they knew that, they looked at where that strain from, in this case it was China. Using the locations of isolation of each strain and the sequence comparison tree, the researchers put together a map of Y. pestis movement. The plague started in China and then moved everywhere else, presumably along trade lines! Global transportation is again the culprit!
 When I think of Y. pestis, I unavoidably think of the Morlocks! Probably because one of them was named Plague!

 

 The coolest Morlock? It has to be Masque!! 

 His power is to shape your skin and organs into anything he likes..BAM! From ages 18-26, I had a serious fear of someone changing my appearance into something disgusting and crazy. Masque was my worst fear. This character is seriously underutilized! Too many people focus on crazy cosmic level badasses like Magneto, Galactus, or Mephisto, but what about the day to day madness of some loon coming in and changing my face into a big elbow!? True terror.