A significant discovery in the Sabana de Bogotá region of Colombia revealed the earliest known molecular evidence of Treponema pallidum, the bacteria responsible for diseases such as syphilis, yaws, and bejel, from a 5,500-year-old burial. An adult male, whose skeletal remains showed no signs of treponematosis, provided DNA that was reconstructed into a draft genome named TE1-3. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that this strain is an early-diverging lineage, suggesting greater historical treponemal diversity in the Americas than previously acknowledged and highlighting the power of metagenomic screening in uncovering ancient infections.
1. Genome of T. pallidum reconstructed from a 5,500-year-old burial in Colombia. 2. Individual showed no skeletal signs of treponematosis. 3. T. pallidum DNA detected through metagenomic screening. 4. TE1-3 is a previously unknown lineage. 5. Molecular clock estimates a split around 13,700 years ago. 6. Discovery suggests broader historic treponemal diversity. 7. Highlights the importance of ancient DNA in disease research.
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