Population genomics of ancient and modern Trichuris trichiura

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 3888 - 12
• Main Authors: Doyle, Stephen R., Søe, Martin Jensen, Nejsum, Peter, Betson, Martha, Cooper, Philip J., Peng, Lifei, Zhu, Xing-Quan, Sanchez, Ana, Matamoros, Gabriela, Sandoval, Gustavo Adolfo Fontecha, Cutillas, Cristina, Tchuenté, Louis-Albert Tchuem, Mekonnen, Zeleke, Ame, Shaali M., Namwanje, Harriet, Levecke, Bruno, Berriman, Matthew, Fredensborg, Brian Lund, Kapel, Christian Moliin Outzen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 06-07-2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 45/22; 45/23; 631/326/417/2548; 631/326/417/2551; 692/700/478/174; Animals; Archaeology; Epidemiology; Gene sequencing; Genetic diversity; Genetic structure; Genome-Wide Association Study; Genomes; Genomics; Geographical distribution; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Metagenomics; Migration; Monkeys & apes; multidisciplinary; Phylogeny; Population studies; Primates; Primates - genetics; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Soils; Translocation; Trichuriasis - epidemiology; Trichuris - genetics; Trichuris trichiura; Tropical diseases; Whole genome sequencing
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31487-x

The neglected tropical disease trichuriasis is caused by the whipworm
Trichuris trichiura
, a soil-transmitted helminth that has infected humans for millennia. Today,
T. trichiura
infects as many as 500 million people, predominantly in communities with poor sanitary infrastructure enabling sustained faecal-oral transmission. Using whole-genome sequencing of geographically distributed worms collected from human and other primate hosts, together with ancient samples preserved in archaeologically-defined latrines and deposits dated up to one thousand years old, we present the first population genomics study of
T. trichiura
. We describe the continent-scale genetic structure between whipworms infecting humans and baboons relative to those infecting other primates. Admixture and population demographic analyses support a stepwise distribution of genetic variation that is highest in Uganda, consistent with an African origin and subsequent translocation with human migration. Finally, genome-wide analyses between human samples and between human and non-human primate samples reveal local regions of genetic differentiation between geographically distinct populations. These data provide insight into zoonotic reservoirs of human-infective
T. trichiura
and will support future efforts toward the implementation of genomic epidemiology of this globally important helminth.
The whipworm
Trichuris trichiura
is a soil-transmitted helminth that causes the neglected tropical disease trichuriasis in humans. Here, the authors produce whole genome sequences of modern and ancient samples from humans and non-human primates to characterise the genomic diversity and evolution of this pathogen.