Evolutionary Processes in the Emergence and Recent Spread of
the Syphilis Agent, Treponema pallidum

J 2022

Evolutionary Processes in the Emergence and Recent Spread of the Syphilis Agent, Treponema pallidum

PLA-DIAZ, Marta, Leonor SANCHEZ-BUSO, Lorenzo GIACANI, David ŠMAJS, Philipp P BOSSHARD et. al.

Basic information

Original name

Evolutionary Processes in the Emergence and Recent Spread of the Syphilis Agent, Treponema pallidum

Authors

PLA-DIAZ, Marta, Leonor SANCHEZ-BUSO, Lorenzo GIACANI, David ŠMAJS (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Philipp P BOSSHARD, Homayoun C BAGHERI, Verena J SCHUENEMANN, Kay NIESELT, Natasha ARORA and Fernando GONZALEZ-CANDELAS (guarantor)

Edition

Molecular Biology and Evolution, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2022, 0737-4038

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10608 Biochemistry and molecular biology

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 10.700

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14110/22:00129408

Organization unit

Faculty of Medicine

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msab318

UT WoS

000771141500045

Keywords in English

recombination; selection; phylogenetic congruence; treponematoses; genome analysis

Abstract

V originále

The incidence of syphilis has risen worldwide in the last decade in spite of being an easily treated infection. The causative agent of this sexually transmitted disease is the bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum (TPA), very closely related to subsp. pertenue (TPE) and endemicum (TEN), responsible for the human treponematoses yaws and bejel, respectively. Although much focus has been placed on the question of the spatial and temporary origins of TPA, the processes driving the evolution and epidemiological spread of TPA since its divergence from TPE and TEN are not well understood. Here, we investigate the effects of recombination and selection as forces of genetic diversity and differentiation acting during the evolution of T. pallidum subspecies. Using a custom-tailored procedure, named phylogenetic incongruence method, with 75 complete genome sequences, we found strong evidence for recombination among the T. pallidum subspecies, involving 12 genes and 21 events. In most cases, only one recombination event per gene was detected and all but one event corresponded to intersubspecies transfers, from TPE/TEN to TPA. We found a clear signal of natural selection acting on the recombinant genes, which is more intense in their recombinant regions. The phylogenetic location of the recombination events detected and the functional role of the genes with signals of positive selection suggest that these evolutionary processes had a key role in the evolution and recent expansion of the syphilis bacteria and significant implications for the selection of vaccine candidates and the design of a broadly protective syphilis vaccine.

Links

GA17-25455S, research and development project

Name: Studium genomů patogenních treponem na základě analýzy jednotlivých buněk

Investor: Czech Science Foundation

Citovat

PLA-DIAZ, Marta, Leonor SANCHEZ-BUSO, Lorenzo GIACANI, David ŠMAJS, Philipp P BOSSHARD, Homayoun C BAGHERI, Verena J SCHUENEMANN, Kay NIESELT, Natasha ARORA and Fernando GONZALEZ-CANDELAS. Evolutionary Processes in the Emergence and Recent Spread of the Syphilis Agent, Treponema pallidum. Molecular Biology and Evolution. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022, vol. 39, No 1, p. 1-14. ISSN 0737-4038. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msab318.

@article{2251433,
   author = {PlaandDiaz, Marta and SanchezandBuso, Leonor and Giacani, Lorenzo and Šmajs, David and Bosshard, Philipp P and Bagheri, Homayoun C and Schuenemann, Verena J and Nieselt, Kay and Arora, Natasha and GonzalezandCandelas, Fernando},
   article_location = {Oxford},
   article_number = {1},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msab318},
   keywords = {recombination; selection; phylogenetic congruence; treponematoses; genome analysis},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {0737-4038},
   journal = {Molecular Biology and Evolution},
   title = {Evolutionary Processes in the Emergence and Recent Spread of the Syphilis Agent, Treponema pallidum},
   url = {https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/39/1/msab318/6427636?login=true},
   volume = {39},
   year = {2022}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 2251433
AU  - Pla-Diaz, Marta - Sanchez-Buso, Leonor - Giacani, Lorenzo - Šmajs, David - Bosshard, Philipp P - Bagheri, Homayoun C - Schuenemann, Verena J - Nieselt, Kay - Arora, Natasha - Gonzalez-Candelas, Fernando
PY  - 2022
TI  - Evolutionary Processes in the Emergence and Recent Spread of the Syphilis Agent, Treponema pallidum
JF  - Molecular Biology and Evolution
VL  - 39
IS  - 1
SP  - 1-14
EP  - 1-14
PB  - Oxford University Press
SN  - 07374038
KW  - recombination
KW  - selection
KW  - phylogenetic congruence
KW  - treponematoses
KW  - genome analysis
UR  - https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/39/1/msab318/6427636?login=true
N2  - The incidence of syphilis has risen worldwide in the last decade in spite of being an easily treated infection. The causative agent of this sexually transmitted disease is the bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum (TPA), very closely related to subsp. pertenue (TPE) and endemicum (TEN), responsible for the human treponematoses yaws and bejel, respectively. Although much focus has been placed on the question of the spatial and temporary origins of TPA, the processes driving the evolution and epidemiological spread of TPA since its divergence from TPE and TEN are not well understood. Here, we investigate the effects of recombination and selection as forces of genetic diversity and differentiation acting during the evolution of T. pallidum subspecies. Using a custom-tailored procedure, named phylogenetic incongruence method, with 75 complete genome sequences, we found strong evidence for recombination among the T. pallidum subspecies, involving 12 genes and 21 events. In most cases, only one recombination event per gene was detected and all but one event corresponded to intersubspecies transfers, from TPE/TEN to TPA. We found a clear signal of natural selection acting on the recombinant genes, which is more intense in their recombinant regions. The phylogenetic location of the recombination events detected and the functional role of the genes with signals of positive selection suggest that these evolutionary processes had a key role in the evolution and recent expansion of the syphilis bacteria and significant implications for the selection of vaccine candidates and the design of a broadly protective syphilis vaccine.
ER  -

PLA-DIAZ, Marta, Leonor SANCHEZ-BUSO, Lorenzo GIACANI, David ŠMAJS, Philipp P BOSSHARD, Homayoun C BAGHERI, Verena J SCHUENEMANN, Kay NIESELT, Natasha ARORA and Fernando GONZALEZ-CANDELAS. Evolutionary Processes in the Emergence and Recent Spread of the Syphilis Agent, Treponema pallidum. \textit{Molecular Biology and Evolution}. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022, vol.~39, No~1, p.~1-14. ISSN~0737-4038. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msab318.

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