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Sarhan MS, Wurst C, Tzankov A, Bircher AJ, Wittig H, Briellmann T, Augsburger M, Hotz G, Zink A, Maixner F. A nontuberculous mycobacterium could solve the mystery of the lady from the Franciscan church in Basel, Switzerland. BMC Biol 2023; 21:9. [PMID: 36747166 PMCID: PMC9903526 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01509-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 1975, the mummified body of a female has been found in the Franciscan church in Basel, Switzerland. Molecular and genealogic analyses unveiled her identity as Anna Catharina Bischoff (ACB), a member of the upper class of post-reformed Basel, who died at the age of 68 years, in 1787. The reason behind her death is still a mystery, especially that toxicological analyses revealed high levels of mercury, a common treatment against infections at that time, in different body organs. The computed tomography (CT) and histological analysis showed bone lesions in the femurs, the rib cage, and the skull, which refers to a potential syphilis case. RESULTS Although we could not detect any molecular signs of the syphilis-causing pathogen Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, we realized high prevalence of a nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) species in brain tissue sample. The genome analysis of this NTM displayed richness of virulence genes and toxins, and similarity to other infectious NTM, known to infect immunocompromised patients. In addition, it displayed potential resistance to mercury compounds, which might indicate a selective advantage against the applied treatment. This suggests that ACB might have suffered from an atypical mycobacteriosis during her life, which could explain the mummy's bone lesion and high mercury concentrations. CONCLUSIONS The study of this mummy exemplifies the importance of employing differential diagnostic approaches in paleopathological analysis, by combining classical anthropological, radiological, histological, and toxicological observations with molecular analysis. It represents a proof-of-concept for the discovery of not-yet-described ancient pathogens in well-preserved specimens, using de novo metagenomic assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed S Sarhan
- Eurac Research - Institute for Mummy Studies, 39100, Bolzano, Italy.
| | - Christina Wurst
- Eurac Research - Institute for Mummy Studies, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Alexandar Tzankov
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, 4031, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas J Bircher
- Department of Allergology, University Hospital Basel, 4031, Basel, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Holger Wittig
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Briellmann
- Citizen Science Basel; formerly Institute of Forensic Medicine, Forensic Chemistry and Toxicology, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marc Augsburger
- University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Gerhard Hotz
- Natural History Museum Basel, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
- Integrative Prehistory and Archaeological Science, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Albert Zink
- Eurac Research - Institute for Mummy Studies, 39100, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Frank Maixner
- Eurac Research - Institute for Mummy Studies, 39100, Bolzano, Italy.
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Virdi R, Lowe ME, Norton GJ, Dawrs SN, Hasan NA, Epperson LE, Glickman CM, Chan ED, Strong M, Crooks JL, Honda JR. Lower Recovery of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria from Outdoor Hawai'i Environmental Water Biofilms Compared to Indoor Samples. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9020224. [PMID: 33499212 PMCID: PMC7910870 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are environmental organisms that can cause opportunistic pulmonary disease with species diversity showing significant regional variation. In the United States, Hawai'i shows the highest rate of NTM pulmonary disease. The need for improved understanding of NTM reservoirs led us to identify NTM from patient respiratory specimens and compare NTM diversity between outdoor and indoor locations in Hawai'i. A total of 545 water biofilm samples were collected from 357 unique locations across Kaua'i (n = 51), O'ahu (n = 202), Maui (n = 159), and Hawai'i Island (n = 133) and divided into outdoor (n = 179) or indoor (n = 366) categories. rpoB sequence analysis was used to determine NTM species and predictive modeling applied to develop NTM risk maps based on geographic characteristics between environments. M. chimaera was frequently identified from respiratory and environmental samples followed by M. chelonae and M. abscessus; yet significantly less NTM were consistently recovered from outdoor compared to indoor biofilms, as exemplified by showerhead biofilm samples. While the frequency of M. chimaera recovery was comparable between outdoor and indoor showerhead biofilms, phylogenetic analyses demonstrate similar rpoB gene sequences between all showerhead and respiratory M. chimaera isolates, supporting outdoor and indoor environments as possible sources for pulmonary M. chimaera infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravleen Virdi
- Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206, USA; (R.V.); (G.J.N.); (S.N.D.); (N.A.H.); (L.E.E.); (M.S.)
| | - Melissa E. Lowe
- Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206, USA; (M.E.L.); (J.L.C.)
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Grant J. Norton
- Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206, USA; (R.V.); (G.J.N.); (S.N.D.); (N.A.H.); (L.E.E.); (M.S.)
| | - Stephanie N. Dawrs
- Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206, USA; (R.V.); (G.J.N.); (S.N.D.); (N.A.H.); (L.E.E.); (M.S.)
| | - Nabeeh A. Hasan
- Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206, USA; (R.V.); (G.J.N.); (S.N.D.); (N.A.H.); (L.E.E.); (M.S.)
| | - L. Elaine Epperson
- Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206, USA; (R.V.); (G.J.N.); (S.N.D.); (N.A.H.); (L.E.E.); (M.S.)
| | - Cody M. Glickman
- Computational Biosciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA;
| | - Edward D. Chan
- Department of Medicine and Academic Affairs, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206, USA;
- Division of Pulmonary Science and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Department of Medicine, Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, CO 80523, USA
| | - Michael Strong
- Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206, USA; (R.V.); (G.J.N.); (S.N.D.); (N.A.H.); (L.E.E.); (M.S.)
| | - James L. Crooks
- Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206, USA; (M.E.L.); (J.L.C.)
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Jennifer R. Honda
- Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206, USA; (R.V.); (G.J.N.); (S.N.D.); (N.A.H.); (L.E.E.); (M.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-303-398-1015
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Gupta RS, Lo B, Son J. Phylogenomics and Comparative Genomic Studies Robustly Support Division of the Genus Mycobacterium into an Emended Genus Mycobacterium and Four Novel Genera. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:67. [PMID: 29497402 PMCID: PMC5819568 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 282] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Mycobacterium contains 188 species including several major human pathogens as well as numerous other environmental species. We report here comprehensive phylogenomics and comparative genomic analyses on 150 genomes of Mycobacterium species to understand their interrelationships. Phylogenetic trees were constructed for the 150 species based on 1941 core proteins for the genus Mycobacterium, 136 core proteins for the phylum Actinobacteria and 8 other conserved proteins. Additionally, the overall genome similarity amongst the Mycobacterium species was determined based on average amino acid identity of the conserved protein families. The results from these analyses consistently support the existence of five distinct monophyletic groups within the genus Mycobacterium at the highest level, which are designated as the "Tuberculosis-Simiae," "Terrae," "Triviale," "Fortuitum-Vaccae," and "Abscessus-Chelonae" clades. Some of these clades have also been observed in earlier phylogenetic studies. Of these clades, the "Abscessus-Chelonae" clade forms the deepest branching lineage and does not form a monophyletic grouping with the "Fortuitum-Vaccae" clade of fast-growing species. In parallel, our comparative analyses of proteins from mycobacterial genomes have identified 172 molecular signatures in the form of conserved signature indels and conserved signature proteins, which are uniquely shared by either all Mycobacterium species or by members of the five identified clades. The identified molecular signatures (or synapomorphies) provide strong independent evidence for the monophyly of the genus Mycobacterium and the five described clades and they provide reliable means for the demarcation of these clades and for their diagnostics. Based on the results of our comprehensive phylogenomic analyses and numerous identified molecular signatures, which consistently and strongly support the division of known mycobacterial species into the five described clades, we propose here division of the genus Mycobacterium into an emended genus Mycobacterium encompassing the "Tuberculosis-Simiae" clade, which includes all of the major human pathogens, and four novel genera viz. Mycolicibacterium gen. nov., Mycolicibacter gen. nov., Mycolicibacillus gen. nov. and Mycobacteroides gen. nov. corresponding to the "Fortuitum-Vaccae," "Terrae," "Triviale," and "Abscessus-Chelonae" clades, respectively. With the division of mycobacterial species into these five distinct groups, attention can now be focused on unique genetic and molecular characteristics that differentiate members of these groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radhey S. Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, CA, Canada
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García García J, Palacios Gutiérrez J, Sánchez Antuña A. Infecciones respiratorias por micobacterias ambientales. Arch Bronconeumol 2005. [DOI: 10.1157/13073171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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García García JM, Palacios Gutiérrez JJ, Sánchez Antuña AA. Respiratory Infections Caused by Environmental Mycobacteria. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 41:206-19. [PMID: 15826531 DOI: 10.1016/s1579-2129(06)60432-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J M García García
- Sección de Neumología, Hospital San Agustín, Avilés, Asturias, España.
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Coleman NV, Mattes TE, Gossett JM, Spain JC. Phylogenetic and kinetic diversity of aerobic vinyl chloride-assimilating bacteria from contaminated sites. Appl Environ Microbiol 2002; 68:6162-71. [PMID: 12450841 PMCID: PMC134444 DOI: 10.1128/aem.68.12.6162-6171.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aerobic bacteria that grow on vinyl chloride (VC) have been isolated previously, but their diversity and distribution are largely unknown. It is also unclear whether such bacteria contribute to the natural attenuation of VC at chlorinated-ethene-contaminated sites. We detected aerobic VC biodegradation in 23 of 37 microcosms and enrichments inoculated with samples from various sites. Twelve different bacteria (11 Mycobacterium strains and 1 Nocardioides strain) capable of growth on VC as the sole carbon source were isolated, and 5 representative strains were examined further. All the isolates grew on ethene in addition to VC and contained VC-inducible ethene monooxygenase activity. The Mycobacterium strains (JS60, JS61, JS616, and JS617) all had similar growth yields (5.4 to 6.6 g of protein/mol), maximum specific growth rates (0.17 to 0.23 day(-1)), and maximum specific substrate utilization rates (9 to 16 nmol/min/mg of protein) with VC. The Nocardioides strain (JS614) had a higher growth yield (10.3 g of protein/mol), growth rate (0.71 day(-1)), and substrate utilization rate (43 nmol/min/mg of protein) with VC but was much more sensitive to VC starvation. Half-velocity constant (K(s)) values for VC were between 0.5 and 3.2 micro M, while K(s) values for oxygen ranged from 0.03 to 0.3 mg/liter. Our results indicate that aerobic VC-degrading microorganisms (predominantly Mycobacterium strains) are widely distributed at sites contaminated with chlorinated solvents and are likely to be responsible for the natural attenuation of VC.
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Martín Casabona N, Rosselló Urgell J. [Environmental mycobacteria in Spain: isolations in the 1976-1996 period]. Med Clin (Barc) 2000; 115:663-70. [PMID: 11141418 DOI: 10.1016/s0025-7753(00)71655-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Bacteriologia de la tuberculosis. Arch Bronconeumol 1983. [DOI: 10.1016/s0300-2896(15)32275-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Grange JM. Recent European research activities in mycobacteriology. TUBERCLE 1980; 61:259-68. [PMID: 7025398 DOI: 10.1016/0041-3879(80)90046-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The subject of mycobacteriology is becoming an increasingly popular and complex one and the contribution by European scientists has been considerable. The important areas of research include taxonomy and the improvement of identification methods; biochemistry, including enzymology, metabolic regulation, lipid chemistry, iron uptake and metabolism, pigment synthesis and DNA chemistry; genetics and bacteriophages; ecology, including the effect of contact with environmental mycobacteria on the mammalian immune response; immunology; and the association of disease and cell-wall-free mycobacteria and studies on the leprosy bacillus. The European Society of Mycobacteriologists has recently been founded to unite workers in these disciplines and to promote and disseminate knowledge in this subject.
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