title: Molecular analysis of ancient caries.
abstract: An 84 base pair sequence of the Streptococcus mutans virulence factor, known as dextranase, has been obtained from 10 individuals from the Bronze Age to the Modern Era in Europe and from before and after the colonization in America. Modern samples show four polymorphic sites that have not been found in the ancient samples studied so far. The nucleotide and haplotype diversity of this region have increased over time, which could be reflecting the footprint of a population expansion. While this segment has apparently evolved according to neutral evolution, we have been able to detect one site that is under positive selection pressure both in present and past populations. This study is a first step to study the evolution of this microorganism, analysed using direct evidence obtained from ancient remains.
authors: Unitat d'Antropologia Biològica, Department of Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Marc
authors: M
authors: Simón
authors: Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, Unidad de Genómica Avanzada, CINVESTAV-IPN. Km. 9.6 Libramiento Norte Carretera Irapuato - León, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico.
authors: Rafael
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8052-0679
authors: R
authors: Montiel
authors: Unitat d'Antropologia Biològica, Department of Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Smerling
authors: Unitat d'Antropologia Biològica, Department of Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Eduvigis
authors: E
authors: Solórzano
authors: Unitat d'Antropologia Biològica, Department of Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Nancy
authors: N
authors: Díaz
authors: Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, Unidad de Genómica Avanzada, CINVESTAV-IPN. Km. 9.6 Libramiento Norte Carretera Irapuato - León, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico.
authors: Brenda A
authors: BA
authors: Álvarez-Sandoval
authors: Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, Unidad de Genómica Avanzada, CINVESTAV-IPN. Km. 9.6 Libramiento Norte Carretera Irapuato - León, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico.
authors: Andrea R
authors: AR
authors: Jiménez-Marín
authors: Unitat d'Antropologia Biològica, Department of Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain assumpcio.malgosa@uab.cat.
authors: Assumpció
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1723-3671
authors: A
authors: Malgosa
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000382:microbiology*; D003910:Dextranase / Q000235:genetics*; D006239:Haplotypes; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D003910:Dextranase
keywords: Streptococcus mutans; dextranase; neutral evolution; positive selection