title: Lipid biomarkers provide evolutionary signposts for the oldest known cases of tuberculosis.
abstract: Studies on the evolution of tuberculosis, and the influence of this disease on human and animal development and interaction, require the accumulation of indisputable biomarker evidence. Ideally, the determination of full genomes would provide all the necessary information, but for very old specimens DNA preservation may be compromised and only limited DNA amplification may be a possibility. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is characterised by the presence of unusual cell envelope lipids, with specific biomarker potential. Lipid biomarker recognition has been decisive in pinpointing the oldest known cases of human and animal tuberculosis; the former are a woman and child from a pre-pottery settlement at Atlit-Yam, Israel (∼9,000 ka) and the latter is an extinct Bison antiquus from Natural Trap Cave, Wyoming (∼17,000 ka). Including some new data, it is demonstrated how analysis of a combination of mycolic, mycocerosic and mycolipenic acid and phthiocerol biomarkers provide incontrovertible evidence for tuberculosis in these landmark specimens.
authors: Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK. Electronic address: leeoy@bham.ac.uk.
authors: Oona Y-C
authors: OY
authors: Lee
authors: Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK. Electronic address: h.wu.2@bham.ac.uk.
authors: Houdini H T
authors: HH
authors: Wu
authors: Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK. Electronic address: g.besra@bham.ac.uk.
authors: Gurdyal S
authors: GS
authors: Besra
authors: Biodiversity Institute and Departments of Anthropology and Geology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA. Electronic address: bmr@ku.edu.
authors: Bruce M
authors: BM
authors: Rothschild
authors: Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases and Ancient DNA, Hadassah Medical School, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel. Electronic address: spigelman@btinternet.com.
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Spigelman
authors: Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel. Electronic address: anatom2@post.tau.ac.il.
authors: Israel
authors: I
authors: Hershkovitz
authors: Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel. Electronic address: gila.kahila@mail.huji.ac.il.
authors: Gila Kahila
authors: GK
authors: Bar-Gal
authors: Centres for Clinical Microbiology and the History of Medicine, University College London, UK. Electronic address: h.donoghue@ucl.ac.uk.
authors: Helen D
authors: HD
authors: Donoghue
authors: Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK. Electronic address: d.e.minnikin@bham.ac.uk.
authors: David E
authors: DE
authors: Minnikin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002417:Cattle; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D009171:Mycolic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D010164:Paleopathology / Q000379:methods*; D014394:Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / Q000235:genetics / Q000266:history*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008055:Lipids; D009171:Mycolic Acids
keywords: Ancient tuberculosis; Biomarkers; Lipids