Geneticists have determined that treponemal illnesses, which are related to syphilis, have been around for a considerably longer period than previously estimated.
Researchers from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland successfully reconstructed the genome of Treponema pallidum from the remains of a human specimen approximately 5,500 years old, unearthed in the Sabana de Bogotá region of Colombia. This ancient strain does not match contemporary subtypes of the bacterium, suggesting the existence of a long-lost, distinct branch in its evolutionary path.
Today, Treponema pallidum manifests in three closely related subtypes, each responsible for a different ailment:
Syphilis—a sexually transmitted infection.
Yaws—a non-venereal disease affecting the skin and bones, spread through direct skin-to-skin contact.
Endemic syphilis (Bejel)—a non-venereal form of syphilis impacting bones and skin, transmitted via close personal contact.
A fourth treponemal disease also exists—pinta, caused by a separate subtype, Treponema carateum. The complete genome of this pathogen remains unsequenced.
Insinuating microorganism could bring ruin to humankind
While modern isolates of these bacteria are nearly genetically identical, the origins and evolution of their various disease forms continue to be enigmatic. A novel study, featured in the journal Science, sheds new light on this subject.
The scientists concluded that the ancestral version of T. pallidum diverged from other lineages over 13,000 years ago. This implies that treponemal infections were present in the New World earlier than previously supposed.
The exact disease caused by this ancient bacterium remains uncertain; however, researchers can deduce some facts about this extinct infection. The genome was recovered from bone tissue, but the skeleton showed no apparent signs of the disease. This observation suggests that ancient syphilis may have progressed stealthily, without manifesting visually discernible lesions on the body.
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