Proteomic Analyses on an Ancient Egyptian Cheese and Biomolecular Evidence of Brucellosis

Greco, Enrico; El-Aguizy, Ola; Ali, Mona F.; Foti, Salvatore; Cunsolo, Vincenzo; Saletti, Rosaria; Ciliberto, Enrico

doi:10.1021/acs.analchem.8b02535

Cited by 46 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…In 1939, the disease was reported for the first time in a scientific report in Egypt; however, archeological evidence has found that it has been endemic in Egypt for thousands of years and in the Mediterranean basin since at least the Middle Ages [13][14][15][16][17]. These findings confirm the continuing circulation of this zoonotic infection over centuries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 80%

MLVA-16 Genotyping of Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis Isolates from Different Animal Species in Egypt: Geographical Relatedness and the Mediterranean Lineage

Wareth

El-Diasty²,

Melzer

et al. 2020

Pathogens

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Brucellosis is a common zoonotic disease in Egypt. However, there are limited data available on the genetic diversity of brucellae circulating in Egypt and other Mediterranean areas. One hundred and nine Brucella (B.) strains were isolated from different animal species in thirteen Egyptian governorates. Multi-locus variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) analysis (MLVA-16) was employed to determine the geographical relatedness and the genetic diversity of a panel of selected Egyptian strains (n = 69), with strains originating from Italy (n = 49), Portugal (n = 52), Greece (n = 63), and Tunisia (n = 4). Egyptian B. melitensis strains clustered into two main clusters containing 21 genotypes. Egyptian B. abortus strains clustered into three main clusters containing nine genotypes. The genotypes were irregularly distributed over time and space in the study area. Egyptian strains of B. melitensis showed MLVA-16 patterns closer to that of Italian strains. Egyptian B. abortus strains isolated from cattle share the same genotype with strains from Portugal and similar to strains from Italy with low genetic diversity. Strains with similar MLVA patterns isolated from different governorates highlight the movement of the pathogen among governorates. Hence, it may also reflect the long endemicity of brucellosis in Egypt with earlier dispersal of types and great local genetic diversity. Open markets may contribute to cross-species transmission and dissemination of the new types nationwide. The presence of West Mediterranean lineages of B. melitensis and relatedness of B. abortus strains from the studied countries is a result of the socio-historical connections among the Mediterranean countries. Transnational eradication of brucellosis in the Mediterranean basin is highly demanded.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 80%

MLVA-16 Genotyping of Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis Isolates from Different Animal Species in Egypt: Geographical Relatedness and the Mediterranean Lineage

Wareth

El-Diasty²,

Melzer

et al. 2020

Pathogens

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“…Hence, traces of herding practices may not be visible archaeologically, even though the animals being herded were eventually consumed by humans. Here again, the use of molecular methods would be appropriate, as the characterisation of pottery residues [80][81][82] or dental calculus 83,84 can reveal the exploitation of secondary products. In addition, the identification of the first introduced sheep or goat is of particular importance to understanding the ecological, social, and subsistence behaviours of the first (semi-) pastoral societies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Palaeoproteomics gives new insight into early southern African pastoralism

Meillour

Zirah

Zazzo

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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The advent of domestication is a major step that transformed the subsistence strategies of past human societies. In Africa, domestic caprines (sheep and goat) were introduced in the northeastern part of the continent from the Near East more than 9000 years ago. However, their diffusion southwards was slow. They are thought to have made their first appearance in the southern part of the continent ca. 2000 years ago, at a few Later Stone Age sites, including Leopard Cave (Erongo region, Namibia), which provided the oldest directly dated remains assigned to sheep or goat on the basis of morphology of bones and teeth. However, similarities in morphology, not only between these two domesticated caprine species, but also between them and the small wild antelopes, raised questions about the morphological species attribution of these remains. Additionally, the high fragmentation of the site's osteological remains makes it difficult to achieve species-level taxonomic identification by comparative anatomy. In this paper, we report molecular species identification of the Leopard Cave remains using palaeoproteomics, a method that uses protein markers in bone and tooth collagen to achieve taxonomic identification of archaeological remains. We also report new direct radiocarbon dates. Wild antelope remains from museum collections were used to enrich the available protein record and propose de novo type I collagen sequences. Our results demonstrate that the remains morphologically described as domesticates actually belong to a wild antelope species and that domestic caprines first appeared at Leopard Cave 1500 years later than previously thought. This study illustrates that the use of palaeoproteomics coupled with direct radiocarbon dates is particularly suited to complement classic zooarchaeological studies, in this case concerning the arrival of the first herding practices in arid environments. Understanding how past human populations interacted with their environment, and particularly with other animals, allows understanding large parts of societies, their organisation and their economy. Climatic change is one of the factors that may have pressured human populations to adapt their subsistence strategy and diet. With Saharan and Sahelian aridification starting at the end of the African Humid Period (ca. 14,800-5500 years before present [BP] 1), Africa experienced its last major climatic change 2 and humans had to adapt to new environments 3. Thus, the inception of domestication may have been constrained by fewer food resources and their increased unpredictability 4. Given that they have no wild representatives on the continent, it is now commonly accepted that domestic sheep (Ovis aries) and goat (Capra hircus) were introduced from the Near East 5,6. The first archaeozoological evidence of these species dates from the end of the 9th and the beginning of the 8th millennium BP, in the eastern part of the Sahara 7-13. Yet, their diffusion across the continent was slow: the first

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“…In a recent publication using proteomic analysis, Greco et al () reported the presence of a specific peptide sequence associated with B . melitensis extracted from organic material preserved in a storage jar from an Egyptian site dating back to the 19th Dynasty (1295–1186 BC).…”

Section: Biomolecular Evidence For Brucella Species In the Archaeologmentioning

confidence: 99%

Approaching ancient disease from a One Health perspective: Interdisciplinary review for the investigation of zoonotic brucellosis

Bendrey

Cassidy

Fournié

et al. 2019

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Today, brucellosis is the most common global bacterial zoonosis, bringing with it a range of significant health and economic consequences, yet it is rarely identified from the archaeological record. Detection and understanding of past zoonoses could be improved by triangulating evidence and proxies generated through different approaches. The complex socioecological systems that support zoonoses involve humans, animals, and pathogens interacting within specific environmental and cultural contexts, and as such, there is a diversity of potential datasets that can be targeted. To capture this, in this paper, we consider how to approach the study of zoonotic brucellosis in the past from a One Health perspective, one which explicitly acknowledges the health link between people, animals, and environments (both physical and cultural). One Health research is explicitly interdisciplinary and conceptually moves away from an anthropocentric approach, allowing the component parts to be considered in holistic and integrated ways to deliver more comprehensive understanding. To this end, in this paper, we review the methods, selected evidence, and potential for past brucellosis identification and understanding, focussing on osteological markers in humans and animals, historical, biomolecular, and epidemiological approaches. We also present an agenda and potential for future research.

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Proteomic Analyses on an Ancient Egyptian Cheese and Biomolecular Evidence of Brucellosis

Cited by 46 publications

References 20 publications

MLVA-16 Genotyping of Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis Isolates from Different Animal Species in Egypt: Geographical Relatedness and the Mediterranean Lineage

MLVA-16 Genotyping of Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis Isolates from Different Animal Species in Egypt: Geographical Relatedness and the Mediterranean Lineage

Palaeoproteomics gives new insight into early southern African pastoralism

Approaching ancient disease from a One Health perspective: Interdisciplinary review for the investigation of zoonotic brucellosis

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