This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zink, A. R. Articles by Nerlich, A. G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zink, A. R. Articles by Nerlich, A. G.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, January 2003, p. 359-367, Vol. 41, No. 1
0095-1137/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.1.359-367.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex DNAs from Egyptian Mummies by Spoligotyping

Division of Palaeopathology, Institute of Pathology, Academic Teaching Hospital München-Bogenhausen, D-81925 Munich,¹ Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany,³ Unité de la Tuberculose et des Mycobactéries, Institut Pasteur, F-97165 Pointe-à-Pitre Cedex, Guadeloupe²

Received 13 March 2002/ Returned for modification 8 July 2002/ Accepted 26 September 2002

Bone and soft tissue samples from 85 ancient Egyptian mummies were analyzed for the presence of ancient Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA (aDNA) and further characterized by spoligotyping. The specimens were obtained from individuals from different tomb complexes in Thebes West, Upper Egypt, which were used for upper social class burials between the Middle Kingdom (since ca. 2050 BC) and the Late Period (until ca. 500 BC). A total of 25 samples provided a specific positive signal for the amplification of a 123-bp fragment of the repetitive element IS6110, indicating the presence of M. tuberculosis DNA. Further PCR-based tests for the identification of subspecies failed due to lack of specific amplification products in the historic tissue samples. Of these 25 positive specimens, 12 could be successfully characterized by spoligotyping. The spoligotyping signatures were compared to those in an international database. They all show either an M. tuberculosis or an M. africanum pattern, but none revealed an M. bovis-specific pattern. The results from a Middle Kingdom tomb (used exclusively between ca. 2050 and 1650 BC) suggest that these samples bear an M. africanum-type specific spoligotyping signature. The samples from later periods provided patterns typical for M. tuberculosis. This study clearly demonstrates that spoligotyping can be applied to historic tissue samples. In addition, our results do not support the theory that M. tuberculosis originated from the M. bovis type but, rather, suggest that human M. tuberculosis may have originated from a precursor complex probably related to M. africanum.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Taylor, G. M., Murphy, E., Hopkins, R., Rutland, P., Chistov, Y. (2007). First report of Mycobacterium bovis DNA in human remains from the Iron Age. Microbiology 153: 1243-1249 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Metcalfe, N. H (2007). In what ways can human skeletal remains be used to understand health and disease from the past?. Postgrad. Med. J. 83: 281-284 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Taylor, G. M., Young, D. B., Mays, S. A. (2005). Genotypic Analysis of the Earliest Known Prehistoric Case of Tuberculosis in Britain. J. Clin. Microbiol. 43: 2236-2240 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zink, A R, Nerlich, A G (2004). Molecular strain identification of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in archival tissue samples. J. Clin. Pathol. 57: 1185-1192 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Banu, S., Gordon, S. V., Palmer, S., Islam, R., Ahmed, S., Alam, K. M., Cole, S. T., Brosch, R. (2004). Genotypic Analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Bangladesh and Prevalence of the Beijing Strain. J. Clin. Microbiol. 42: 674-682 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Marmiesse, M., Brodin, P., Buchrieser, C., Gutierrez, C., Simoes, N., Vincent, V., Glaser, P., Cole, S. T., Brosch, R. (2004). Macro-array and bioinformatic analyses reveal mycobacterial 'core' genes, variation in the ESAT-6 gene family and new phylogenetic markers for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Microbiology 150: 483-496 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Parwati, I., Crevel, R. v., Soolingen, D. v., Zanden, A. v. d. (2003). Application of Spoligotyping to Noncultured Mycobacterium tuberculosis Bacteria Requires an Optimized Approach. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 5350-5351 [Full Text]