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Ancient hepatitis B viruses from the Bronze Age to the Medieval period

Author

Listed:
  • Barbara Mühlemann

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Terry C. Jones

    (University of Cambridge
    Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin)

  • Peter de Barros Damgaard

    (Natural History Museum, University of Copenhagen)

  • Morten E. Allentoft

    (Natural History Museum, University of Copenhagen)

  • Irina Shevnina

    (A. A. Baitursynov Kostanay State University)

  • Andrey Logvin

    (A. A. Baitursynov Kostanay State University)

  • Emma Usmanova

    (Karaganda State University)

  • Irina P. Panyushkina

    (University of Arizona)

  • Bazartseren Boldgiv

    (School of Arts and Sciences, National University of Mongolia)

  • Tsevel Bazartseren

    (Mongolian University of Life Sciences)

  • Kadicha Tashbaeva

    (National Academy of Sciences)

  • Victor Merz

    (Pavlodar State University)

  • Nina Lau

    (Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology)

  • Václav Smrčka

    (Charles University)

  • Dmitry Voyakin

    (Margulan Institute of Archaeology)

  • Egor Kitov

    (Russian Academy of Sciences)

  • Andrey Epimakhov

    (South Ural State University)

  • Dalia Pokutta

    (Stockholm University)

  • Magdolna Vicze

    (Matrica Museum)

  • T. Douglas Price

    (University of Gothenburg)

  • Vyacheslav Moiseyev

    (Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography)

  • Anders J. Hansen

    (Natural History Museum, University of Copenhagen)

  • Ludovic Orlando

    (Natural History Museum, University of Copenhagen
    CNRS UMR 5288, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier)

  • Simon Rasmussen

    (Technical University of Denmark)

  • Martin Sikora

    (Natural History Museum, University of Copenhagen)

  • Lasse Vinner

    (Natural History Museum, University of Copenhagen)

  • Albert D. M. E. Osterhaus

    (University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover)

  • Derek J. Smith

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Dieter Glebe

    (Justus Liebig University of Giessen
    German Center for Infection Research (DZIF))

  • Ron A. M. Fouchier

    (Erasmus Medical Centre)

  • Christian Drosten

    (Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin
    German Center for Infection Research (DZIF))

  • Karl-Göran Sjögren

    (University of Gothenburg)

  • Kristian Kristiansen

    (University of Gothenburg)

  • Eske Willerslev

    (Natural History Museum, University of Copenhagen
    University of Cambridge
    Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute)

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major cause of human hepatitis. There is considerable uncertainty about the timescale of its evolution and its association with humans. Here we present 12 full or partial ancient HBV genomes that are between approximately 0.8 and 4.5 thousand years old. The ancient sequences group either within or in a sister relationship with extant human or other ape HBV clades. Generally, the genome properties follow those of modern HBV. The root of the HBV tree is projected to between 8.6 and 20.9 thousand years ago, and we estimate a substitution rate of 8.04 × 10−6–1.51 × 10−5 nucleotide substitutions per site per year. In several cases, the geographical locations of the ancient genotypes do not match present-day distributions. Genotypes that today are typical of Africa and Asia, and a subgenotype from India, are shown to have an early Eurasian presence. The geographical and temporal patterns that we observe in ancient and modern HBV genotypes are compatible with well-documented human migrations during the Bronze and Iron Ages1,2. We provide evidence for the creation of HBV genotype A via recombination, and for a long-term association of modern HBV genotypes with humans, including the discovery of a human genotype that is now extinct. These data expose a complexity of HBV evolution that is not evident when considering modern sequences alone.

Suggested Citation

  • Barbara Mühlemann & Terry C. Jones & Peter de Barros Damgaard & Morten E. Allentoft & Irina Shevnina & Andrey Logvin & Emma Usmanova & Irina P. Panyushkina & Bazartseren Boldgiv & Tsevel Bazartseren &, 2018. "Ancient hepatitis B viruses from the Bronze Age to the Medieval period," Nature, Nature, vol. 557(7705), pages 418-423, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:557:y:2018:i:7705:d:10.1038_s41586-018-0097-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0097-z
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    Cited by:

    1. Bing Sun & Aida Andrades Valtueña & Arthur Kocher & Shizhu Gao & Chunxiang Li & Shuang Fu & Fan Zhang & Pengcheng Ma & Xuan Yang & Yulan Qiu & Quanchao Zhang & Jian Ma & Shan Chen & Xiaoming Xiao & So, 2024. "Origin and dispersal history of Hepatitis B virus in Eastern Eurasia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.

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