2024-02-26 バーミンガム大学
<関連情報>
- https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2024/first-dna-study-of-ancient-eastern-arabians-reveals-malaria-adaptation
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666979X2400034X
古代のゲノムから東アラビア人の集団の歴史とマラリアに対する適応が明らかになる Ancient genomes illuminate Eastern Arabian population history and adaptation against malaria
Rui Martiniano , Marc Haber , Mohamed A. Almarri , Valeria Mattiangeli , Mirte C.M. Kuijpers , Berenice Chamel , Emily M. Breslin , Judith Littleton , Salman Almahari , Fatima Aloraifi , Daniel G. Bradley , Pierre Lombard , Richard Durbin
Cell Genomics Available online:27 February 2024
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100507
Highlights
- Successful sequencing of four ancient genomes from Tylos-period Bahrain
- Genetic composition formed of ancient Anatolia, Levant, and Caucasus/Iran ancestries
- Genetic affinities to present-day inhabitants of Iraq and the Levant
- Evidence of malaria adaptation at the onset of agriculture in Eastern Arabia
Summary
The harsh climate of Arabia has posed challenges in generating ancient DNA from the region, hindering the direct examination of ancient genomes for understanding the demographic processes that shaped Arabian populations. In this study, we report whole-genome sequence data obtained from four Tylos-period individuals from Bahrain. Their genetic ancestry can be modeled as a mixture of sources from ancient Anatolia, Levant, and Iran/Caucasus, with variation between individuals suggesting population heterogeneity in Bahrain before the onset of Islam. We identify the G6PD Mediterranean mutation associated with malaria resistance in three out of four ancient Bahraini samples and estimate that it rose in frequency in Eastern Arabia from 5 to 6 kya onward, around the time agriculture appeared in the region. Our study characterizes the genetic composition of ancient Arabians, shedding light on the population history of Bahrain and demonstrating the feasibility of studies of ancient DNA in the region.
Graphical abstract
