UNLABELLED: A rare find of a mummified child from the 16th century AD, in Korea, with relatively preserved organs, enabled a search for ancient hepatitis B virus (aHBV) DNA sequences from laparoscopic-derived liver biopsies. Analysis of the complete aHBV genome (3,215 base pairs) revealed a unique HBV genotype C2 (HBV/C2) sequence commonly spread in Southeast Asia, which probably represents an HBV that infected the Joseon Dynasty population in Korea. Comparison of the aHBV sequences with contemporary HBV/C2 DNA sequences revealed distinctive differences along four open reading frames. Genetic diversity between contemporary and recovered aHBV/C2 DNA may be the result of immunologic, environmental, and/or pharmacologic pressures. The calculated time of most recent common ancestor suggests that the Korean HBV sequence origin dates back at least 3,000 years and possibly as long as 100,000 years. This isolate most likely represents the earliest human HBV sequence that colonized Southeast Asia by human migration. CONCLUSION: This study describes the complete sequence of the oldest HBV isolate and the most ancient full viral genome known so far.
UNLABELLED: A rare find of a mummified child from the 16th century AD, in Korea, with relatively preserved organs, enabled a search for ancient hepatitis B virus (aHBV) DNA sequences from laparoscopic-derived liver biopsies. Analysis of the complete aHBV genome (3,215 base pairs) revealed a unique HBV genotype C2 (HBV/C2) sequence commonly spread in Southeast Asia, which probably represents an HBV that infected the Joseon Dynasty population in Korea. Comparison of the aHBV sequences with contemporary HBV/C2 DNA sequences revealed distinctive differences along four open reading frames. Genetic diversity between contemporary and recovered aHBV/C2 DNA may be the result of immunologic, environmental, and/or pharmacologic pressures. The calculated time of most recent common ancestor suggests that the Korean HBV sequence origin dates back at least 3,000 years and possibly as long as 100,000 years. This isolate most likely represents the earliest human HBV sequence that colonized Southeast Asia by human migration. CONCLUSION: This study describes the complete sequence of the oldest HBV isolate and the most ancient full viral genome known so far.
Authors: Peter A Revill; Thomas Tu; Hans J Netter; Lilly K W Yuen; Stephen A Locarnini; Margaret Littlejohn Journal: Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol Date: 2020-05-28 Impact factor: 46.802
Authors: Inna Tulaeva; Carolin Cornelius; Petra Zieglmayer; René Zieglmayer; René Schmutz; Patrick Lemell; Milena Weber; Margarete Focke-Tejkl; Alexander Karaulov; Rainer Henning; Rudolf Valenta Journal: EBioMedicine Date: 2020-08-24 Impact factor: 8.143
Authors: Ben Krause-Kyora; Julian Susat; Felix M Key; Denise Kühnert; Esther Bosse; Alexander Immel; Christoph Rinne; Sabin-Christin Kornell; Diego Yepes; Sören Franzenburg; Henrike O Heyne; Thomas Meier; Sandra Lösch; Harald Meller; Susanne Friederich; Nicole Nicklisch; Kurt W Alt; Stefan Schreiber; Andreas Tholey; Alexander Herbig; Almut Nebel; Johannes Krause Journal: Elife Date: 2018-05-10 Impact factor: 8.140