An African origin for the intimate association between humans and Helicobacter pylori

Bodo Linz, François Balloux (), Yoshan Moodley, Andrea Manica, Hua Liu, Philippe Roumagnac, Daniel Falush, Christiana Stamer, Franck Prugnolle, Schalk W. van der Merwe, Yoshio Yamaoka, David Y. Graham, Emilio Perez-Trallero, Torkel Wadstrom, Sebastian Suerbaum () and Mark Achtman ()
Additional contact information
Bodo Linz: Max-Planck Institut für Infektionsbiologie, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
François Balloux: Theoretical and Molecular Population Genetics Group, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
Yoshan Moodley: Max-Planck Institut für Infektionsbiologie, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
Andrea Manica: Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
Hua Liu: Theoretical and Molecular Population Genetics Group, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
Philippe Roumagnac: Max-Planck Institut für Infektionsbiologie, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
Daniel Falush: University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SY, UK
Christiana Stamer: Max-Planck Institut für Infektionsbiologie, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
Franck Prugnolle: Génétique et Evolution des Maladies Infectieuses, UMR IRD-CNRS 2724, centre IRD de Montpellier, 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
Schalk W. van der Merwe: University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
Yoshio Yamaoka: Baylor College of Medicine and Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
David Y. Graham: Baylor College of Medicine and Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Emilio Perez-Trallero: Donostia Hospital, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain
Torkel Wadstrom: Lund University, SE22632 Lund, Sweden
Sebastian Suerbaum: Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Krankenhaushygiene, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
Mark Achtman: Max-Planck Institut für Infektionsbiologie, D-10117 Berlin, Germany

Nature, 2007, vol. 445, issue 7130, 915-918

Abstract: Travelling companions More than half of all humans are infected by the gut bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which can cause peptic ulcers and is a risk factor for stomach cancer. A major study of genetic variation in H. pylori isolates shows that the key patterns in the distribution of its genetic diversity mirror those of its human host. As in humans, there is a continuous loss of genetic diversity with increasing distance from East Africa, suggesting that humans were already infected with the ulcer-causing bacterium around 58,000 years ago when they migrated out of Africa. Humans and H. pylori also seem to have spread from East Africa over the same time scale, suggesting that their association predates the 'out of Africa' event. The team also found that the genetic make-up of H. pylori is more diverse than that of humans, so analyses of the microorganism's DNA might aid future work.

Date: 2007
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DOI: 10.1038/nature05562

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