A New High-Throughput Approach to Genotype Ancient Human Gastrointestinal Parasites

PLoS One. 2016 Jan 11;11(1):e0146230. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146230. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Human gastrointestinal parasites are good indicators for hygienic conditions and health status of past and present individuals and communities. While microscopic analysis of eggs in sediments of archeological sites often allows their taxonomic identification, this method is rarely effective at the species level, and requires both the survival of intact eggs and their proper identification. Genotyping via PCR-based approaches has the potential to achieve a precise species-level taxonomic determination. However, so far it has mostly been applied to individual eggs isolated from archeological samples. To increase the throughput and taxonomic accuracy, as well as reduce costs of genotyping methods, we adapted a PCR-based approach coupled with next-generation sequencing to perform precise taxonomic identification of parasitic helminths directly from archeological sediments. Our study of twenty-five 100 to 7,200 year-old archeological samples proved this to be a powerful, reliable and efficient approach for species determination even in the absence of preserved eggs, either as a stand-alone method or as a complement to microscopic studies.

Publication types

  • Historical Article
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Archaeology
  • DNA / genetics
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / parasitology*
  • Genetic Variation
  • Genotype
  • Genotyping Techniques / methods*
  • Helminths / genetics
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing / methods*
  • History, Ancient
  • Humans
  • Ovum / cytology
  • Parasites / genetics*

Substances

  • DNA

Grants and funding

Nathalie M.L. Côté was supported by a PhD fellowship from the Franche-Comte region. The financial support for the project was obtained from the French National Research Center (CNRS, TG, EMG), the Faculty of Sciences and Techniques of the Franche-Comte University, Besançon (MLB, NC), and the Franche-Comte region, France (MLB, NC). The sequencing facility of the Jacques Monod Institute, Paris, is supported by grants to TG from the University Paris Diderot, the “Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale” (DGE20111123014), and the “Région Ile-de-France” (grant 11015901). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.