In:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 101, No. 22 ( 2004-06), p. 8408-8413
Abstract:
Plague, the disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis , has greatly impacted human civilization. Y . pestis is a successful global pathogen, with active foci on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Because the Y . pestis genome is highly monomorphic, previous attempts to characterize the population genetic structure within a single focus have been largely unsuccessful. Here we report that highly mutable marker loci allow determination of Y . pestis population genetic structure and tracking of transmission patterns at two spatial scales within a single focus. In addition, we found that in vitro mutation rates for these loci are similar to those observed in vivo , which allowed us to develop a mutation-rate-based model to examine transmission mechanisms. Our model suggests there are two primary components of plague ecology: a rapid expansion phase for population growth and dispersal followed by a slower persistence phase. This pattern seems consistent across local, regional, and even global scales.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0027-8424
,
1091-6490
DOI:
10.1073/pnas.0401561101
Language:
English
Publisher:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publication Date:
2004
detail.hit.zdb_id:
209104-5
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1461794-8
SSG:
11
SSG:
12