02529nas a2200625   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653002100055653002200076653001400098653001100112653001200123653002500135653001400160653003600174653002700210100001200237700001300249700001400262700001300276700001400289700002100303700001500324700001400339700001500353700001400368700001100382700001400393700001600407700001800423700001700441700001400458700001500472700001000487700001900497700001400516700001100530700001600541700001500557700001500572700001300587700001500600700001200615700001200627700001500639700001600654700001500670700001100685245007800696856004700774300001100821490000700832520105000839022001401889       2009                            d  c2009 Dec10aGenes, Bacterial10aGenome, Bacterial10aGeography10aHumans10aleprosy10aMycobacterium leprae10aPhylogeny10aPolymorphism, Single Nucleotide10aRecombination, Genetic1 aMonot M1 aHonore N1 aGarnier T1 aZidane N1 aSherafi D1 aPaniz-Mondolfi A1 aMatsuoka M1 aTaylor MG1 aDonoghue H1 aBouwman A1 aMays S1 aWatson CL1 aLockwood DN1 aKhamesipour A1 aKhamispour A1 aDowlati Y1 aJianping S1 aRea T1 aVera-Cabrera L1 aStefani M1 aBanu S1 aMacdonald M1 aSapkota BR1 aSpencer JS1 aThomas J1 aHarshman K1 aSingh P1 aBusso P1 aGattiker A1 aRougemont J1 aBrennan PJ1 aCole S00aComparative genomic and phylogeographic analysis of Mycobacterium leprae.  uhttps://www.nature.com/articles/ng.477.pdf  a1282-90 v413 a<p>Reductive evolution and massive pseudogene formation have shaped the 3.31-Mb genome of Mycobacterium leprae, an unculturable obligate pathogen that causes leprosy in humans. The complete genome sequence of M. leprae strain Br4923 from Brazil was obtained by conventional methods (6x coverage), and Illumina resequencing technology was used to obtain the sequences of strains Thai53 (38x coverage) and NHDP63 (46x coverage) from Thailand and the United States, respectively. Whole-genome comparisons with the previously sequenced TN strain from India revealed that the four strains share 99.995% sequence identity and differ only in 215 polymorphic sites, mainly SNPs, and by 5 pseudogenes. Sixteen interrelated SNP subtypes were defined by genotyping both extant and extinct strains of M. leprae from around the world. The 16 SNP subtypes showed a strong geographical association that reflects the migration patterns of early humans and trade routes, with the Silk Road linking Europe to China having contributed to the spread of leprosy.</p>  a1546-1718