( ns one of four different nucleotides c...)Leprosy genome tells story of human migrations, French researchers report in Science

ns, one of four different nucleotides can be substituted, making for a possible 64 different combinations in the genetic sequence. In a study of 175 different bacteria samples from 21 countries, the researchers found only four of these possible combinations.

Overall, the genetic similarity between the different samples suggests that the bacterium's genome is exceedingly stable.

"It seems that there was only a single source of the bacterium that was at the origin of this global pandemic," Cole said.

Each of the four SNP combinations was most common in a certain geographic region, allowing the researchers to trace how the pathogen had spread from its original source.

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Source:American Association for the Advancement of Science


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