MAIN RESULTS
Publications
Paica IC., Rusu I.,* Popescu O., Brînzan A., Pencea I., Dobrinescu C., Kelemen B. Tentative indicators of malaria in archaeological skeletal samples, a pilot study testing different methods, International Journal of Paleopathology, 40, 109-116 (2023), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2023.01.004 . (*corresponding author)
Topârcean AM., Acatrinei A., Rusu I.,* Mircea C., Feștilă D., Lucaciu OP., Câmpian RS., Bodo O., Lupan I., Kelemen B., Ghergie MCD. MATN1 Gene Variant (rs1065755) and Malocclusion Risk: Evidence from Romanian Population Analysis, Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai Biologia, (2024) (*corresponding author), (submission number 177)
Progress reports - summary-
Stage I (April - December 2022): Provide background information for the target samples and set up an experimental workflow for human mitochondrial genome reconstruction (part 1)
The preliminary osteological analysis focused on the identification of standard biological attributes revealed that the demographic composition of the premodern assemblage comprises a noteworthy proportion of subadult individuals (50%). A high mortality rate in the early childhood, in conjunction with pathological lesions, might be related to their exposure to systemic infections.
The radiocarbon dating of skeletal remains belonging to three individuals (M47, M97 and M116) indicates that the necropolis is more recent than initially presumed according to the archaeological context. All individuals are premodern (16th-17th century AD.) and most probably the necropolis was used for few generations.
Double stranded DNA libraries (starting from limited amounts of fragmented DNA - 10 ng) were prepared using the QIAseq Ultra Low Input (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany), but the library yield was insufficient for sequencing.
Stage II (January – December 2023): Set up an experimental workflow for human mitochondrial genome reconstruction (part 2) and Determine the architecture of maternal lineages
The reproducibility of the results was evaluated by reconstructing the genetic sequences using different methods, starting from several rounds of DNA extractions from the same individual of archaeological origin. In this context, the results derived from the conventional PCR amplification approach targeting the hypervariable region of the human mitogenome were compared with those obtained by the NGS method for reconstructing the entire human mitochondrial genome.
In addition to the analysis of the human mitochondrial genome, part of the molecular genetics investigation was directed towards identifying the pathogen accountable for malaria, namely Plasmodium falciparum, given that physical anthropology analyses had unveiled osteological modifications indicative of a potential malaria infection. The results, together with some complementary analyses, have been published in a specialized journal (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2023.01.004).
Two methods were tested for the preparation of aDNA libraries for NGS sequencing of the human mitochondrial genome. In contrast to the results obtained using the protocol described by Meyer and Kircher (2010), the DNA libraries constructed using the QIAseq® Ultralow Input Library kit (Qiagen) exhibited a low quantity of genetic material and the presence of adapter dimers.
Stage III (January – March 2024): Uncover genetic affinities to other historical populations
The ancient human mtDNA data generated has been compared with those from the literature to identify affinities with other populations, aiming to outline possible biogeographic origins and migration patterns. The genetic architecture of the contemporary population in Romania is insufficiently known, except for some restricted ethnic groups, which limits genetic analyses and the assessment of genetic continuity. The collection of contemporary genetic data has been considered opportune to address this gap. Preliminary data has been included in a manuscript submitted for publication (submission number 177).
The initial analysis of maternal line genetic signatures of historical individuals from Mireasa indicated the presence of a mixture of mitochondrial haplogroups of West Eurasian origin and forms that are less specific for the European space. This observation could be linked to demographic changes in the 15th-16th centuries AD, a period during which Dobrogea became the destination for migrant groups such as the Turkic groups from Anatolia and Thrace, as well as Christians from other regions of the Balkans.
Conferences
Drăghici (Rusu) I., Popescu O., Kelemen B., Setting the stage for unveiling the story of a historical population from southeastern Romania, International Conference and XXXIX Scientific session of the ROMANIAN SOCIETY FOR CELL BIOLOGY (RSCB), 21-23 October 2022, Cluj-Napoca
Drăghici I., Unveiling malaria's traces through new hemozoin detection techniques, International Symposium on Malaria Studies: Towards an Archaeology of Malaria, 16 June 2023, University of Leiden (invited speaker)
Drăghici (Rusu) I., Popescu O., Vitalie B., Dobrinescu C., Kelemen B., A PEEK INTO THE LIFE AND DEATH OF HISTORICAL INDIVIDUALS WITH UNKNOWN CULTURAL BACKGROUND FROM ROMANIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT, 29th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, 30 August - 2 September 2023 (poster presentation)
Kelemen B., Drăghici I., A multitude of aDNA sources in the genomics of historical populations, 2nd RoBioinfo Conference, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 11-13 April 2024