Balancing Selection at the Prion Protein Gene Consistent with Prehistoric Kurulike Epidemics
Copyright policy )Balancing Selection at the Prion Protein Gene Consistent with Prehistoric Kurulike Epidemics
Kuru is an acquired prion disease largely restricted to the Fore linguistic group of the Papua New Guinea Highlands, which was transmitted during endocannibalistic feasts. Heterozygosity for a common polymorphism in the human prion protein gene ( PRNP ) confers relative resistance to prion diseases. Elderly survivors of the kuru epidemic, who had multiple exposures at mortuary feasts, are, in marked contrast to younger unexposed Fore, predominantly PRNP 129 heterozygotes. Kuru imposed strong balancing selection on the Fore, essentially eliminating PRNP 129 homozygotes. Worldwide PRNP haplotype diversity and coding allele frequencies suggest that strong balancing selection at this locus occurred during the evolution of modern humans.
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology United Kingdom
- Curtin University Australia
- University College London United Kingdom
Adult, Heterozygote, Kuru, Homozygote, History, 19th Century, History, 20th Century, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome, Immunity, Innate, Linkage Disequilibrium, Disease Outbreaks, Gene Frequency, Haplotypes, Ethnicity, Animals, Cannibalism, Humans, Female, Child, Codon, History, Ancient
Adult, Heterozygote, Kuru, Homozygote, History, 19th Century, History, 20th Century, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome, Immunity, Innate, Linkage Disequilibrium, Disease Outbreaks, Gene Frequency, Haplotypes, Ethnicity, Animals, Cannibalism, Humans, Female, Child, Codon, History, Ancient
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