Unraveling the ancient fungal DNA from the Iceman gut

Fungal DNA is rarely reported in metagenomic studies of ancient samples. Although fungi are essential for their interactions with all kingdoms of life, limited information is available about ancient fungi. Here, we explore the possibility of the presence of ancient fungal species in the gut of Ötzi,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMC genomics 2024-12, Vol.25 (1), p.1225-11, Article 1225
Main Authors: Oskolkov, Nikolay, Sandionigi, Anna, Götherström, Anders, Canini, Fabiana, Turchetti, Benedetta, Zucconi, Laura, Mimmo, Tanja, Buzzini, Pietro, Borruso, Luigimaria
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Ancient DNA (aDNA)
Ancient metagenomics
Care and treatment
Computational Biology - methods
Control
Diagnosis
DNA sequencing
DNA, Ancient - analysis
DNA, Fungal - genetics
Fungi
Fungi - classification
Fungi - genetics
Gastrointestinal Microbiome - genetics
Gastrointestinal Tract - microbiology
Genetic aspects
Humans
Iceman
Identification and classification
Metagenomics - methods
Molds (Fungi)
Mummies - microbiology
Mycoses
Nucleotide sequencing
Pseudogymnoascus
Risk factors
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Summary:Fungal DNA is rarely reported in metagenomic studies of ancient samples. Although fungi are essential for their interactions with all kingdoms of life, limited information is available about ancient fungi. Here, we explore the possibility of the presence of ancient fungal species in the gut of Ötzi, the Iceman, a naturally mummified human found in the Tyrolean Alps (border between Italy and Austria). A robust bioinformatic pipeline has been developed to detect and authenticate fungal ancient DNA (aDNA) from muscle, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine samples. We revealed the presence of ancient DNA associated with Pseudogymnoascus genus, with P. destructans and P. verrucosus as possible species, which were abundant in the stomach and small intestine and absent in the large intestine and muscle samples. We suggest that Ötzi may have consumed these fungi accidentally, likely in association with other elements of his diet, and they persisted in his gut after his death due to their adaptability to harsh and cold environments. This suggests the potential co-occurrence of ancient humans with opportunistic fungal species and proposes and validates a conservative bioinformatic approach for detecting and authenticating fungal aDNA in historical metagenomic samples.
ISSN:1471-2164
1471-2164
DOI:10.1186/s12864-024-11123-2