Whole-genome sequencing reveals a complex African population demographic history and signatures of local adaptation.

We conduct high coverage (>30×) whole-genome sequencing of 180 individuals from 12 indigenous African populations. We identify millions of unreported variants, many predicted to be functionally important. We observe that the ancestors of southern African San and central African rainforest hunter-gatherers (RHG) diverged from other populations >200 kya and maintained a large effective population size. We observe evidence for ancient population structure in Africa and for multiple introgression events from "ghost" populations with highly diverged genetic lineages. Although currently geographically isolated, we observe evidence for gene flow between eastern and southern Khoesan-speaking hunter-gatherer populations lasting until ∼12 kya. We identify signatures of local adaptation for traits related to skin color, immune response, height, and metabolic processes. We identify a positively selected variant in the lightly pigmented San that influences pigmentation in vitro by regulating the enhancer activity and gene expression of PDPK1.

NNT mediates redox-dependent pigmentation via a UVB- and MITF-independent mechanism.

Ultraviolet (UV) light and incompletely understood genetic and epigenetic variations determine skin color. Here we describe an UV- and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF)-independent mechanism of skin pigmentation. Targeting the mitochondrial redox-regulating enzyme nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT) resulted in cellular redox changes that affect tyrosinase degradation. These changes regulate melanosome maturation and, consequently, eumelanin levels and pigmentation. Topical application of small-molecule inhibitors yielded skin darkening in human skin, and mice with decreased NNT function displayed increased pigmentation. Additionally, genetic modification of NNT in zebrafish alters melanocytic pigmentation. Analysis of four diverse human cohorts revealed significant associations of skin color, tanning, and sun protection use with various single-nucleotide polymorphisms within NNT. NNT levels were independent of UVB irradiation and redox modulation. Individuals with postinflammatory hyperpigmentation or lentigines displayed decreased skin NNT levels, suggesting an NNT-driven, redox-dependent pigmentation mechanism that can be targeted with NNT-modifying topical drugs for medical and cosmetic purposes.

The Missing Diversity in Human Genetic Studies.

The majority of studies of genetic association with disease have been performed in Europeans. This European bias has important implications for risk prediction of diseases across global populations. In this commentary, we justify the need to study more diverse populations using both empirical examples and theoretical reasoning.

Association between telomere length and Plasmodium falciparum malaria endemicity in sub-Saharan Africans.

Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) varies significantly across human populations, with individuals of African ancestry having longer LTL than non-Africans. However, the genetic and environmental drivers of LTL variation in Africans remain largely unknown. We report here on the relationship between LTL, genetics, and a variety of environmental and climatic factors in ethnically diverse African adults (n = 1,818) originating from Botswana, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Cameroon. We observe significant variation in LTL among populations, finding that the San hunter-gatherers from Botswana have the longest leukocyte telomeres and that the Fulani pastoralists from Cameroon have the shortest telomeres. Genetic factors explain ∼50% of LTL variation among individuals. Moreover, we observe a significant negative association between Plasmodium falciparum malaria endemicity and LTL while adjusting for age, sex, and genetics. Within Africa, adults from populations indigenous to areas with high malaria exposure have shorter LTL than those in populations indigenous to areas with low malaria exposure. Finally, we explore to what degree the genetic architecture underlying LTL in Africa covaries with malaria exposure.

Charting a landmark-driven path forward for population genetics and ancient DNA research in Africa.

Population history-focused DNA and ancient DNA (aDNA) research in Africa has dramatically increased in the past decade, enabling increasingly fine-scale investigations into the continent's past. However, while international interest in human genomics research in Africa grows, major structural barriers limit the ability of African scholars to lead and engage in such research and impede local communities from partnering with researchers and benefitting from research outcomes. Because conversations about research on African people and their past are often held outside Africa and exclude African voices, an important step for African DNA and aDNA research is moving these conversations to the continent. In May 2023 we held the DNAirobi workshop in Nairobi, Kenya and here we synthesize what emerged most prominently in our discussions. We propose an ideal vision for population history-focused DNA and aDNA research in Africa in ten years' time and acknowledge that to realize this future, we need to chart a path connecting a series of "landmarks" that represent points of consensus in our discussions. These include effective communication across multiple audiences, reframed relationships and capacity building, and action toward structural changes that support science and beyond. We concluded there is no single path to creating an equitable and self-sustaining research ecosystem, but rather many possible routes linking these landmarks. Here we share our diverse perspectives as geneticists, anthropologists, archaeologists, museum curators, and educators to articulate challenges and opportunities for African DNA and aDNA research and share an initial map toward a more inclusive and equitable future.

Evolutionary history and adaptation from high-coverage whole-genome sequences of diverse African hunter-gatherers.

To reconstruct modern human evolutionary history and identify loci that have shaped hunter-gatherer adaptation, we sequenced the whole genomes of five individuals in each of three different hunter-gatherer populations at > 60× coverage: Pygmies from Cameroon and Khoesan-speaking Hadza and Sandawe from Tanzania. We identify 13.4 million variants, substantially increasing the set of known human variation. We found evidence of archaic introgression in all three populations, and the distribution of time to most recent common ancestors from these regions is similar to that observed for introgressed regions in Europeans. Additionally, we identify numerous loci that harbor signatures of local adaptation, including genes involved in immunity, metabolism, olfactory and taste perception, reproduction, and wound healing. Within the Pygmy population, we identify multiple highly differentiated loci that play a role in growth and anterior pituitary function and are associated with height.

The road ahead in genetics and genomics.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Nature Reviews Genetics, we asked 12 leading researchers to reflect on the key challenges and opportunities faced by the field of genetics and genomics. Keeping their particular research area in mind, they take stock of the current state of play and emphasize the work that remains to be done over the next few years so that, ultimately, the benefits of genetic and genomic research can be felt by everyone.

Advances in integrative African genomics.

There has been a rapid increase in human genome sequencing in the past two decades, resulting in the identification of millions of previously unknown genetic variants. However, African populations are under-represented in sequencing efforts. Additional sequencing from diverse African populations and the construction of African-specific reference genomes is needed to better characterize the full spectrum of variation in humans. However, sequencing alone is insufficient to address the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying variable phenotypes and disease risks. Determining functional consequences of genetic variation using multi-omics approaches is a fundamental post-genomic challenge. We discuss approaches to close the knowledge gaps about African genomic diversity and review advances in African integrative genomic studies and their implications for precision medicine.

Addressing the challenges of polygenic scores in human genetic research.

The genotyping of millions of human samples has made it possible to evaluate variants across the human genome for their possible association with risks for numerous diseases and other traits by using genome-wide association studies (GWASs). The associations between phenotype and genotype found in GWASs make possible the construction of polygenic scores (PGSs), which aim to predict a trait or disease outcome in an individual on the basis of their genotype (in the disease case, the term polygenic risk score [PRS] is often used). PGSs have shown promise for studying the biology of complex traits and as a tool for evaluating individual disease risks in clinical settings. Although the quantity and quality of data to compute PGSs are increasing, challenges remain in the technical aspects of developing PGSs and in the ethical and social issues that might arise from their use. This ASHG Guidance emphasizes three major themes for researchers working with or interested in the application of PGSs in their own research: (1) developing diverse research cohorts; (2) fostering robustness in the development, application, and interpretation of PGSs; and (3) improving the communication of PGS results and their implications to broad audiences.

Impact of natural selection on global patterns of genetic variation and association with clinical phenotypes at genes involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Human genomic diversity has been shaped by both ancient and ongoing challenges from viruses. The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has had a devastating impact on population health. However, genetic diversity and evolutionary forces impacting host genes related to SARS-CoV-2 infection are not well understood. We investigated global patterns of genetic variation and signatures of natural selection at host genes relevant to SARS-CoV-2 infection (angiotensin converting enzyme 2 [ACE2], transmembrane protease serine 2 [TMPRSS2], dipeptidyl peptidase 4 [DPP4], and lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus E [LY6E]). We analyzed data from 2,012 ethnically diverse Africans and 15,977 individuals of European and African ancestry with electronic health records and integrated with global data from the 1000 Genomes Project. At ACE2, we identified 41 nonsynonymous variants that were rare in most populations, several of which impact protein function. However, three nonsynonymous variants (rs138390800, rs147311723, and rs145437639) were common among central African hunter-gatherers from Cameroon (minor allele frequency 0.083 to 0.164) and are on haplotypes that exhibit signatures of positive selection. We identify signatures of selection impacting variation at regulatory regions influencing ACE2 expression in multiple African populations. At TMPRSS2, we identified 13 amino acid changes that are adaptive and specific to the human lineage compared with the chimpanzee genome. Genetic variants that are targets of natural selection are associated with clinical phenotypes common in patients with COVID-19. Our study provides insights into global variation at host genes related to SARS-CoV-2 infection, which have been shaped by natural selection in some populations, possibly due to prior viral infections.

Signatures of Convergent Evolution and Natural Selection at the Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene Region are Correlated with Agriculture in Ethnically Diverse Africans.

The alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) family of genes encodes enzymes that catalyze the metabolism of ethanol into acetaldehyde. Nucleotide variation in ADH genes can affect the catalytic properties of these enzymes and is associated with a variety of traits, including alcoholism and cancer. Some ADH variants, including the ADH1B*48His (rs1229984) mutation in the ADH1B gene, reduce the risk of alcoholism and are under positive selection in multiple human populations. The advent of Neolithic agriculture and associated increase in fermented foods and beverages is hypothesized to have been a selective force acting on such variants. However, this hypothesis has not been tested in populations outside of Asia. Here, we use genome-wide selection scans to show that the ADH gene region is enriched for variants showing strong signals of positive selection in multiple Afroasiatic-speaking, agriculturalist populations from Ethiopia, and that this signal is unique among sub-Saharan Africans. We also observe strong selection signals at putatively functional variants in nearby lipid metabolism genes, which may influence evolutionary dynamics at the ADH region. Finally, we show that haplotypes carrying these selected variants were introduced into Northeast Africa from a West-Eurasian source within the last ∼2,000 years and experienced positive selection following admixture. These selection signals are not evident in nearby, genetically similar populations that practice hunting/gathering or pastoralist subsistence lifestyles, supporting the hypothesis that the emergence of agriculture shapes patterns of selection at ADH genes. Together, these results enhance our understanding of how adaptations to diverse environments and diets have influenced the African genomic landscape.

Evolutionary genetics of skin pigmentation in African populations.

Skin color is a highly heritable human trait, and global variation in skin pigmentation has been shaped by natural selection, migration and admixture. Ethnically diverse African populations harbor extremely high levels of genetic and phenotypic diversity, and skin pigmentation varies widely across Africa. Recent genome-wide genetic studies of skin pigmentation in African populations have advanced our understanding of pigmentation biology and human evolutionary history. For example, novel roles in skin pigmentation for loci near MFSD12 and DDB1 have recently been identified in African populations. However, due to an underrepresentation of Africans in human genetic studies, there is still much to learn about the evolutionary genetics of skin pigmentation. Here, we summarize recent progress in skin pigmentation genetics in Africans and discuss the importance of including more ethnically diverse African populations in future genetic studies. In addition, we discuss methods for functional validation of adaptive variants related to skin pigmentation.

Tracing the peopling of the world through genomics.

Advances in the sequencing and the analysis of the genomes of both modern and ancient peoples have facilitated a number of breakthroughs in our understanding of human evolutionary history. These include the discovery of interbreeding between anatomically modern humans and extinct hominins; the development of an increasingly detailed description of the complex dispersal of modern humans out of Africa and their population expansion worldwide; and the characterization of many of the genetic adaptions of humans to local environmental conditions. Our interpretation of the evolutionary history and adaptation of humans is being transformed by analyses of these new genomic data.

Interaction between host genes and Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineage can affect tuberculosis severity: Evidence for coevolution?

Genetic studies of both the human host and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) demonstrate independent association with tuberculosis (TB) risk. However, neither explains a large portion of disease risk or severity. Based on studies in other infectious diseases and animal models of TB, we hypothesized that the genomes of the two interact to modulate risk of developing active TB or increasing the severity of disease, when present. We examined this hypothesis in our TB household contact study in Kampala, Uganda, in which there were 3 MTB lineages of which L4-Ugandan (L4.6) is the most recent. TB severity, measured using the Bandim TBscore, was modeled as a function of host SNP genotype, MTB lineage, and their interaction, within two independent cohorts of TB cases, N = 113 and 121. No association was found between lineage and severity, but association between multiple polymorphisms in IL12B and TBscore was replicated in two independent cohorts (most significant rs3212227, combined p = 0.0006), supporting previous associations of IL12B with TB susceptibility. We also observed significant interaction between a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in SLC11A1 and the L4-Ugandan lineage in both cohorts (rs17235409, meta p = 0.0002). Interestingly, the presence of the L4-Uganda lineage in the presence of the ancestral human allele associated with more severe disease. These findings demonstrate that IL12B is associated with severity of TB in addition to susceptibility, and that the association between TB severity and human genetics can be due to an interaction between genes in the two species, consistent with host-pathogen coevolution in TB.

Genetics and geography of leukocyte telomere length in sub-Saharan Africans.

Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) might be causal in cardiovascular disease and major cancers. To elucidate the roles of genetics and geography in LTL variability across humans, we compared LTL measured in 1295 sub-Saharan Africans (SSAs) with 559 African-Americans (AAms) and 2464 European-Americans (EAms). LTL differed significantly across SSAs (P = 0.003), with the San from Botswana (with the oldest genomic ancestry) having the longest LTL and populations from Ethiopia having the shortest LTL. SSAs had significantly longer LTL than AAms [P = 6.5(e-16)] whose LTL was significantly longer than EAms [P = 2.5(e-7)]. Genetic variation in SSAs explained 52% of LTL variance versus 27% in AAms and 34% in EAms. Adjustment for genetic variation removed the LTL differences among SSAs. LTL genetic variation among SSAs, with the longest LTL in the San, supports the hypothesis that longer LTL was ancestral in humans. Identifying factors driving LTL variation in Africa may have important ramifications for LTL-associated diseases.

Redondovirus Diversity and Evolution on Global, Individual, and Molecular Scales.

Redondoviridae is a newly established family of circular Rep-encoding single-stranded (CRESS) DNA viruses found in the human ororespiratory tract. Redondoviruses were previously found in ∼15% of respiratory specimens from U.S. urban subjects; levels were elevated in individuals with periodontitis or critical illness. Here, we report higher redondovirus prevalence in saliva samples: four rural African populations showed 61 to 82% prevalence, and an urban U.S. population showed 32% prevalence. Longitudinal, limiting-dilution single-genome sequencing revealed diverse strains of both redondovirus species (Brisavirus and Vientovirus) in single individuals, persistence over time, and evidence of intergenomic recombination. Computational analysis of viral genomes identified a recombination hot spot associated with a conserved potential DNA stem-loop structure. To assess the possible role of this site in recombination, we carried out in vitro studies which showed that this potential stem-loop was cleaved by the virus-encoded Rep protein. In addition, in reconstructed reactions, a Rep-DNA covalent intermediate was shown to mediate DNA strand transfer at this site. Thus, redondoviruses are highly prevalent in humans, found in individuals on multiple continents, heterogeneous even within individuals and encode a Rep protein implicated in facilitating recombination. IMPORTANCERedondoviridae is a recently established family of DNA viruses predominantly found in the human respiratory tract and associated with multiple clinical conditions. In this study, we found high redondovirus prevalence in saliva from urban North American individuals and nonindustrialized African populations in Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. Individuals on both continents harbored both known redondovirus species. Global prevalence of both species suggests that redondoviruses have long been associated with humans but have remained undetected until recently due to their divergent genomes. By sequencing single redondovirus genomes in longitudinally sampled humans, we found that redondoviruses persisted over time within subjects and likely evolve by recombination. The Rep protein encoded by redondoviruses catalyzes multiple reactions in vitro, consistent with a role in mediating DNA replication and recombination. In summary, we identify high redondovirus prevalence in humans across multiple continents, longitudinal heterogeneity and persistence, and potential mechanisms of redondovirus evolution by recombination.

Genomic analyses inform on migration events during the peopling of Eurasia.

High-coverage whole-genome sequence studies have so far focused on a limited number of geographically restricted populations, or been targeted at specific diseases, such as cancer. Nevertheless, the availability of high-resolution genomic data has led to the development of new methodologies for inferring population history and refuelled the debate on the mutation rate in humans. Here we present the Estonian Biocentre Human Genome Diversity Panel (EGDP), a dataset of 483 high-coverage human genomes from 148 populations worldwide, including 379 new genomes from 125 populations, which we group into diversity and selection sets. We analyse this dataset to refine estimates of continent-wide patterns of heterozygosity, long- and short-distance gene flow, archaic admixture, and changes in effective population size through time as well as for signals of positive or balancing selection. We find a genetic signature in present-day Papuans that suggests that at least 2% of their genome originates from an early and largely extinct expansion of anatomically modern humans (AMHs) out of Africa. Together with evidence from the western Asian fossil record, and admixture between AMHs and Neanderthals predating the main Eurasian expansion, our results contribute to the mounting evidence for the presence of AMHs out of Africa earlier than 75,000 years ago.

Genomic evidence for shared common ancestry of East African hunting-gathering populations and insights into local adaptation.

Anatomically modern humans arose in Africa ∼300,000 years ago, but the demographic and adaptive histories of African populations are not well-characterized. Here, we have generated a genome-wide dataset from 840 Africans, residing in western, eastern, southern, and northern Africa, belonging to 50 ethnicities, and speaking languages belonging to four language families. In addition to agriculturalists and pastoralists, our study includes 16 populations that practice, or until recently have practiced, a hunting-gathering (HG) lifestyle. We observe that genetic structure in Africa is broadly correlated not only with geography, but to a lesser extent, with linguistic affiliation and subsistence strategy. Four East African HG (EHG) populations that are geographically distant from each other show evidence of common ancestry: the Hadza and Sandawe in Tanzania, who speak languages with clicks classified as Khoisan; the Dahalo in Kenya, whose language has remnant clicks; and the Sabue in Ethiopia, who speak an unclassified language. Additionally, we observed common ancestry between central African rainforest HGs and southern African San, the latter of whom speak languages with clicks classified as Khoisan. With the exception of the EHG, central African rainforest HGs, and San, other HG groups in Africa appear genetically similar to neighboring agriculturalist or pastoralist populations. We additionally demonstrate that infectious disease, immune response, and diet have played important roles in the adaptive landscape of African history. However, while the broad biological processes involved in recent human adaptation in Africa are often consistent across populations, the specific loci affected by selective pressures more often vary across populations.

Genetic signatures of gene flow and malaria-driven natural selection in sub-Saharan populations of the "endemic Burkitt Lymphoma belt".

Populations in sub-Saharan Africa have historically been exposed to intense selection from chronic infection with falciparum malaria. Interestingly, populations with the highest malaria intensity can be identified by the increased occurrence of endemic Burkitt Lymphoma (eBL), a pediatric cancer that affects populations with intense malaria exposure, in the so called "eBL belt" in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the effects of intense malaria exposure and sub-Saharan populations' genetic histories remain poorly explored. To determine if historical migrations and intense malaria exposure have shaped the genetic composition of the eBL belt populations, we genotyped ~4.3 million SNPs in 1,708 individuals from Ghana and Northern Uganda, located on opposite sides of eBL belt and with ≥ 7 months/year of intense malaria exposure and published evidence of high incidence of BL. Among 35 Ghanaian tribes, we showed a predominantly West-Central African ancestry and genomic footprints of gene flow from Gambian and East African populations. In Uganda, the North West population showed a predominantly Nilotic ancestry, and the North Central population was a mixture of Nilotic and Southern Bantu ancestry, while the Southwest Ugandan population showed a predominant Southern Bantu ancestry. Our results support the hypothesis of diverse ancestral origins of the Ugandan, Kenyan and Tanzanian Great Lakes African populations, reflecting a confluence of Nilotic, Cushitic and Bantu migrations in the last 3000 years. Natural selection analyses suggest, for the first time, a strong positive selection signal in the ATP2B4 gene (rs10900588) in Northern Ugandan populations. These findings provide important baseline genomic data to facilitate disease association studies, including of eBL, in eBL belt populations.