Thread by @MHDLarmuseau

Today we finally published the genomic analyses of hair locks from world-famous music composer Ludwig van #Beethoven. The #genome offers clues to his health and family history! 🧬💇‍♂️ @CurrentBiology buff.ly/3YZEVY0 (credits: Beethoven-Haus Bonn; T. Begg)
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@CurrentBiology 8 hair locks attributed to Beethoven = 5 genetic matches + 2 non-matching samples + 1 not conclusive.
Hiller-lock (famous from book & lead poisoning hypothesis) belonged to woman
(credits: Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies, SanJoseStateUni; photo W. Meredith)
🧵 2/11

@CurrentBiology Beethoven’s whole genome was sequenced from one of the matching locks, the Stumpff lock. The ultra-short DNA fragments characteristic of historical hair samples (mean fragment length 29.62 bp) resulted in a 24-fold (!) genome coverage. (credits: Anthi Tiliakou)
🧵 3/12

@CurrentBiology With a new approach of ‘Triangulated Ancestor Locations’, we have found the strongest connection between the DNA extracted from the Stumpff lock of Beethoven’s hair and people with ancestors living in present day North Rine-Westphalia.
🧵 4/11

@CurrentBiology Unexpectedly, the Y-chromosome of living relatives of ‘Van Beethoven’ families in Flanders don’t match with the one of Beethoven’s hair. Therefore our genetic genealogical approach points to an extrapair paternity (EPP) event in Beethoven’s direct paternal line.
🧵 5/11

@CurrentBiology The EPP occurred between conception of Hendrik van Beethoven in Kampenhout in ca 1572 and conception of Ludwig in Bonn in 1770. Doubt had already earlier been raised concerning paternity of Beethoven’s father owing to the absence of baptismal record. (photo in Mechelen)
🧵 6/11

@CurrentBiology In the ‘Heiligenstadt testament’ Beethoven asked his doctor to describe his health problems and to make it public. It included progressive hearing loss & #deafness, chronic gastrointestinal complaints, and severe liver disease culminating in his death. (image: Wikimedia)
🧵 7/11

@CurrentBiology Although we could not identify a clear genetic explanation for hearing disorders and gastrointestinal problems, we found that Beethoven had strong genetic predisposition for liver disease.
🧵 8/11

@CurrentBiology We also found evidence of an infection with hepatitis B virus during at least the months before the composer’s death. The hepatitis B genome belonged to a single subgenotype D2, one of most prevalent variants in Europe today, and already since at least the Middle Ages.
🧵 9/11

@CurrentBiology Our study shows Beethoven was predisposed to liver disease and infected with hepatitis B, which – combined with his alcohol consumption – may have contributed to his death. Lever cirrhosis was already suggested as most likely cause of death (Credits: Beethoven-Haus Bonn)
🧵10/11

@CurrentBiology Our study illustrates the contribution and further potential of genomic data as a novel primary source in historical biography or #genobiography.
To answer all remaining questions someday, Beethoven’s genome is now publicly available for everyone! (credits: Jan Geypen)
🧵 11/11