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Beethoven’s Genome Sequenced for the First Time, Revealing Clues to Composer’s Health and A Paternal Scandal

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A team of scientists from various institutions, including the University of Cambridge, KU Leuven, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, have successfully sequenced Ludwig van Beethoven’s genome for the first time.

The genome was extracted from five genetically identical locks of the composer’s hair. This research sheds light on Beethoven’s health and raises new questions about his ancestry and cause of death.

Beethoven had requested his doctor to document his illness and make it public in 1802, and his health and cause of death have been a topic of debate for years without the aid of genetic research.

According to a research published in Current Biology, DNA extracted from five locks of hair, all dating back to the last seven years of Beethoven’s life, belong to a single individual who matches the documented ancestry of the famous composer. The researchers combined genetic data with thorough examination of provenance histories to conclude that these locks are “almost certainly authentic.”

New Genetic Evidence Reveals a Surprising Twist in Beethoven's Ancestry
New Genetic Evidence Reveals a Surprising Twist in Beethoven’s Ancestry

The main objective of the study is to provide insight into Beethoven’s health issues, which are well-known to include progressive hearing loss that began in his mid- to late-20s and resulted in him becoming functionally deaf by 1818.

Additionally, the team looked into potential genetic factors contributing to Beethoven’s chronic gastrointestinal problems and a severe liver ailment that ultimately led to his demise in 1827.

From his time in Bonn, Beethoven struggled with severe gastrointestinal issues that persisted and deteriorated in Vienna. During the summer of 1821, he experienced the first of at least two jaundice attacks, which is a common symptom of liver disease. It is widely believed that Beethoven’s death at the age of 56 was a result of cirrhosis.

Biological indicators of Beethoven’s health

The Intriguing Genetics of Beethoven's Family: A Story of Illicit Love and Hidden Histories
The Intriguing Genetics of Beethoven’s Family: A Story of Illicit Love and Hidden Histories

Despite their efforts, they could not identify the exact cause of Beethoven’s hearing loss or gastrointestinal issues. Nevertheless, they were able to detect several significant genetic risk factors for liver disease. Additionally, they found indications of a hepatitis B virus infection in the months leading up to the composer’s last illness.

Tristan Begg, the lead author from the University of Cambridge, stated that according to Beethoven’s “conversation books,” which he used in the last ten years of his life, it can be inferred that he consumed alcohol regularly, but it is challenging to estimate the exact amount. While some of his contemporaries considered his drinking moderate by the standards of early 19th-century Vienna, there is no unanimous agreement among them, and it is still likely that he consumed quantities of alcohol that are harmful to the liver by today’s standards.

Begg suggested that if Beethoven’s alcohol consumption was heavy enough over an extended period and combined with his genetic risk factors, it could be one possible explanation for his cirrhosis.

According to the research team, Beethoven’s severe liver disease may have been exacerbated by his alcohol intake and genetic risk, as well as his hepatitis B infection. However, they caution that the exact nature and timing of the infection could not be determined, and the extent of his alcohol consumption remains unknown.

Several potential causes have been linked to Beethoven’s hearing loss, including diseases with varying degrees of genetic involvement. Analysis of his authenticated hair samples did not reveal a straightforward genetic origin for his hearing loss.

Uncovering Beethoven's Secret: Genetics Reveals Extra-Pair Paternity in Paternal Line
Uncovering Beethoven’s Secret: Genetics Reveals Extra-Pair Paternity in Paternal Line

Dr. Axel Schmidt at the Institute of Human Genetics at the University Hospital of Bonn stated that while a clear genetic explanation for Beethoven’s hearing loss could not be identified, it cannot be entirely ruled out.

He added that as reference data for interpreting individual genomes continue to improve, Beethoven’s genome may provide hints for the cause of his hearing loss in the future.

Although the researchers were unable to find a genetic cause for Beethoven’s gastrointestinal problems, they have ruled out coeliac disease and lactose intolerance as highly improbable based on the genomic data. Additionally, the analysis revealed that Beethoven had some genetic protection against the risk of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is often suspected as a potential cause. Therefore, IBS is considered a less likely explanation for his gastrointestinal complaints.

Unraveling the Mysteries of Beethoven's Genome: What We Learned About the Composer's Health and Family History
Unraveling the Mysteries of Beethoven’s Genome: What We Learned About the Composer’s Health and Family History

“We cannot say definitely what killed Beethoven, but we can now at least confirm the presence of significant heritable risk, and an infection with hepatitis B virus,” adds Johannes Krause, from the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology. “We can also eliminate several other less plausible genetic causes.”

“Taken in view of the known medical history, it is highly likely that it was some combination of these three factors, including his alcohol consumption, acting in concert, but future research will have to clarify the extent to which each factor was involved,” adds Tristan Begg.

Beethoven’s hair authentication

The research team verified the authenticity of eight hair samples obtained from public and private collections in the UK, continental Europe, and the US. During the authentication process, they discovered that at least two of the hair samples were not from Beethoven, including a famous lock that was once believed to have been cut from the composer’s head by the young musician Ferdinand Hiller shortly after his death.

Previous analyses of the “Hiller lock” supported the theory that Beethoven had lead poisoning, which could have contributed to his health problems, including his hearing loss. William Meredith, who was involved in earlier scientific analyses of Beethoven’s remains and initiated the present study with Tristan Begg, stated that since it is now known that the “Hiller lock” originated from a woman and not Beethoven, none of the previous analyses based solely on that lock can be applied to Beethoven. Future studies to test for lead, opiates, and mercury must be based on authenticated samples.

Out of the eight hair samples tested, five were confirmed as authentic and from the same individual. These samples are currently held at the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies in San Jose, California, a private collector’s collection (belonging to American Beethoven Society member Kevin Brown), and the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn. One of the locks, now owned by Kevin Brown, was hand-delivered by Beethoven himself to the pianist Anton Halm in April 1826, with Beethoven declaring “Das sind meine Haare!” (“That is my hair!”). The team sequenced Beethoven’s whole genome from another sample from Brown’s collection, known as the “Stumpff Lock,” which was found to be the best-preserved sample.

Beethoven's Hair Unlocks the Secrets of His Health and Ancestry in Groundbreaking DNA Study
Beethoven’s Hair Unlocks the Secrets of His Health and Ancestry in Groundbreaking DNA Study

The researchers discovered that the DNA extracted from the “Stumpff Lock” of Beethoven’s hair had the strongest connection to people currently living in North Rhine-Westphalia, which is consistent with Beethoven’s known German ancestry.

A family secret

The research team investigated the genetics of living relatives in Belgium but did not discover any matches among them. Genealogical studies indicate that some of them share a paternal ancestor with Beethoven dating back to the late 1500s and early 1600s, but they did not have the same Y-Chromosome as found in the genuine hair samples. The researchers concluded that this discrepancy was likely due to at least one instance of an “extra-pair paternity event” – a child resulting from an extramarital relationship – in Beethoven’s direct paternal line.

“Through the combination of DNA data and archival documents,” adds Genetic genealogist Maarten Larmuseau from the KU, “we were able to observe a discrepancy between Ludwig van Beethoven’s legal and biological genealogy.”

According to the study, there was likely an “extra-pair paternity event” in Beethoven’s direct paternal line that occurred between Hendrik van Beethoven’s conception in Kampenhout, Belgium around 1572 and Ludwig van Beethoven’s conception seven generations later in 1770 in Bonn, Germany. While there had been previous doubts about the paternity of Beethoven’s father due to the lack of a baptismal record, the researchers were unable to determine the specific generation in which this event occurred.

“We hope that by making Beethoven’s genome publicly available for researchers, and perhaps adding further authenticated locks to the initial chronological series, remaining questions about his health and genealogy can someday be answered,” adds Begg.

Source: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.02.041

Image Credit: Rischgitz/Getty Images and Kevin Brown

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