Count Dracula Resurrected: Proteomic Analysis of Vlad III the Impaler’s Documents by EVA Technology and Mass Spectrometry

ABSTRACT: The interest of scientists in analysing items of World Cultural Heritage, has been exponentially increasing since the beginning of the new millennium. These studies have grown considerably in tandem with the development and the use of sophisticated and sensitive technologies such as the high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) and the non-invasive and non-damaging technique, known under the acronym EVA. Here, we report the results about the MS-characterization of the peptides and proteins harvested by the EVA technology applied to three letters written in 1457 and 1475 by the voivode of Wallachia, Vlad III, also known as Vlad the Impaler, or Vlad Dracula. The discrimination of the “original” endogenous peptides from contaminant ones was obtained monitoring their different level of deamidation and of other diagenetic chemical modifica-tions. The characterization of the ancient proteins extracted from these documents allowed to explore the environmental conditions, in the second half of the 15th-century, of the Wallachia, a region considered as a meeting point for soldiers, mi-grants and travellers that probably carried not only trade goods and cultural traditions, but also diseases and epidemics. In addition, the identification of many human peptides and proteins harvested from the letters allowed to uncover more about Vlad Dracula the Impaler. Particularly, the experimental data show that he probably suffered of inflammatory processes of the respiratory tract and/or of the skin, and, according to some stories, he also suffered from a pathological condition called haemolacria, that is he could shed tears admixed with blood. It is worth to note that it cannot deny that more medieval peo-ple may have touched these documents, but it is also presumable that the most prominent ancient proteins should be related to the Prince Vlad the Impaler, who written and signed these letters.

INSTRUMENT(S): Orbitrap Fusion

ORGANISM(S): Homo Sapiens (ncbitaxon:9606)

SUBMITTER: Vincenzo Cunsolo  

PROVIDER: MSV000092916 | MassIVE |

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PXD041350

REPOSITORIES: MassIVE