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Yermakovich D, André M, Brucato N, Kariwiga J, Leavesley M, Pankratov V, Mondal M, Ricaut FX, Dannemann M. Denisovan admixture facilitated environmental adaptation in Papua New Guinean populations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2405889121. [PMID: 38889149 PMCID: PMC11214076 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2405889121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Neandertals and Denisovans, having inhabited distinct regions in Eurasia and possibly Oceania for over 200,000 y, experienced ample time to adapt to diverse environmental challenges these regions presented. Among present-day human populations, Papua New Guineans (PNG) stand out as one of the few carrying substantial amounts of both Neandertal and Denisovan DNA, a result of past admixture events with these archaic human groups. This study investigates the distribution of introgressed Denisovan and Neandertal DNA within two distinct PNG populations, residing in the highlands of Mt Wilhelm and the lowlands of Daru Island. These locations exhibit unique environmental features, some of which may parallel the challenges that archaic humans once confronted and adapted to. Our results show that PNG highlanders carry higher levels of Denisovan DNA compared to PNG lowlanders. Among the Denisovan-like haplotypes with higher frequencies in highlander populations, those exhibiting the greatest frequency difference compared to lowlander populations also demonstrate more pronounced differences in population frequencies than frequency-matched nonarchaic variants. Two of the five most highly differentiated of those haplotypes reside in genomic areas linked to brain development genes. Conversely, Denisovan-like haplotypes more frequent in lowlanders overlap with genes associated with immune response processes. Our findings suggest that Denisovan DNA has provided genetic variation associated with brain biology and immune response to PNG genomes, some of which might have facilitated adaptive processes to environmental challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danat Yermakovich
- Center of Genomics, Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu51010, Estonia
| | - Mathilde André
- Center of Genomics, Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu51010, Estonia
| | - Nicolas Brucato
- Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l'Environnement, Université de Toulouse, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Toulouse Institut National Polytechnique, Université Toulouse 3–Paul Sabatier, cedex 9, Toulouse31062, France
| | - Jason Kariwiga
- Strand of Anthropology, Sociology and Archaeology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Papua New Guinea, PO Box 320, University 134, National Capital District, Papua New Guinea
- School of Social Science, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD4072, Australia
| | - Matthew Leavesley
- Strand of Anthropology, Sociology and Archaeology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Papua New Guinea, PO Box 320, University 134, National Capital District, Papua New Guinea
- The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage & College of Arts, Society and Education, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD4870, Australia
| | - Vasili Pankratov
- Center of Genomics, Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu51010, Estonia
| | - Mayukh Mondal
- Center of Genomics, Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu51010, Estonia
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel24118, Germany
| | - François-Xavier Ricaut
- Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l'Environnement, Université de Toulouse, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Toulouse Institut National Polytechnique, Université Toulouse 3–Paul Sabatier, cedex 9, Toulouse31062, France
| | - Michael Dannemann
- Center of Genomics, Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu51010, Estonia
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2
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Armendariz I, López de Heredia U, Soler M, Puigdemont A, Ruiz MM, Jové P, Soto Á, Serra O, Figueras M. Rhytidome- and cork-type barks of holm oak, cork oak and their hybrids highlight processes leading to cork formation. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:488. [PMID: 38825683 PMCID: PMC11145776 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05192-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The periderm is basic for land plants due to its protective role during radial growth, which is achieved by the polymers deposited in the cell walls. In most trees, like holm oak, the first periderm is frequently replaced by subsequent internal periderms yielding a heterogeneous outer bark made of a mixture of periderms and phloem tissues, known as rhytidome. Exceptionally, cork oak forms a persistent or long-lived periderm which results in a homogeneous outer bark of thick phellem cell layers known as cork. Cork oak and holm oak distribution ranges overlap to a great extent, and they often share stands, where they can hybridize and produce offspring showing a rhytidome-type bark. RESULTS Here we use the outer bark of cork oak, holm oak, and their natural hybrids to analyse the chemical composition, the anatomy and the transcriptome, and further understand the mechanisms underlying periderm development. We also include a unique natural hybrid individual corresponding to a backcross with cork oak that, interestingly, shows a cork-type bark. The inclusion of hybrid samples showing rhytidome-type and cork-type barks is valuable to approach cork and rhytidome development, allowing an accurate identification of candidate genes and processes. The present study underscores that abiotic stress and cell death are enhanced in rhytidome-type barks whereas lipid metabolism and cell cycle are enriched in cork-type barks. Development-related DEGs showing the highest expression, highlight cell division, cell expansion, and cell differentiation as key processes leading to cork or rhytidome-type barks. CONCLUSION Transcriptome results, in agreement with anatomical and chemical analyses, show that rhytidome and cork-type barks are active in periderm development, and suberin and lignin deposition. Development and cell wall-related DEGs suggest that cell division and expansion are upregulated in cork-type barks whereas cell differentiation is enhanced in rhytidome-type barks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iker Armendariz
- Laboratori del suro, Departament de Biologia, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat de Girona, Carrer Maria Aurèlia Campmany 40, Girona, 17003, Spain
| | - Unai López de Heredia
- Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales. ETSI Montes, Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, José Antonio Novais 10, Madrid, 28040, Spain
| | - Marçal Soler
- Laboratori del suro, Departament de Biologia, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat de Girona, Carrer Maria Aurèlia Campmany 40, Girona, 17003, Spain
| | - Adrià Puigdemont
- Laboratori del suro, Departament de Biologia, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat de Girona, Carrer Maria Aurèlia Campmany 40, Girona, 17003, Spain
| | - Maria Mercè Ruiz
- Institut Català del Suro. Carrer Miquel Vincke i Meyer 13, Palafrugell, 17200, Spain
| | - Patricia Jové
- Institut Català del Suro. Carrer Miquel Vincke i Meyer 13, Palafrugell, 17200, Spain
| | - Álvaro Soto
- Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales. ETSI Montes, Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, José Antonio Novais 10, Madrid, 28040, Spain
| | - Olga Serra
- Laboratori del suro, Departament de Biologia, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat de Girona, Carrer Maria Aurèlia Campmany 40, Girona, 17003, Spain
| | - Mercè Figueras
- Laboratori del suro, Departament de Biologia, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat de Girona, Carrer Maria Aurèlia Campmany 40, Girona, 17003, Spain.
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Funato N, Heliövaara A, Boeckx C. A regulatory variant impacting TBX1 expression contributes to basicranial morphology in Homo sapiens. Am J Hum Genet 2024; 111:939-953. [PMID: 38608674 PMCID: PMC11080286 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2024.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Changes in gene regulatory elements play critical roles in human phenotypic divergence. However, identifying the base-pair changes responsible for the distinctive morphology of Homo sapiens remains challenging. Here, we report a noncoding single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs41298798, as a potential causal variant contributing to the morphology of the skull base and vertebral structures found in Homo sapiens. Screening for differentially regulated genes between Homo sapiens and extinct relatives revealed 13 candidate genes associated with basicranial development, with TBX1, implicated in DiGeorge syndrome, playing a pivotal role. Epigenetic markers and in silico analyses prioritized rs41298798 within a TBX1 intron for functional validation. CRISPR editing revealed that the 41-base-pair region surrounding rs41298798 modulates gene expression at 22q11.21. The derived allele of rs41298798 acts as an allele-specific enhancer mediated by E2F1, resulting in increased TBX1 expression levels compared to the ancestral allele. Tbx1-knockout mice exhibited skull base and vertebral abnormalities similar to those seen in DiGeorge syndrome. Phenotypic differences associated with TBX1 deficiency are observed between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis). In conclusion, the regulatory divergence of TBX1 contributes to the formation of skull base and vertebral structures found in Homo sapiens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Funato
- Department of Signal Gene Regulation, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Yushima 1-5-45, Bunkyo-ku 113-8510, Tokyo, Japan; Research Core, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Yushima 1-5-45, Bunkyo-ku 113-8510, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Arja Heliövaara
- Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Center, Department of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and Helsinki University, Stenbäckinkatu 11, P.O. Box 281, Helsinki FI-00029 HUS, Finland
| | - Cedric Boeckx
- Catalan Institute for Advanced Studies and Research (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys, 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain; Section of General Linguistics, University of Barcelona, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 585, 08007 Barcelona, Spain; University of Barcelona Institute for Complex Systems, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 585, 08007 Barcelona, Spain; University of Barcelona Institute of Neurosciences, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 585, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
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Chen Y, Yu XY, Xu SJ, Shi XQ, Zhang XX, Sun C. An indel introduced by Neanderthal introgression, rs3835124:ATTTATT > ATT, might contribute to prostate cancer risk by regulating PDK1 expression. Ann Hum Genet 2024; 88:126-137. [PMID: 37846608 DOI: 10.1111/ahg.12533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancer types in males and rs12621278:A > G has been suggested to be associated with this disease by previous genome-wide association studies. One thousand genomes project data analysis indicated that rs12621278:A > G is within two long-core haplotypes. However, the origin, causal variant(s), and molecular function of these haplotypes were remaining unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS Population genetics analysis and functional genomics work was performed for this locus. RESULTS Phylogeny analysis verified that the rare haplotype is derived from Neanderthal introgression. Genome annotation suggested that three genetic variants in the core haplotypes, rs116108611:G > A, rs139972066:AAAAAAAA > AAAAAAAAA, and rs3835124:ATTTATT > ATT, are located in functional regions. Luciferase assay indicated that rs139972066:AAAAAAAA > AAAAAAAAA and rs116108611:G > A are not able to alter ITGA6 (integrin alpha 6) and ITGA6 antisense RNA 1 expression, respectively. In contrast, rs3835124:ATTTATT > ATT can significantly influence PDK1 (pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1) expression, which was verified by expression quantitative trait locus analysis. This genetic variant can alter transcription factor cut like homeobox 1 interaction efficiency. The introgressed haplotype was observed to be subject to positive selection in East Asian populations. The molecular function of the haplotype suggested that Neanderthal should be with lower PDK1 expression and further different energy homeostasis from modern human. CONCLUSION This study provided new insight into the contribution of Neanderthal introgression to human phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Xin-Yi Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Shuang-Jia Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Qian Shi
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Xin-Xin Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Chang Sun
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
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Foley NM, Harris AJ, Bredemeyer KR, Ruedi M, Puechmaille SJ, Teeling EC, Criscitiello MF, Murphy WJ. Karyotypic stasis and swarming influenced the evolution of viral tolerance in a species-rich bat radiation. CELL GENOMICS 2024; 4:100482. [PMID: 38237599 PMCID: PMC10879000 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of COVID-19 and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has prioritized understanding bats' viral tolerance. Myotis bats are exceptionally species rich and have evolved viral tolerance. They also exhibit swarming, a cryptic behavior where large, multi-species assemblages gather for mating, which has been hypothesized to promote interspecific hybridization. To resolve the coevolution of genome architecture and their unusual antiviral tolerance, we undertook a phylogenomic analysis of 60 Old World Myotis genomes. We demonstrate an extensive history of introgressive hybridization that has replaced the species phylogeny across 17%-93% of the genome except for pericentromeric regions of macrochromosomes. Introgression tracts were enriched on microchromosome regions containing key antiviral pathway genes overexpressed during viral challenge experiments. Together, these results suggest that the unusual Myotis karyotype may have evolved to selectively position immune-related genes in high recombining genomic regions prone to introgression of divergent alleles, including a diversity of interleukin loci responsible for the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Foley
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| | - Andrew J Harris
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA; Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics & Genomics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Kevin R Bredemeyer
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA; Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics & Genomics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Manuel Ruedi
- Department of Mammalogy and Ornithology, Natural History Museum of Geneva, Route de Malagnou 1, BP 6434, 1211 Geneva 6, Switzerland
| | - Sebastien J Puechmaille
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution, Montpellier (ISEM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France; Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Emma C Teeling
- School of Biology and Environmental, Science, Science Centre West, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland
| | - Michael F Criscitiello
- Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics & Genomics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA; Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - William J Murphy
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA; Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics & Genomics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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Peyrégne S, Slon V, Kelso J. More than a decade of genetic research on the Denisovans. Nat Rev Genet 2024; 25:83-103. [PMID: 37723347 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00643-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Denisovans, a group of now extinct humans who lived in Eastern Eurasia in the Middle and Late Pleistocene, were first identified from DNA sequences just over a decade ago. Only ten fragmentary remains from two sites have been attributed to Denisovans based entirely on molecular information. Nevertheless, there has been great interest in using genetic data to understand Denisovans and their place in human history. From the reconstruction of a single high-quality genome, it has been possible to infer their population history, including events of admixture with other human groups. Additionally, the identification of Denisovan DNA in the genomes of present-day individuals has provided insights into the timing and routes of dispersal of ancient modern humans into Asia and Oceania, as well as the contributions of archaic DNA to the physiology of present-day people. In this Review, we synthesize more than a decade of research on Denisovans, reconcile controversies and summarize insights into their population history and phenotype. We also highlight how our growing knowledge about Denisovans has provided insights into our own evolutionary history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Peyrégne
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Viviane Slon
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Janet Kelso
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
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Pollen AA, Kilik U, Lowe CB, Camp JG. Human-specific genetics: new tools to explore the molecular and cellular basis of human evolution. Nat Rev Genet 2023; 24:687-711. [PMID: 36737647 PMCID: PMC9897628 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-022-00568-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Our ancestors acquired morphological, cognitive and metabolic modifications that enabled humans to colonize diverse habitats, develop extraordinary technologies and reshape the biosphere. Understanding the genetic, developmental and molecular bases for these changes will provide insights into how we became human. Connecting human-specific genetic changes to species differences has been challenging owing to an abundance of low-effect size genetic changes, limited descriptions of phenotypic differences across development at the level of cell types and lack of experimental models. Emerging approaches for single-cell sequencing, genetic manipulation and stem cell culture now support descriptive and functional studies in defined cell types with a human or ape genetic background. In this Review, we describe how the sequencing of genomes from modern and archaic hominins, great apes and other primates is revealing human-specific genetic changes and how new molecular and cellular approaches - including cell atlases and organoids - are enabling exploration of the candidate causal factors that underlie human-specific traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex A Pollen
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Umut Kilik
- Institute of Human Biology (IHB), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Craig B Lowe
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - J Gray Camp
- Institute of Human Biology (IHB), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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Rong S, Neil CR, Welch A, Duan C, Maguire S, Meremikwu IC, Meyerson M, Evans BJ, Fairbrother WG. Large-scale functional screen identifies genetic variants with splicing effects in modern and archaic humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2218308120. [PMID: 37192163 PMCID: PMC10214146 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218308120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans coexisted and interbred with other hominins which later became extinct. These archaic hominins are known to us only through fossil records and for two cases, genome sequences. Here, we engineer Neanderthal and Denisovan sequences into thousands of artificial genes to reconstruct the pre-mRNA processing patterns of these extinct populations. Of the 5,169 alleles tested in this massively parallel splicing reporter assay (MaPSy), we report 962 exonic splicing mutations that correspond to differences in exon recognition between extant and extinct hominins. Using MaPSy splicing variants, predicted splicing variants, and splicing quantitative trait loci, we show that splice-disrupting variants experienced greater purifying selection in anatomically modern humans than that in Neanderthals. Adaptively introgressed variants were enriched for moderate-effect splicing variants, consistent with positive selection for alternative spliced alleles following introgression. As particularly compelling examples, we characterized a unique tissue-specific alternative splicing variant at the adaptively introgressed innate immunity gene TLR1, as well as a unique Neanderthal introgressed alternative splicing variant in the gene HSPG2 that encodes perlecan. We further identified potentially pathogenic splicing variants found only in Neanderthals and Denisovans in genes related to sperm maturation and immunity. Finally, we found splicing variants that may contribute to variation among modern humans in total bilirubin, balding, hemoglobin levels, and lung capacity. Our findings provide unique insights into natural selection acting on splicing in human evolution and demonstrate how functional assays can be used to identify candidate causal variants underlying differences in gene regulation and phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Rong
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
| | - Christopher R. Neil
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
| | - Anastasia Welch
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
| | - Chaorui Duan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
| | - Samantha Maguire
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
| | - Ijeoma C. Meremikwu
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
| | - Malcolm Meyerson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
| | - Ben J. Evans
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ONL8S 4K1, Canada
| | - William G. Fairbrother
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
- Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute of Brown University, Providence, RI02912
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Chen Z, Reynolds RH, Pardiñas AF, Gagliano Taliun SA, van Rheenen W, Lin K, Shatunov A, Gustavsson EK, Fogh I, Jones AR, Robberecht W, Corcia P, Chiò A, Shaw PJ, Morrison KE, Veldink JH, van den Berg LH, Shaw CE, Powell JF, Silani V, Hardy JA, Houlden H, Owen MJ, Turner MR, Ryten M, Al-Chalabi A. The contribution of Neanderthal introgression and natural selection to neurodegenerative diseases. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 180:106082. [PMID: 36925053 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans are thought to be more susceptible to neurodegeneration than equivalently-aged primates. It is not known whether this vulnerability is specific to anatomically-modern humans or shared with other hominids. The contribution of introgressed Neanderthal DNA to neurodegenerative disorders remains uncertain. It is also unclear how common variants associated with neurodegenerative disease risk are maintained by natural selection in the population despite their deleterious effects. In this study, we aimed to quantify the genome-wide contribution of Neanderthal introgression and positive selection to the heritability of complex neurodegenerative disorders to address these questions. We used stratified-linkage disequilibrium score regression to investigate the relationship between five SNP-based signatures of natural selection, reflecting different timepoints of evolution, and genome-wide associated variants of the three most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders: Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. We found no evidence for enrichment of positively-selected SNPs in the heritability of Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, suggesting that common deleterious disease variants are unlikely to be maintained by positive selection. There was no enrichment of Neanderthal introgression in the SNP-heritability of these disorders, suggesting that Neanderthal admixture is unlikely to have contributed to disease risk. These findings provide insight into the origins of neurodegenerative disorders within the evolution of Homo sapiens and addresses a long-standing debate, showing that Neanderthal admixture is unlikely to have contributed to common genetic risk of neurodegeneration in anatomically-modern humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongbo Chen
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London (UCL), London, UK; Department of Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, UCL, London, UK; NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, UCL, London, UK.
| | - Regina H Reynolds
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, UCL, London, UK; NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, UCL, London, UK
| | - Antonio F Pardiñas
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Sarah A Gagliano Taliun
- Department of Medicine & Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Montréal Heart Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Wouter van Rheenen
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Kuang Lin
- Nuffield Department of Population Health, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Aleksey Shatunov
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Emil K Gustavsson
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, UCL, London, UK; NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, UCL, London, UK
| | - Isabella Fogh
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ashley R Jones
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Wim Robberecht
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease, Leuven, Belgium; Vesalius Research Center, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philippe Corcia
- ALS Center, Department of Neurology, CHRU Bretonneau, Tours, France
| | - Adriano Chiò
- Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, ALS Centre, University of Torino, Turin, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza, Torino, Italy
| | - Pamela J Shaw
- Academic Neurology Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Karen E Morrison
- School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Jan H Veldink
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Leonard H van den Berg
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Christopher E Shaw
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - John F Powell
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milano, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milano, Italy
| | - John A Hardy
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London (UCL), London, UK; Reta Lila Weston Institute, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK; NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK; Institute for Advanced Study, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Michael J Owen
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Martin R Turner
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Mina Ryten
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, UCL, London, UK; NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, UCL, London, UK
| | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
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10
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Turner MD. Possible Causes of Hypertrophic Osteoarthropathy in the La Ferrassie 1 Neanderthal. Cureus 2023; 15:e35721. [PMID: 37016656 PMCID: PMC10066876 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.35721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
For over a century, researchers have been perplexed by the unique osteological findings on La Ferrassie 1 (LF1), one of the most complete Neanderthal remains ever found. In 1997, Fennel and Trinkaus proposed that LF1 suffered from hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HOA), likely secondary to chronic thoracic infection or pulmonary malignancy. This disease process can have many etiologies, and no study has fully explored the possible origin of LF1's HOA. Ultimately, it is most likely that LF1's HOA etiology arose from one of the many infectious diseases that prehistoric Neanderthals were exposed to, specifically a chronic pulmonary RNA virus.
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11
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Yermakovich D, Pankratov V, Võsa U, Yunusbayev B, Dannemann M. Long-range regulatory effects of Neandertal DNA in modern humans. Genetics 2023; 223:6957427. [PMID: 36560850 PMCID: PMC9991505 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The admixture between modern humans and Neandertals has resulted in ∼2% of the genomes of present-day non-Africans being composed of Neandertal DNA. Introgressed Neandertal DNA has been demonstrated to significantly affect the transcriptomic landscape in people today and via this molecular mechanism influence phenotype variation as well. However, little is known about how much of that regulatory impact is mediated through long-range regulatory effects that have been shown to explain ∼20% of expression variation. Here we identified 60 transcription factors (TFs) with their top cis-eQTL SNP in GTEx being of Neandertal ancestry and predicted long-range Neandertal DNA-induced regulatory effects by screening for the predicted target genes of those TFs. We show that the TFs form a significantly connected protein-protein interaction network. Among them are JUN and PRDM5, two brain-expressed TFs that have their predicted target genes enriched in regions devoid of Neandertal DNA. Archaic cis-eQTLs for the 60 TFs include multiple candidates for local adaptation, some of which show significant allele frequency increases over the last ∼10,000 years. A large proportion of the cis-eQTL-associated archaic SNPs have additional associations with various immune traits, schizophrenia, blood cell type composition and anthropometric measures. Finally, we demonstrate that our results are consistent with those of Neandertal DNA-associated empirical trans-eQTLs. Our results suggest that Neandertal DNA significantly influences regulatory networks, that its regulatory reach goes beyond the 40% of genomic sequence it still covers in present-day non-Africans and that via the investigated mechanism Neandertal DNA influences the phenotypic variation in people today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danat Yermakovich
- Centre for Genomics, Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, 51010 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Vasili Pankratov
- Centre for Genomics, Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, 51010 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Urmo Võsa
- Estonian Genome Centre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, 51010 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Bayazit Yunusbayev
- Centre for Genomics, Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, 51010 Tartu, Estonia
| | | | - Michael Dannemann
- Centre for Genomics, Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, 51010 Tartu, Estonia
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12
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Vespasiani DM, Jacobs GS, Cook LE, Brucato N, Leavesley M, Kinipi C, Ricaut FX, Cox MP, Gallego Romero I. Denisovan introgression has shaped the immune system of present-day Papuans. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010470. [PMID: 36480515 PMCID: PMC9731433 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern humans have admixed with multiple archaic hominins. Papuans, in particular, owe up to 5% of their genome to Denisovans, a sister group to Neanderthals whose remains have only been identified in Siberia and Tibet. Unfortunately, the biological and evolutionary significance of these introgression events remain poorly understood. Here we investigate the function of both Denisovan and Neanderthal alleles characterised within a set of 56 genomes from Papuan individuals. By comparing the distribution of archaic and non-archaic variants we assess the consequences of archaic admixture across a multitude of different cell types and functional elements. We observe an enrichment of archaic alleles within cis-regulatory elements and transcribed regions of the genome, with Denisovan variants strongly affecting elements active within immune-related cells. We identify 16,048 and 10,032 high-confidence Denisovan and Neanderthal variants that fall within annotated cis-regulatory elements and with the potential to alter the affinity of multiple transcription factors to their cognate DNA motifs, highlighting a likely mechanism by which introgressed DNA can impact phenotypes. Lastly, we experimentally validate these predictions by testing the regulatory potential of five Denisovan variants segregating within Papuan individuals, and find that two are associated with a significant reduction of transcriptional activity in plasmid reporter assays. Together, these data provide support for a widespread contribution of archaic DNA in shaping the present levels of modern human genetic diversity, with different archaic ancestries potentially affecting multiple phenotypic traits within non-Africans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide M. Vespasiani
- Melbourne Integrative Genomics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Guy S. Jacobs
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Uniteed Kingdom
| | - Laura E. Cook
- Melbourne Integrative Genomics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Nicolas Brucato
- Laboratoire de Evolution et Diversite Biologique, Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| | - Matthew Leavesley
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
- College of Arts, Society and Education, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Christopher Kinipi
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
| | - François-Xavier Ricaut
- Laboratoire de Evolution et Diversite Biologique, Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| | - Murray P. Cox
- School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Irene Gallego Romero
- Melbourne Integrative Genomics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Center for Stem Cell Systems, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Center for Genomics, Evolution and Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- * E-mail:
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13
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Du K, Bai X, Chen L, Shi Y, Wang HD, Cai MC, Sun WQ, Wang J, Chen SY, Jia XB, Lai SJ. Integrated analysis of microRNAs, circular RNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and mRNAs revealed competing endogenous RNA networks involved in brown adipose tissue whitening in rabbits. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:779. [PMID: 36443655 PMCID: PMC9703717 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-09025-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a target for treating obesity. BAT losses thermogenic capacity and gains a "white adipose tissue-like" phenotype ("BAT whitening") under thermoneutral environments, which is a potential factor causing a low curative effect in BAT-related obesity treatments. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can act as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) to mRNAs and function in various processes by sponging shared microRNAs (miRNAs). However, the roles of circRNA- and lncRNA-related ceRNA networks in regulating BAT whitening remain litter known. RESULTS In this study, BATs were collected from rabbits at day0 (D0), D15, D85, and 2 years (Y2). MiRNA-seq was performed to investigate miRNA changes during BAT whitening. Then, a combined analysis of circRNA-seq and whole-transcriptome sequencing was used for circRNA assembly and quantification during BAT whitening. Our data showed that 1187 miRNAs and 6204 circRNAs were expressed in the samples, and many of which were identified as significantly changed during BAT whitening. Target prediction showed that D0-selective miRNAs were significantly enriched in the Ras, MAPK, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways, and Y2-selective miRNAs were predicted to be involved in cell proliferation. The cyclization of several circRNAs could form novel response elements of key thermogenesis miRNAs at the back-splicing junction (BSJ) sites, and in combination with a dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed the binding between the BSJ site of novel_circ_0013792 and ocu-miR-378-5p. CircRNAs and lncRNAs have high cooperativity in sponging miRNAs during BAT whitening. Both circRNA-miRNA-mRNA and lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA triple networks were significantly involved in immune response-associated biological processes. The D15-selective circRNA might promote BAT whitening by increasing the expression of IDH2. The Y2-selective circRNA-related ceRNA network and lncRNA-related ceRNA network might regulate the formation of the WAT-like phenotype of BAT via MAPK and Ras signaling pathways, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our work systematically revealed ceRNA networks during BAT whitening in rabbits and might provide new insight into BAT-based obesity treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Du
- grid.80510.3c0000 0001 0185 3134Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211# Huimin Road, Wenjiang, 611130 Sichuan China
| | - Xue Bai
- grid.80510.3c0000 0001 0185 3134Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211# Huimin Road, Wenjiang, 611130 Sichuan China
| | - Li Chen
- grid.80510.3c0000 0001 0185 3134Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211# Huimin Road, Wenjiang, 611130 Sichuan China
| | - Yu Shi
- grid.80510.3c0000 0001 0185 3134Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211# Huimin Road, Wenjiang, 611130 Sichuan China
| | - Hao-ding Wang
- grid.80510.3c0000 0001 0185 3134Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211# Huimin Road, Wenjiang, 611130 Sichuan China
| | - Ming-cheng Cai
- grid.449955.00000 0004 1762 504XCollege of Landscape Architecture and Life Science/Institute of Special Plants, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Chongqing, China
| | - Wen-qiang Sun
- grid.80510.3c0000 0001 0185 3134Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211# Huimin Road, Wenjiang, 611130 Sichuan China
| | - Jie Wang
- grid.80510.3c0000 0001 0185 3134Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211# Huimin Road, Wenjiang, 611130 Sichuan China
| | - Shi-yi Chen
- grid.80510.3c0000 0001 0185 3134Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211# Huimin Road, Wenjiang, 611130 Sichuan China
| | - Xian-bo Jia
- grid.80510.3c0000 0001 0185 3134Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211# Huimin Road, Wenjiang, 611130 Sichuan China
| | - Song-jia Lai
- grid.80510.3c0000 0001 0185 3134Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211# Huimin Road, Wenjiang, 611130 Sichuan China
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14
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Reilly PF, Tjahjadi A, Miller SL, Akey JM, Tucci S. The contribution of Neanderthal introgression to modern human traits. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R970-R983. [PMID: 36167050 PMCID: PMC9741939 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neanderthals, our closest extinct relatives, lived in western Eurasia from 400,000 years ago until they went extinct around 40,000 years ago. DNA retrieved from ancient specimens revealed that Neanderthals mated with modern human contemporaries. As a consequence, introgressed Neanderthal DNA survives scattered across the human genome such that 1-4% of the genome of present-day people outside Africa are inherited from Neanderthal ancestors. Patterns of Neanderthal introgressed genomic sequences suggest that Neanderthal alleles had distinct fates in the modern human genetic background. Some Neanderthal alleles facilitated human adaptation to new environments such as novel climate conditions, UV exposure levels and pathogens, while others had deleterious consequences. Here, we review the body of work on Neanderthal introgression over the past decade. We describe how evolutionary forces shaped the genomic landscape of Neanderthal introgression and highlight the impact of introgressed alleles on human biology and phenotypic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Audrey Tjahjadi
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Joshua M Akey
- Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Serena Tucci
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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15
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Kerner G, Quintana-Murci L. The genetic and evolutionary determinants of COVID-19 susceptibility. Eur J Hum Genet 2022; 30:915-921. [PMID: 35760904 PMCID: PMC9244541 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-022-01141-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Devastating pandemics, such as that due to COVID-19, can provide strong testimony to our knowledge of the genetic and evolutionary determinants of infectious disease susceptibility and severity. One of the most remarkable aspects of such outbreaks is the stunning interindividual variability observed in the course of infection. In recent decades, enormous progress has been made in the field of the human genetics of infectious diseases, and an increasing number of human genetic factors have been reported to explain, to a great extent, the observed variability for a large number of infectious agents. However, our understanding of the cellular, molecular, and immunological mechanisms underlying such disparities between individuals and ethnic groups, remains very limited. Here, we discuss recent findings relating to human genetic predisposition to infectious disease, from an immunological or population genetic perspective, and show how these and other innovative approaches have been applied to deciphering the genetic basis of human susceptibility to COVID-19 and the severity of this disease. From an evolutionary perspective, we show how past demographic and selection events characterizing the history of our species, including admixture with archaic humans, such as Neanderthals, facilitated modern human adaptation to the threats imposed by ancient pathogens. In the context of emerging infectious diseases, these past episodes of genetic adaptation may contribute to some of the observed population differences in the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the severity of COVID-19 illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaspard Kerner
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR2000, Human Evolutionary Genetics Unit, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Lluis Quintana-Murci
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR2000, Human Evolutionary Genetics Unit, F-75015, Paris, France. .,Collège de France, Chair of Human Genomics and Evolution, F-75005, Paris, France.
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16
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Genome-wide analyses of introgression between two sympatric Asian oak species. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:924-935. [PMID: 35513577 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01754-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Introgression can be an important source of new alleles for adaption under rapidly changing environments, perhaps even more important than standing variation. Though introgression has been extensively studied in many plants and animals, key questions on the underlying mechanisms of introgression still remain unanswered. In particular, we are yet to determine the genomic distribution of introgressed regions along the genome; whether the extent and patterns of introgression are influenced by ecological factors; and when and how introgression contributes to adaptation. Here, we generated high-quality genomic resources for two sympatric widespread Asian oak species, Quercus acutissima and Q. variabilis, sampled in multiple forests to study introgression between them. We show that introgressed regions are broadly distributed across the genome. Introgression was affected by genetic divergence between pairs of populations and by the similarity of the environments in which they live-populations occupying similar ecological sites tended to share the same introgressed regions. Introgressed genomic footprints of adaptation were preferentially located in regions with suppressed recombination rate. Introgression probably confers adaptation in these oak populations by introducing allelic variation in cis-regulatory elements, in particular through transposable element insertions, thereby altering the regulation of genes related to stress. Our results provide new avenues of research for uncovering mechanisms of adaptation due to hybridization in sympatric species.
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17
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Brand CM, Colbran LL, Capra JA. Predicting Archaic Hominin Phenotypes from Genomic Data. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2022; 23:591-612. [PMID: 35440148 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-111521-121903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Ancient DNA provides a powerful window into the biology of extant and extinct species, including humans' closest relatives: Denisovans and Neanderthals. Here, we review what is known about archaic hominin phenotypes from genomic data and how those inferences have been made. We contend that understanding the influence of variants on lower-level molecular phenotypes-such as gene expression and protein function-is a promising approach to using ancient DNA to learn about archaic hominin traits. Molecular phenotypes have simpler genetic architectures than organism-level complex phenotypes, and this approach enables moving beyond association studies by proposing hypotheses about the effects of archaic variants that are testable in model systems. The major challenge to understanding archaic hominin phenotypes is broadening our ability to accurately map genotypes to phenotypes, but ongoing advances ensure that there will be much more to learn about archaic hominin phenotypes from their genomes. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics, Volume 23 is October 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin M Brand
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; , .,Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Laura L Colbran
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John A Capra
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; , .,Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
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18
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Witt KE, Villanea F, Loughran E, Zhang X, Huerta-Sanchez E. Apportioning archaic variants among modern populations. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200411. [PMID: 35430882 PMCID: PMC9014186 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The apportionment of human genetic diversity within and between populations has been measured to understand human relatedness and demographic history. Likewise, the distribution of archaic ancestry in modern populations can be leveraged to better understand the interaction between our species and its archaic relatives. Resolving the interactions between modern and archaic human populations can be difficult, as archaic variants in modern populations have been shaped by genetic drift, bottlenecks and gene flow. Here, we investigate the distribution of archaic variation in Eurasian populations. We find that archaic ancestry coverage at the individual- and population-level present distinct patterns in modern human populations: South Asians have nearly twice the number of population-unique archaic alleles compared with Europeans or East Asians, indicating that these populations experienced differing demographic and archaic admixture events. We confirm previous observations that East Asian individuals have more Neanderthal ancestry than European individuals, but surprisingly, when we compare the number of single nucleotide polymorphisms with archaic alleles found across a population, Europeans have more Neanderthal ancestry than East Asians. We compare these results to simulated models and conclude that these patterns are consistent with multiple admixture events between modern humans and Neanderthals. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Celebrating 50 years since Lewontin's apportionment of human diversity’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey E. Witt
- Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Fernando Villanea
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Elle Loughran
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
| | - Xinjun Zhang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Emilia Huerta-Sanchez
- Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
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19
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Villanea FA, Witt KE. Underrepresented Populations at the Archaic Introgression Frontier. Front Genet 2022; 13:821170. [PMID: 35281795 PMCID: PMC8914065 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.821170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando A Villanea
- Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
- *Correspondence: Fernando A Villanea,
| | - Kelsey E. Witt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
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20
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Ahlquist KD, Bañuelos MM, Funk A, Lai J, Rong S, Villanea FA, Witt KE. Our Tangled Family Tree: New Genomic Methods Offer Insight into the Legacy of Archaic Admixture. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evab115. [PMID: 34028527 PMCID: PMC8480178 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The archaic ancestry present in the human genome has captured the imagination of both scientists and the wider public in recent years. This excitement is the result of new studies pushing the envelope of what we can learn from the archaic genetic information that has survived for over 50,000 years in the human genome. Here, we review the most recent ten years of literature on the topic of archaic introgression, including the current state of knowledge on Neanderthal and Denisovan introgression, as well as introgression from other as-yet unidentified archaic populations. We focus this review on four topics: 1) a reimagining of human demographic history, including evidence for multiple admixture events between modern humans, Neanderthals, Denisovans, and other archaic populations; 2) state-of-the-art methods for detecting archaic ancestry in population-level genomic data; 3) how these novel methods can detect archaic introgression in modern African populations; and 4) the functional consequences of archaic gene variants, including how those variants were co-opted into novel function in modern human populations. The goal of this review is to provide a simple-to-access reference for the relevant methods and novel data, which has changed our understanding of the relationship between our species and its siblings. This body of literature reveals the large degree to which the genetic legacy of these extinct hominins has been integrated into the human populations of today.
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Affiliation(s)
- K D Ahlquist
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Mayra M Bañuelos
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Alyssa Funk
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Jiaying Lai
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Brown Center for Biomedical Informatics, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Stephen Rong
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Fernando A Villanea
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Kelsey E Witt
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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21
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Gabrić P. Book Review: Neanderthal Language: Demystifying the Linguistic Powers of Our Extinct Cousins. Front Psychol 2021. [PMCID: PMC8194866 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.702361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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22
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New insights into human immunity from ancient genomics. Curr Opin Immunol 2021; 72:116-125. [PMID: 33992907 PMCID: PMC8452260 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2021.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Population genetic studies have clearly indicated that immunity and host defense are among the functions most frequently subject to natural selection, and increased our understanding of the biological relevance of the corresponding genes and their contribution to variable immune traits and diseases. Herein, we will focus on some recently studied forms of human adaptation to infectious agents, including hybridization with now-extinct hominins, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, and admixture between modern human populations. These studies, which are partly enabled by the technological advances in the sequencing of DNA from ancient remains, provide new insight into the sources of immune response variation in contemporary humans, such as the recently reported link between Neanderthal heritage and susceptibility to severe COVID-19 disease. Furthermore, ancient DNA analyses, in both humans and pathogens, allow to measure the action of natural selection on immune genes across time and to reconstruct the impact of past epidemics on the evolution of human immunity.
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Weiss CV, Harshman L, Inoue F, Fraser HB, Petrov DA, Ahituv N, Gokhman D. The cis-regulatory effects of modern human-specific variants. eLife 2021; 10:e63713. [PMID: 33885362 PMCID: PMC8062137 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes enabled the discovery of sequences that differ between modern and archaic humans, the majority of which are noncoding. However, our understanding of the regulatory consequences of these differences remains limited, in part due to the decay of regulatory marks in ancient samples. Here, we used a massively parallel reporter assay in embryonic stem cells, neural progenitor cells, and bone osteoblasts to investigate the regulatory effects of the 14,042 single-nucleotide modern human-specific variants. Overall, 1791 (13%) of sequences containing these variants showed active regulatory activity, and 407 (23%) of these drove differential expression between human groups. Differentially active sequences were associated with divergent transcription factor binding motifs, and with genes enriched for vocal tract and brain anatomy and function. This work provides insight into the regulatory function of variants that emerged along the modern human lineage and the recent evolution of human gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly V Weiss
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, StanfordStanfordUnited States
| | - Lana Harshman
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Fumitaka Inoue
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Hunter B Fraser
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, StanfordStanfordUnited States
| | - Dmitri A Petrov
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, StanfordStanfordUnited States
| | - Nadav Ahituv
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - David Gokhman
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, StanfordStanfordUnited States
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24
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Selection against archaic hominin genetic variation in regulatory regions. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:1558-1566. [PMID: 32839541 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01284-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Traces of Neandertal and Denisovan DNA persist in the modern human gene pool, but have been systematically purged by natural selection from genes and other functionally important regions. This implies that many archaic alleles harmed the fitness of hybrid individuals, but the nature of this harm is poorly understood. Here, we show that enhancers contain less Neandertal and Denisovan variation than expected given the background selection they experience, suggesting that selection acted to purge these regions of archaic alleles that disrupted their gene regulatory functions. We infer that selection acted mainly on young archaic variation that arose in Neandertals or Denisovans shortly before their contact with humans; enhancers are not depleted of older variants found in both archaic species. Some types of enhancer appear to have tolerated introgression better than others; compared with tissue-specific enhancers, pleiotropic enhancers show stronger depletion of archaic single-nucleotide polymorphisms. To some extent, evolutionary constraint is predictive of introgression depletion, but certain tissues' enhancers are more depleted of Neandertal and Denisovan alleles than expected given their comparative tolerance to new mutations. Foetal brain and muscle are the tissues whose enhancers show the strongest depletion of archaic alleles, but only brain enhancers show evidence of unusually stringent purifying selection. We conclude that epistatic incompatibilities between human and archaic alleles are needed to explain the degree of archaic variant depletion from foetal muscle enhancers, perhaps due to divergent selection for higher muscle mass in archaic hominins compared with humans.
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25
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Dannemann M, He Z, Heide C, Vernot B, Sidow L, Kanton S, Weigert A, Treutlein B, Pääbo S, Kelso J, Camp JG. Human Stem Cell Resources Are an Inroad to Neandertal DNA Functions. Stem Cell Reports 2020; 15:214-225. [PMID: 32559457 PMCID: PMC7363959 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from diverse humans offer the potential to study human functional variation in controlled culture environments. A portion of this variation originates from an ancient admixture between modern humans and Neandertals, which introduced alleles that left a phenotypic legacy on individual humans today. Here, we show that a large iPSC repository harbors extensive Neandertal DNA, including alleles that contribute to human phenotypes and diseases, encode hundreds of amino acid changes, and alter gene expression in specific tissues. We provide a database of the inferred introgressed Neandertal alleles for each individual iPSC line, together with the annotation of the predicted functional variants. We also show that transcriptomic data from organoids generated from iPSCs can be used to track Neandertal-derived RNA over developmental processes. Human iPSC resources provide an opportunity to experimentally explore Neandertal DNA function and its contribution to present-day phenotypes, and potentially study Neandertal traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Dannemann
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany; Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Zhisong He
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Heide
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Benjamin Vernot
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Leila Sidow
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sabina Kanton
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anne Weigert
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Barbara Treutlein
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Svante Pääbo
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Janet Kelso
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - J Gray Camp
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany; Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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26
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Mathov Y, Batyrev D, Meshorer E, Carmel L. Harnessing epigenetics to study human evolution. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 62:23-29. [PMID: 32574964 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in ancient DNA extraction and high-throughput sequencing technologies enabled the high-quality sequencing of archaic genomes, including the Neanderthal and the Denisovan. While comparisons with modern humans revealed both archaic-specific and human-specific sequence changes, in the absence of gene expression information, understanding the functional implications of such genetic variations remains a major challenge. To study gene regulation in archaic humans, epigenetic research comes to our aid. DNA methylation, which is highly correlated with transcription, can be directly measured in modern samples, as well as reconstructed in ancient samples. This puts DNA methylation as a natural basis for comparative epigenetics between modern humans, archaic humans and nonhuman primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoav Mathov
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190400, Israel; The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190400, Israel
| | - Daniel Batyrev
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190400, Israel; The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190400, Israel
| | - Eran Meshorer
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190400, Israel; The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190400, Israel.
| | - Liran Carmel
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190400, Israel.
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27
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Yan SM, McCoy RC. Archaic hominin genomics provides a window into gene expression evolution. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 62:44-49. [PMID: 32615344 PMCID: PMC7483639 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Differences in gene expression are thought to account for most phenotypic differences within and between species. Consequently, gene expression is a powerful lens through which to study divergence between modern humans and our closest evolutionary relatives, the Neanderthals and Denisovans. Such insights complement biological knowledge gleaned from the fossil record, while also revealing general features of the mode and tempo of regulatory evolution. Because of the degradation of ancient RNA, gene expression profiles of archaic hominins must be studied by indirect means. As such, conclusions drawn from these studies are often laden with assumptions about the genetic architecture of gene expression, the complexity of which is increasingly apparent. Despite these challenges, rapid technical and conceptual advances in the fields of ancient genomics, functional genomics, statistical genomics, and genome engineering are revolutionizing understanding of hominin gene expression evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Yan
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Rajiv C McCoy
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
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28
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Mathieson I. Human adaptation over the past 40,000 years. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 62:97-104. [PMID: 32745952 PMCID: PMC7484260 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Over the past few years several methodological and data-driven advances have greatly improved our ability to robustly detect genomic signatures of selection in humans. New methods applied to large samples of present-day genomes provide increased power, while ancient DNA allows precise estimation of timing and tempo. However, despite these advances, we are still limited in our ability to translate these signatures into understanding about which traits were actually under selection, and why. Combining information from different populations and timescales may allow interpretation of selective sweeps. Other modes of selection have proved more difficult to detect. In particular, despite strong evidence of the polygenicity of most human traits, evidence for polygenic selection is weak, and its importance in recent human evolution remains unclear. Balancing selection and archaic introgression seem important for the maintenance of potentially adaptive immune diversity, but perhaps less so for other traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain Mathieson
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, United States.
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29
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Grogan KE, Perry GH. Studying human and nonhuman primate evolutionary biology with powerful in vitro and in vivo functional genomics tools. Evol Anthropol 2020; 29:143-158. [PMID: 32142200 PMCID: PMC10574139 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, tools for functional genomic studies have become increasingly feasible for use by evolutionary anthropologists. In this review, we provide brief overviews of several exciting in vitro techniques that can be paired with "-omics" approaches (e.g., genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) for potentially powerful evolutionary insights. These in vitro techniques include ancestral protein resurrection, cell line experiments using primary, immortalized, and induced pluripotent stem cells, and CRISPR-Cas9 genetic manipulation. We also discuss how several of these methods can be used in vivo, for transgenic organism studies of human and nonhuman primate evolution. Throughout this review, we highlight example studies in which these approaches have already been used to inform our understanding of the evolutionary biology of modern and archaic humans and other primates while simultaneously identifying future opportunities for anthropologists to use this toolkit to help answer additional outstanding questions in evolutionary anthropology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen E. Grogan
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - George H. Perry
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
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30
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Rotival
- Unit of Human Evolutionary Genetics, CNRS UMR2000, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Lluis Quintana-Murci
- Unit of Human Evolutionary Genetics, CNRS UMR2000, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France.
- Chair Human Genomics & Evolution, Collège de France, 75005, Paris, France.
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