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Yang Y, Wang Q, Wang C, Buxbaum J, Ionita-Laza I. KnockoffHybrid: A knockoff framework for hybrid analysis of trio and population designs in genome-wide association studies. Am J Hum Genet 2024; 111:1448-1461. [PMID: 38821058 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2024.05.003] [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: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Both trio and population designs are popular study designs for identifying risk genetic variants in genome-wide association studies (GWASs). The trio design, as a family-based design, is robust to confounding due to population structure, whereas the population design is often more powerful due to larger sample sizes. Here, we propose KnockoffHybrid, a knockoff-based statistical method for hybrid analysis of both the trio and population designs. KnockoffHybrid provides a unified framework that brings together the advantages of both designs and produces powerful hybrid analysis while controlling the false discovery rate (FDR) in the presence of linkage disequilibrium and population structure. Furthermore, KnockoffHybrid has the flexibility to leverage different types of summary statistics for hybrid analyses, including expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and GWAS summary statistics. We demonstrate in simulations that KnockoffHybrid offers power gains over non-hybrid methods for the trio and population designs with the same number of cases while controlling the FDR with complex correlation among variants and population structure among subjects. In hybrid analyses of three trio cohorts for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) from the Autism Speaks MSSNG, Autism Sequencing Consortium, and Autism Genome Project with GWAS summary statistics from the iPSYCH project and eQTL summary statistics from the MetaBrain project, KnockoffHybrid outperforms conventional methods by replicating several known risk genes for ASDs and identifying additional associations with variants in other genes, including the PRAME family genes involved in axon guidance and which may act as common targets for human speech/language evolution and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yang
- Department of Biostatistics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; School of Data Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Qi Wang
- School of Data Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Joseph Buxbaum
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Iuliana Ionita-Laza
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Statistics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Pallier PN, Ferrara M, Romagnolo F, Ferretti MT, Soreq H, Cerase A. Chromosomal and environmental contributions to sex differences in the vulnerability to neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders: Implications for therapeutic interventions. Prog Neurobiol 2022; 219:102353. [PMID: 36100191 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2022.102353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders affect men and women differently. Multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety disorders, depression, meningiomas and late-onset schizophrenia affect women more frequently than men. By contrast, Parkinson's disease, autism spectrum condition, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Tourette's syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and early-onset schizophrenia are more prevalent in men. Women have been historically under-recruited or excluded from clinical trials, and most basic research uses male rodent cells or animals as disease models, rarely studying both sexes and factoring sex as a potential source of variation, resulting in a poor understanding of the underlying biological reasons for sex and gender differences in the development of such diseases. Putative pathophysiological contributors include hormones and epigenetics regulators but additional biological and non-biological influences may be at play. We review here the evidence for the underpinning role of the sex chromosome complement, X chromosome inactivation, and environmental and epigenetic regulators in sex differences in the vulnerability to brain disease. We conclude that there is a pressing need for a better understanding of the genetic, epigenetic and environmental mechanisms sustaining sex differences in such diseases, which is critical for developing a precision medicine approach based on sex-tailored prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick N Pallier
- Blizard Institute, Centre for Neuroscience, Surgery and Trauma, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK.
| | - Maria Ferrara
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Women's Brain Project (WBP), Switzerland
| | - Francesca Romagnolo
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | | | - Hermona Soreq
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center of Brain Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Andrea Cerase
- EMBL-Rome, Via Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo, RM, Italy; Blizard Institute, Centre for Genomics and Child Health, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK; Department of Biology, University of Pisa, SS12 Abetone e Brennero 4, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
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Gibitova EA, Dobrynin PV, Pomerantseva EA, Musatova EV, Kostareva A, Evsyukov I, Rychkov SY, Zhukova OV, Naumova OY, Grigorenko EL. A Study of the Genomic Variations Associated with Autistic Spectrum Disorders in a Russian Cohort of Patients Using Whole-Exome Sequencing. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13050920. [PMID: 35627305 PMCID: PMC9141003 DOI: 10.3390/genes13050920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
This study provides new data on the whole-exome sequencing of a cohort of children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) from an underexplored Russian population. Using both a cross-sectional approach involving a control cohort of the same ancestry and an annotation-based approach involving relevant public databases, we explored exonic single nucleotide variants and copy-number variation potentially involved in the manifestation of ASD. The study results reveal new potential ASD candidate-variants found in the studied Russian cohort and show a high prevalence of common ASD-associated genomic variants, especially those in the genes known to be associated with the manifestation of intellectual disabilities. Our screening of an ASD cohort from a previously understudied population allowed us to flag at least a few novel genes (IGLJ2, FAM21A, OR11H12, HIP1, PRAMEF10, and ZNF717) regarding their potential involvement in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina A. Gibitova
- Computer Technologies Laboratory, University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics, Saint Petersburg 197101, Russia; (E.A.G.); (P.V.D.); (I.E.)
| | - Pavel V. Dobrynin
- Computer Technologies Laboratory, University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics, Saint Petersburg 197101, Russia; (E.A.G.); (P.V.D.); (I.E.)
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Human Genetics Laboratory, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS, Moscow 119991, Russia; (S.Y.R.); (O.V.Z.)
| | - Ekaterina A. Pomerantseva
- The ‘Genetico’ Center for Genetics and Reproductive Medicine, Moscow 119333, Russia; (E.A.P.); (E.V.M.)
| | - Elizaveta V. Musatova
- The ‘Genetico’ Center for Genetics and Reproductive Medicine, Moscow 119333, Russia; (E.A.P.); (E.V.M.)
| | - Anna Kostareva
- Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Saint Petersburg 197341, Russia;
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - Igor Evsyukov
- Computer Technologies Laboratory, University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics, Saint Petersburg 197101, Russia; (E.A.G.); (P.V.D.); (I.E.)
| | - Sergey Y. Rychkov
- Human Genetics Laboratory, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS, Moscow 119991, Russia; (S.Y.R.); (O.V.Z.)
| | - Olga V. Zhukova
- Human Genetics Laboratory, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS, Moscow 119991, Russia; (S.Y.R.); (O.V.Z.)
| | - Oxana Y. Naumova
- Human Genetics Laboratory, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS, Moscow 119991, Russia; (S.Y.R.); (O.V.Z.)
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
- Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
- Correspondence: (O.Y.N.); (E.L.G.)
| | - Elena L. Grigorenko
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
- Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
- Center of Cognitive Research, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi 354340, Russia
- Correspondence: (O.Y.N.); (E.L.G.)
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Wołoszynowska-Fraser MU, Kouchmeshky A, McCaffery P. Vitamin A and Retinoic Acid in Cognition and Cognitive Disease. Annu Rev Nutr 2021; 40:247-272. [PMID: 32966186 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-nutr-122319-034227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The history of vitamin A goes back over one hundred years, but our realization of its importance for the brain and cognition is much more recent. The brain is more efficient than other target tissues at converting vitamin A to retinoic acid (RA), which activates retinoic acid receptors (RARs). RARs regulate transcription, but their function in the cytoplasm to control nongenomic actions is also crucial. Controlled synthesis of RA is essential for regulating synaptic plasticity in regions of the brain involved in learning and memory, such as the hippocampus. Vitamin A deficiency results in a deterioration of these functions, and failure of RA signaling is perhaps associated with normal cognitive decline with age as well as with Alzheimer's disease. Further, several psychiatric and developmental disorders that disrupt cognition are also linked with vitamin A and point to their possible treatment with vitamin A or RA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Azita Kouchmeshky
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland, United Kingdom;
| | - Peter McCaffery
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland, United Kingdom;
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Sex-differential DNA methylation and associated regulation networks in human brain implicated in the sex-biased risks of psychiatric disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:835-848. [PMID: 30976086 PMCID: PMC6788945 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0416-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Many psychiatric disorders are characterized by a strong sex difference, but the mechanisms behind sex-bias are not fully understood. DNA methylation plays important roles in regulating gene expression, ultimately impacting sexually different characteristics of the human brain. Most previous literature focused on DNA methylation alone without considering the regulatory network and its contribution to sex-bias of psychiatric disorders. Since DNA methylation acts in a complex regulatory network to connect genetic and environmental factors with high-order brain functions, we investigated the regulatory networks associated with different DNA methylation and assessed their contribution to the risks of psychiatric disorders. We compiled data from 1408 postmortem brain samples in 3 collections to identify sex-differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and regions (DMRs). We identified and replicated thousands of DMPs and DMRs. The DMR genes were enriched in neuronal related pathways. We extended the regulatory networks related to sex-differential methylation and psychiatric disorders by integrating methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTLs), gene expression, and protein-protein interaction data. We observed significant enrichment of sex-associated genes in psychiatric disorder-associated gene sets. We prioritized 2080 genes that were sex-biased and associated with psychiatric disorders, such as NRXN1, NRXN2, NRXN3, FDE4A, and SHANK2. These genes are enriched in synapse-related pathways and signaling pathways, suggesting that sex-differential genes of these neuronal pathways may cause the sex-bias of psychiatric disorders.
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Molecular specializations of deep cortical layer analogs in songbirds. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18767. [PMID: 33127988 PMCID: PMC7599217 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75773-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
How the evolution of complex behavioral traits is associated with the emergence of novel brain pathways is largely unknown. Songbirds, like humans, learn vocalizations via tutor imitation and possess a specialized brain circuitry to support this behavior. In a comprehensive in situ hybridization effort, we show that the zebra finch vocal robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA) shares numerous markers (e.g. SNCA, PVALB) with the adjacent dorsal intermediate arcopallium (AId), an avian analog of mammalian deep cortical layers with involvement in motor function. We also identify markers truly unique to RA and thus likely linked to modulation of vocal motor function (e.g. KCNC1, GABRE), including a subset of the known shared markers between RA and human laryngeal motor cortex (e.g. SLIT1, RTN4R, LINGO1, PLXNC1). The data provide novel insights into molecular features unique to vocal learning circuits, and lend support for the motor theory for vocal learning origin.
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Functionalized nerve conduits for peripheral nerve regeneration: A literature review. HAND SURGERY & REHABILITATION 2020; 39:343-351. [PMID: 32485240 DOI: 10.1016/j.hansur.2020.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Functionalized neurotube are a third-generation of conduits with chemical or architectural bioactivity developed for axonal proliferation. The goal of this review is to provide a synopsis of the functionalized nerve conduits described in the literature according to their chemical and architectural properties and answer two questions: what are their mechanisms of action? Has their efficacy been proven compared to the autologous nerve graft? Our literature review relates all kind of conduits corresponding to functionalized neurotubes in peripheral nerve regeneration found in Medline and PubMed Central. Studies developing nerve gaps, chemotactic or structural features promoting each conduit, results, efficiency were selected. Fifty-five studies were selected and classified in: (a) intraluminal neurotrophic factors; (b) cell-based therapy (combined-in-vein muscles, amniotic membrane, Schwann cells, stem cells); (c) extracellular matrix proteins; (d) tissue engineering; (e) bioimplants. Functionalized neurotubes showed significantly better functional results than after end-to-end nerve suture. No studies can be able to show that neurotube results were better than autologous nerve graft results. We included all studies regardless of effectives to evaluate quality of reinnervation with modern tubulization. Functionalized neurotubes promote basic conduits for peripheral nerve regeneration. Thanks to bioengineering and microsurgery improvement, further neurotubes could promote best level of regeneration and functional recovery to successfully bridge a critical nerve gap.
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Al-Naama N, Mackeh R, Kino T. C 2H 2-Type Zinc Finger Proteins in Brain Development, Neurodevelopmental, and Other Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Systematic Literature-Based Analysis. Front Neurol 2020; 11:32. [PMID: 32117005 PMCID: PMC7034409 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are multifaceted pathologic conditions manifested with intellectual disability, autistic features, psychiatric problems, motor dysfunction, and/or genetic/chromosomal abnormalities. They are associated with skewed neurogenesis and brain development, in part through dysfunction of the neural stem cells (NSCs) where abnormal transcriptional regulation on key genes play significant roles. Recent accumulated evidence highlights C2H2-type zinc finger proteins (C2H2-ZNFs), the largest transcription factor family in humans, as important targets for the pathologic processes associated with NDDs. In this review, we identified their significant accumulation (74 C2H2-ZNFs: ~10% of all human member proteins) in brain physiology and pathology. Specifically, we discuss their physiologic contribution to brain development, particularly focusing on their actions in NSCs. We then explain their pathologic implications in various forms of NDDs, such as morphological brain abnormalities, intellectual disabilities, and psychiatric disorders. We found an important tendency that poly-ZNFs and KRAB-ZNFs tend to be involved in the diseases that compromise gross brain structure and human-specific higher-order functions, respectively. This may be consistent with their characteristic appearance in the course of species evolution and corresponding contribution to these brain activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Njoud Al-Naama
- Laboratory of Molecular and Genomic Endocrinology, Division of Translational Medicine, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Rafah Mackeh
- Laboratory of Molecular and Genomic Endocrinology, Division of Translational Medicine, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Tomoshige Kino
- Laboratory of Molecular and Genomic Endocrinology, Division of Translational Medicine, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
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9
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Zanella M, Vitriolo A, Andirko A, Martins PT, Sturm S, O’Rourke T, Laugsch M, Malerba N, Skaros A, Trattaro S, Germain PL, Mihailovic M, Merla G, Rada-Iglesias A, Boeckx C, Testa G. Dosage analysis of the 7q11.23 Williams region identifies BAZ1B as a major human gene patterning the modern human face and underlying self-domestication. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaaw7908. [PMID: 31840056 PMCID: PMC6892627 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw7908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
We undertook a functional dissection of chromatin remodeler BAZ1B in neural crest (NC) stem cells (NCSCs) from a uniquely informative cohort of typical and atypical patients harboring 7q11.23 copy number variants. Our results reveal a key contribution of BAZ1B to NCSC in vitro induction and migration, coupled with a crucial involvement in NC-specific transcriptional circuits and distal regulation. By intersecting our experimental data with new paleogenetic analyses comparing modern and archaic humans, we found a modern-specific enrichment for regulatory changes both in BAZ1B and its experimentally defined downstream targets, thereby providing the first empirical validation of the human self-domestication hypothesis and positioning BAZ1B as a master regulator of the modern human face. In so doing, we provide experimental evidence that the craniofacial and cognitive/behavioral phenotypes caused by alterations of the Williams-Beuren syndrome critical region can serve as a powerful entry point into the evolution of the modern human face and prosociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Zanella
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Epigenetics, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Vitriolo
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Epigenetics, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Alejandro Andirko
- University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- University of Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Tiago Martins
- University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- University of Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stefanie Sturm
- University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- University of Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Thomas O’Rourke
- University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- University of Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Magdalena Laugsch
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Natascia Malerba
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Adrianos Skaros
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Epigenetics, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Trattaro
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Epigenetics, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Pierre-Luc Germain
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Epigenetics, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- D-HEST Institute for Neuroscience, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Marija Mihailovic
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Epigenetics, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Merla
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Alvaro Rada-Iglesias
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria, University of Cantabria, Cantabria, Spain
| | - Cedric Boeckx
- University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- University of Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institute for Advanced Studies and Research (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Giuseppe Testa
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Epigenetics, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Human Technopole, Center for Neurogenomics, Via Cristina Belgioioso 171, Milan, Italy
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Kuhlwilm M, Boeckx C. A catalog of single nucleotide changes distinguishing modern humans from archaic hominins. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8463. [PMID: 31186485 PMCID: PMC6560109 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44877-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Throughout the past decade, studying ancient genomes has provided unique insights into human prehistory, and differences between modern humans and other branches like Neanderthals can enrich our understanding of the molecular basis of unique modern human traits. Modern human variation and the interactions between different hominin lineages are now well studied, making it reasonable to go beyond fixed genetic changes and explore changes that are observed at high frequency in present-day humans. Here, we identify 571 genes with non-synonymous changes at high frequency. We suggest that molecular mechanisms in cell division and networks affecting cellular features of neurons were prominently modified by these changes. Complex phenotypes in brain growth trajectory and cognitive traits are likely influenced by these networks and other non-coding changes presented here. We propose that at least some of these changes contributed to uniquely human traits, and should be prioritized for experimental validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kuhlwilm
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), PRBB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cedric Boeckx
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain.
- University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- UB Institute of Complex Systems, Barcelona, Spain.
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Abstract
During the course of evolution the human brain has increased in size and complexity, ultimately these differences are the result of changes at the genetic level. Identifying and characterizing molecular evolution requires an understanding of both the genetic underpinning of the system as well as the comparative genetic tools to identify signatures of selection. This chapter aims to describe our current understanding of the genetics of human brain evolution. Primarily this is the story of the evolution of the human brain since our last common ape ancestor, but where relevant we will also discuss changes that are unique to the primate brain (compared to other mammals) or various other lineages in the evolution of humans more generally. It will focus on genetic changes that both directly affected the development and function of the brain as well as those that have indirectly influenced brain evolution through both prenatal and postnatal environment. This review is not meant to be exhaustive, but rather to begin to construct a general framework for understanding the full array of data being generated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Vallender
- University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States; Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA, United States.
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Onnis L, Truzzi A, Ma X. Language development and disorders: Possible genes and environment interactions. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2018; 82:132-146. [PMID: 30077386 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2018.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Language development requires both basic cognitive mechanisms for learning language and a rich social context from which learning takes off. Disruptions in learning mechanisms, processing abilities, and/or social interactions increase the risks associated with social exclusion or developmental delays. Given the complexity of language processes, a multilevel approach is proposed where both cognitive mechanisms, genetic and environmental factors need to be probed together with their possible interactions. Here we review and discuss such interplay between environment and genetic predispositions in understanding language disorders, with a particular focus on a possible endophenotype, the ability for statistical sequential learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Onnis
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
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