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Lee U, Mozeika SM, Zhao L. A Synergistic, Cultivator Model of De Novo Gene Origination. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae103. [PMID: 38748819 PMCID: PMC11152449 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae103] [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] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The origin and fixation of evolutionarily young genes is a fundamental question in evolutionary biology. However, understanding the origins of newly evolved genes arising de novo from noncoding genomic sequences is challenging. This is partly due to the low likelihood that several neutral or nearly neutral mutations fix prior to the appearance of an important novel molecular function. This issue is particularly exacerbated in large effective population sizes where the effect of drift is small. To address this problem, we propose a regulation-focused, cultivator model for de novo gene evolution. This cultivator-focused model posits that each step in a novel variant's evolutionary trajectory is driven by well-defined, selectively advantageous functions for the cultivator genes, rather than solely by the de novo genes, emphasizing the critical role of genome organization in the evolution of new genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- UnJin Lee
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shawn M Mozeika
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Li Zhao
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
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Chen J, Landback P, Arsala D, Guzzetta A, Xia S, Atlas J, Sosa D, Zhang YE, Cheng J, Shen B, Long M. Evolutionarily new genes in humans with disease phenotypes reveal functional enrichment patterns shaped by adaptive innovation and sexual selection. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.14.567139. [PMID: 38045239 PMCID: PMC10690195 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.14.567139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
New genes (or young genes) are genetic novelties pivotal in mammalian evolution. Their phenotypic impacts and evolutionary pattern over time, however, remain elusive in humans due to the technical and ethical complexities in functional studies. By combining human gene age dating and Mendelian disease phenotyping, our research reveals a gradual increase in disease gene proportions with gene age. Logistic regression modeling indicates that this increase could be related to longer protein lengths and higher burdens of deleterious de novo germline variants (DNVs) for older genes. We also find a steady integration of new genes with biomedical phenotypes into the human genome over macroevolutionary timescales (~0.07% per million years). Despite this stable pace, we observe distinct patterns in phenotypic enrichment, pleiotropy, and selective pressures across gene ages. Notably, young genes show significant enrichment in diseases related to the male reproductive system, indicating strong sexual selection. Young genes also exhibit disease-related functions in tissues and systems potentially linked to human phenotypic innovations, such as increased brain size, musculoskeletal phenotypes, and color vision. We further reveal a logistic growth pattern of pleiotropy over evolutionary time, indicating a diminishing marginal growth of new functions for older genes due to intensifying selective constraints over time. We propose a "pleiotropy-barrier" model that delineates higher potentials of phenotypic innovation for young genes than for older genes, a process subject to natural selection. Our study demonstrates that evolutionary new genes are critical in influencing human reproductive evolution and adaptive phenotypic innovations driven by sexual and natural selection, with low pleiotropy as a selective advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhai Chen
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, 1101 E 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
- Institutes for Systems Genetics, West China University Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Patrick Landback
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, 1101 E 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Deanna Arsala
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, 1101 E 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Alexander Guzzetta
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, 1101 E 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Shengqian Xia
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, 1101 E 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Jared Atlas
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, 1101 E 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Dylan Sosa
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, 1101 E 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Yong E. Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jingqiu Cheng
- Institutes for Systems Genetics, West China University Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Bairong Shen
- Institutes for Systems Genetics, West China University Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Manyuan Long
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, 1101 E 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
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Liu X, Xiao C, Xu X, Zhang J, Mo F, Chen JY, Delihas N, Zhang L, An NA, Li CY. Origin of functional de novo genes in humans from "hopeful monsters". WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2024; 15:e1845. [PMID: 38605485 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1845] [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: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
For a long time, it was believed that new genes arise only from modifications of preexisting genes, but the discovery of de novo protein-coding genes that originated from noncoding DNA regions demonstrates the existence of a "motherless" origination process for new genes. However, the features, distributions, expression profiles, and origin modes of these genes in humans seem to support the notion that their origin is not a purely "motherless" process; rather, these genes arise preferentially from genomic regions encoding preexisting precursors with gene-like features. In such a case, the gene loci are typically not brand new. In this short review, we will summarize the definition and features of human de novo genes and clarify their process of origination from ancestral non-coding genomic regions. In addition, we define the favored precursors, or "hopeful monsters," for the origin of de novo genes and present a discussion of the functional significance of these young genes in brain development and tumorigenesis in humans. This article is categorized under: RNA Evolution and Genomics > RNA and Ribonucleoprotein Evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoge Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chunfu Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinwei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jia-Yu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Nicholas Delihas
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Li Zhang
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Ni A An
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chuan-Yun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Southwest United Graduate School, Kunming, China
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Kore H, Datta KK, Nagaraj SH, Gowda H. Protein-coding potential of non-canonical open reading frames in human transcriptome. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 684:149040. [PMID: 37897910 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.09.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, proteogenomics and ribosome profiling studies have identified a large number of proteins encoded by noncoding regions in the human genome. They are encoded by small open reading frames (sORFs) in the untranslated regions (UTRs) of mRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). These sORF encoded proteins (SEPs) are often <150AA and show poor evolutionary conservation. A subset of them have been functionally characterized and shown to play an important role in fundamental biological processes including cardiac and muscle function, DNA repair, embryonic development and various human diseases. How many novel protein-coding regions exist in the human genome and what fraction of them are functionally important remains a mystery. In this review, we discuss current progress in unraveling SEPs, approaches used for their identification, their limitations and reliability of these identifications. We also discuss functionally characterized SEPs and their involvement in various biological processes and diseases. Lastly, we provide insights into their distinctive features compared to canonical proteins and challenges associated with annotating these in protein reference databases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitesh Kore
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4059, Australia; Cancer Precision Medicine Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Queensland, 4006, Australia; Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4059, Australia.
| | - Keshava K Datta
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Platform, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3083, Australia
| | - Shivashankar H Nagaraj
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4059, Australia; Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4059, Australia
| | - Harsha Gowda
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4059, Australia; Cancer Precision Medicine Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Queensland, 4006, Australia; Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4059, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Queensland, 4072, Australia.
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Chen J. Evolutionarily new genes in humans with disease phenotypes reveal functional enrichment patterns shaped by adaptive innovation and sexual selection. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3632644. [PMID: 38045389 PMCID: PMC10690325 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3632644/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
New genes (or young genes) are structural novelties pivotal in mammalian evolution. Their phenotypic impact on humans, however, remains elusive due to the technical and ethical complexities in functional studies. Through combining gene age dating with Mendelian disease phenotyping, our research reveals that new genes associated with disease phenotypes steadily integrate into the human genome at a rate of ~ 0.07% every million years over macroevolutionary timescales. Despite this stable pace, we observe distinct patterns in phenotypic enrichment, pleiotropy, and selective pressures between young and old genes. Notably, young genes show significant enrichment in the male reproductive system, indicating strong sexual selection. Young genes also exhibit functions in tissues and systems potentially linked to human phenotypic innovations, such as increased brain size, bipedal locomotion, and color vision. Our findings further reveal increasing levels of pleiotropy over evolutionary time, which accompanies stronger selective constraints. We propose a "pleiotropy-barrier" model that delineates different potentials for phenotypic innovation between young and older genes subject to natural selection. Our study demonstrates that evolutionary new genes are critical in influencing human reproductive evolution and adaptive phenotypic innovations driven by sexual and natural selection, with low pleiotropy as a selective advantage.
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Evolution and implications of de novo genes in humans. Nat Ecol Evol 2023:10.1038/s41559-023-02014-y. [PMID: 36928843 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02014-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Genes and translated open reading frames (ORFs) that emerged de novo from previously non-coding sequences provide species with opportunities for adaptation. When aberrantly activated, some human-specific de novo genes and ORFs have disease-promoting properties-for instance, driving tumour growth. Thousands of putative de novo coding sequences have been described in humans, but we still do not know what fraction of those ORFs has readily acquired a function. Here, we discuss the challenges and controversies surrounding the detection, mechanisms of origin, annotation, validation and characterization of de novo genes and ORFs. Through manual curation of literature and databases, we provide a thorough table with most de novo genes reported for humans to date. We re-evaluate each locus by tracing the enabling mutations and list proposed disease associations, protein characteristics and supporting evidence for translation and protein detection. This work will support future explorations of de novo genes and ORFs in humans.
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Cherezov RO, Vorontsova JE, Simonova OB. The Phenomenon of Evolutionary “De Novo Generation” of Genes. Russ J Dev Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062360421060035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Bekpen C, Tautz D. Human core duplicon gene families: game changers or game players? Brief Funct Genomics 2020; 18:402-411. [PMID: 31529038 PMCID: PMC6920530 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elz016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Illuminating the role of specific gene duplications within the human lineage can provide insights into human-specific adaptations. The so-called human core duplicon gene families have received particular attention in this respect, due to special features, such as expansion along single chromosomes, newly acquired protein domains and signatures of positive selection. Here, we summarize the data available for 10 such families and include some new analyses. A picture emerges that suggests broad functions for these protein families, possibly through modification of core cellular pathways. Still, more dedicated studies are required to elucidate the function of core-duplicons gene families and how they have shaped adaptations and evolution of humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diethard Tautz
- Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Branden Van Oss
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Anne-Ruxandra Carvunis
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
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Translation of Small Open Reading Frames: Roles in Regulation and Evolutionary Innovation. Trends Genet 2018; 35:186-198. [PMID: 30606460 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2018.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The translatome can be defined as the sum of the RNA sequences that are translated into proteins in the cell by the ribosomal machinery. Until recently, it was generally assumed that the translatome was essentially restricted to evolutionary conserved proteins encoded by the set of annotated protein-coding genes. However, it has become increasingly clear that it also includes small regulatory open reading frames (ORFs), functional micropeptides, de novo proteins, and the pervasive translation of likely nonfunctional proteins. Many of these ORFs have been discovered thanks to the development of ribosome profiling, a technique to sequence ribosome-protected RNA fragments. To fully capture the diversity of translated ORFs, we propose a comprehensive classification that includes the new types of translated ORFs in addition to standard proteins.
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