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Molecular evolution of 5' flanking regions of 87 candidate genes for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Inter-individual variation in quantitative traits as well as in disease susceptibility may be due to differences in the level and spatio-temporal pattern of gene expression. An evolutionary model of genetic variation in cis-regulatory regions may help identify loci of interest for the study of the genetic basis of complex diseases such as atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). We studied the molecular evolution of 87 candidate genes for ASCVD to detect signatures of selection in 5' flanking regions. Resequenced data for these genes were available in 24 African-Americans, 23 European-Americans, and 1 chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). Statistical tests of evolutionary neutrality (Tajima's D and Fay and Wu's H) were performed using coalescent simulations under a standard neutral model and a population structure model to differentiate selection from human demographic history. Evidence suggestive of selection was present in 5' flanking regions of 15 genes. A modified McDonald-Kreitman test was used to compare the ratio of putative functional and non-functional sites between and within species in 5' flanking regions. A significant excess or deficit of fixed changes over polymorphisms was noted in 16 genes. Of the 26 genes showing deviation from evolutionary neutrality based on the above two tests, 13 genes showed an unusual haplotype pattern in 5' flanking regions, providing supportive evidence of selection. These results indicate that selection may play a role in establishing variation in 5' flanking regions of a subset of candidate genes for ASCVD and motivate further studies of these loci in determining inter-individual susceptibility to ASCVD.

5' Flanking Region↗

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from experimentally infected chimpanzees: isolation and characterization.

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) isolates obtained from chimpanzees that had undergone various immunosuppressive treatments were characterized by growth on various primary cells and cell lines as well as by restriction endonuclease analysis. Viruses recovered from animals inoculated with uncloned HIV showed genetic variation from the original inoculum, whereas viruses isolated from an animal infected with a molecular clone of HIV did not. In some cases, virus recovery was possible only after enrichment for CD4+ cells by panning, inoculation with a chimpanzee cytomegalovirus, or a combination of these procedures. These findings indicate a role for viral and host cofactors in the control of virus replication and suggest explanations for the absence of clinical manifestations in HIV-infected chimpanzees.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Kin selection, social structure, gene flow, and the evolution of chimpanzees.

Hypotheses about chimpanzee social behavior, phylogeography, and evolution were evaluated by noninvasive genotyping of free-ranging individuals from 20 African sites. Degrees of relatedness among individuals in one community were inferred from allele-sharing at eight nuclear simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. Males are related on the order of half-siblings, and homozygosity is significantly increased at several SSR loci compared to Hardy-Weinberg expectations. These data support the kin-selection hypothesis for the evolution of cooperation among males. Sequence variation patterns at two mitochondrial loci indicate historically high long-distance gene flow and clarify the relationships among three allopatric subspecies. The unexpectedly large genetic distance between the western subspecies, Pan troglodytes verus, and the other two subspecies suggests a divergence time of about 1.58 million years. This result, if confirmed at nuclear loci and supported by eco-behavioral data, implies that P. t. verus should be elevated to full species rank.

Africa↗

Paired chimpanzee hepatitis B virus (ChHBV) and mtDNA sequences suggest different ChHBV genetic variants are found in geographically distinct chimpanzee subspecies.

The surface antigen gene region from five chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected chimpanzees was amplified by PCR and the sequence determined. Sequence comparison confirmed that all of the sequences were chimpanzee hepatitis B virus (chHBV) and they appeared to represent three distinct clusters or branches. To address the question of whether the three branches represented recently identified subspecies of chimpanzees, we determined the sequence of the mitochondrial DNA hypervariable D loop from hair samples obtained from these five chimpanzees. The results indicated that the three chHBV branches reflected three distinct subspecies of chimpanzees that are from different geographic regions in West Africa. The complete HBV sequence from members of the Pan troglodytes troglodytes cluster and the Pan troglodytes verus cluster are in the published literature; we determined the complete genome sequence for the third branch of HBV present in Pan troglodytes vellerosus.

Animals↗

Characterization of a genetic variant of human hepatitis A virus.

Human isolates of hepatitis A (HAV) are a single serotype; however, recent genetic surveys using limited nucleotide sequencing have provided evidence that more than one genotype is responsible for HAV infection in different parts of the world (Jansen et al. [1990]: Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 87:2867-2871; Robertson et al. [1991] J Infect Dis 163:286-292). One of these genotypes was originally isolated from Panamanian owl monkeys (strain PA21), but has subsequently been found associated with human cases of HAV from Sweden in 1979 (H-122) and the United States of America in 1976 (GA76). The nucleic acid sequence of the exposed capsid polypeptide region of GA76 differs from other human HAV sequences by approximately 20%, yet differs by only 2.4% when compared with P1 sequence of the PA21 strain. The 20% nucleic acid variability between GA76 and other human HAV results in limited amino acid changes (3%), while a comparison with PA21 revealed only four homologous amino acid substitutions within VP2, VP3, and VP1 polypeptides. HAV infected stool specimens from Nepal and northern India during 1989 and 1990 were found to contain virus whose genetic makeup was related to the PA21 and GA76 isolates. This genotype of HAV appears to be circulating in some parts of the world where HAV is hyperendemic, and is a potential cause of hepatitis A infection within a susceptible population.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Structure, diversity, and evolution of the T-cell receptor VB gene repertoire in primates.

AB T-cell receptors (TCR) that recognize major histocompatibility complex (MHC)/peptide antigen complexes regulate humoral and cellular arms of the adaptive immune response. Antigen binding sites of MHC and immunoglobulin heavy chain variable regions (Igh-V) are subject to diversity enhancing selection. We sought to establish whether positive Darwinian selection has driven diversity of TCRBV chains in the primate lineage by sequencing rearranged TCR from rhesus monkeys and chimpanzees and comparing them with those of humans. Rates of synonymous (silent) and nonsynonymous (replacement) substitutions indicate selection against amino acid replacements in TCRBV frameworks, and relaxation of these constraints in putative MHC/peptide contact sites. The lack of positive selection for variability in likely ligand contact sites suggests that mechanisms generating somatic diversity in TCR junctional regions have relaxed the pressure for selection of variability in the TCR V region encoded in the germline.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The chimpanzee M blood-group antigen is a variant of the human M-N glycoproteins.

Chimpanzee erythrocytes express strong M but weak, occasional N blood-group activity, as detected by anti-M and anti-N reagents. We have found that the M activity is carried by a major membrane glycoprotein that is similar but not identical to the human MM glycoprotein (glycophorin A). We have isolated and characterized this glycoprotein from erythrocyte membranes of four individual chimpanzees. The purified glycoproteins strongly inhibited agglutination of M cells by rabbit anti-human M sera and only weakly inhibited the agglutination of N cells by rabbit anti-human N sera. They also displayed medium-to-strong inhibitory activity against chimpanzee iso- and crossimmune antisera tested with chimpanzee erythrocytes of various V-A-B-D and Wc specificities, which are known as chimpanzee extensions of the human type M-N system and the Miltenberger counterpart, respectively. Each glycoprotein was cleaved with CNBr into three fragments, whose size, solubility, and composition were analogous to those obtained by similar treatment of the human M-N antigens. The amino-terminal fragment was found to be a glycooctapeptide whose amino acid composition and partial sequence indicated that it is an intermediate form of the human M and N glycooctapeptides. Its carbohydrate content comprised two threonine-linked saccharide units that, although similar in composition to the human threonine-linked units, were fewer in number than the three units found in the corresponding human glycooctapeptides. Structural similarities to the human antigens strongly suggest that the amino terminus bears the major antigenic determinants of the molecule, and the occurrence in this region of numerous, albeit rare, variants among humans and in chimpanzees indicates that the corresponding coding sequence of the structural gene is particularly susceptible to mutational events. We conclude that the chimpanzee M gene product is a variant of the human type and that the chimpanzee gene is an allele of the human polymorphic M-N locus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Polymorphic micro-inversions contribute to the genomic variability of humans and chimpanzees.

A combination of inter- and intra-species genome comparisons is required to identify and classify the full spectrum of genetic changes, both subtle and gross, that have accompanied the evolutionary divergence of humans and other primates. In this study, gene order comparisons of 11,518 human and chimpanzee orthologous gene pairs were performed to detect regions of inverted gene order that are potentially indicative of small-scale rearrangements such as inversions. By these means, a total of 71 potential micro-rearrangements were detected, nine of which were considered to represent micro-inversions encompassing more than three genes. These putative inversions were then investigated by FISH and/or PCR analyses and the authenticity of five of the nine inversions, ranging in size from approximately 800 kb to approximately 4.4 Mb, was confirmed. These inversions mapped to 1p13.2-13.3, 7p22.1, 7p13-14.1, 18p11.21-11.22 and 19q13.12 and encompass 50, 14, 16, 7 and 16 known genes, respectively. Intriguingly, four of the confirmed inversions turned out to be polymorphic: three were polymorphic in the chimpanzee and one in humans. It is concluded that micro-inversions make a significant contribution to genomic variability in both humans and chimpanzees and inversion polymorphisms may be more frequent than previously realized.

Animals↗

SMN gene duplication and the emergence of the SMN2 gene occurred in distinct hominids: SMN2 is unique to Homo sapiens.

The spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) region on chromosome 5q13 contains an inverted duplication of about 500 kb, and deleterious mutations in the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene cause SMA, a common lethal childhood neuropathy. We have used a number of approaches to probe the evolutionary history of these genes and show that SMN gene duplication and the appearance of SMN2 occurred at very distinct evolutionary times. Molecular fossil and molecular clock data suggest that this duplication may have occurred as recently as 3 million years ago in that the position and identity repetitive elements are identical for both human SMN genes and overall sequence divergence ranged from 0.15% to 0.34%. However, these approaches ignore the possibility of sequence homogenization by means of gene conversion. Consequently, we have used quantitative polymerase chain rection and analysis of allelic variants to provide physical evidence for or against SMN gene duplication in the chimpanzee, mankind's closest relative. These studies have revealed that chimpanzees have 2-7 copies of the SMN gene per diploid genome; however, the two nucleotides diagnostic for exons 7-8 and the SMNdelta7 mRNA product of the SMN2 gene are absent in non-human primates. In contrast, the SMN2 gene has been detected in all extant human populations studied to date, including representatives from Europe, the Central African Republic, and the Congo. These data provide conclusive evidence that SMN gene duplication occurred more than 5 million years ago, before the separation of human and chimpanzee lineages, but that SMN2 appears for the first time in Homo sapiens.

Alleles↗

Novel variants in human and monkey CETP.

Variation in CETP has been shown to play an important role in HDL-C levels and cardiovascular disease. To better characterize this variation, the promoter and exonic DNA for CETP was resequenced in 189 individuals with extreme HDL-C or age. Two novel amino acid variants were found in humans (V-12D and Y361C) and an additional variant (R137W) not previously studied in vitro were expressed. D-12 was not secreted and had no detectable activity in cells. C361 and W137 retained near normal amounts of cholesteryl ester transfer activity when purified but were less well secreted than wild type. Torcetrapib, a CETP inhibitor in clinical development with atorvastatin, was found to have a uniform effect on inhibition of wild type CETP versus W137 or C361. In addition, the level of variation in other species was assessed by resequencing DNA from nine cynomolgus monkeys. Numerous intronic and silent SNPs were found as well as two variable amino acids. The amino acid altering SNPs were genotyped in 29 monkeys and not found to be significantly associated with HDL-C levels. Three SNPs found in monkeys were identical to three found in humans with these SNPs all occurring at CpG sites.

Black or African American↗

Evolutionary biology: how did the human species form?

A recent analysis has shown that divergence between human and chimpanzee varies greatly across the genome. Although this is consistent with "hybridisation" between the diverging human and chimp lineages, such observations can be explained more simply by the null model of allopatric speciation.

Animals↗

Understanding the dynamics of Spinocerebellar Ataxia 8 (SCA8) locus through a comparative genetic approach in humans and apes.

Spinocerebellar Ataxia 8 (SCA8) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by expansion of a trinucleotide repeat. We undertake a comparative genetic analysis among human populations and primate species in the normal variation range, where forces that shaped present diversity can be recognised. We determinate number of repeats of the short tandem repeat through allele length sizing and sequencing methods. Human allele distributions are very similar among populations, ruling out ethnicity as a genetic risk for allele expansion. Primate comparison shows human-specific features, with longer human alleles due to a novel variable trinucleotide repeat, not present in non-human primates, which increased the disease-causing expansion likelihood. SCA8 seems to be a human specific disease.

Alanine↗

MSY2: a slowly evolving minisatellite on the human Y chromosome which provides a useful polymorphic marker in Chinese populations.

We present the second human Y-specific minisatellite, MSY2 (DYS440). It consists of three or four copies of a 99-110bp repeat unit and is located about 1kb upstream of the DBY gene. The most common allele contains four units, but a three-unit allele has arisen on at least four occasions; in chimpanzees and orangutans, MSY2 contains only two units. It is therefore evolving slowly and provides a particularly useful polymorphic marker for Chinese populations.

Alleles↗

DNA sequence variation in a non-coding region of low recombination on the human X chromosome.

DNA sequence variation has become a major source of insight regarding the origin and history of our species as well as an important tool for the identification of allelic variants associated with disease. Comparative sequencing of DNA has to date focused mainly on mitochondrial (mt) DNA, which due to its apparent lack of recombination and high evolutionary rate lends itself well to the study of human evolution. These advantages also entail limitations. For example, the high mutation rate of mtDNA results in multiple substitutions that make phylogenetic analysis difficult and, because mtDNA is maternally inherited, it reflects only the history of females. For the history of males, the non-recombining part of the paternally inherited Y chromosome can be studied. The extent of variation on the Y chromosome is so low that variation at particular sites known to be polymorphic rather than entire sequences are typically determined. It is currently unclear how some forms of analysis (such as the coalescent) should be applied to such data. Furthermore, the lack of recombination means that selection at any locus affects all 59 Mb of DNA. To gauge the extent and pattern of point substitutional variation in non-coding parts of the human genome, we have sequenced 10 kb of non-coding DNA in a region of low recombination at Xq13.3. Analysis of this sequence in 69 individuals representing all major linguistic groups reveals the highest overall diversity in Africa, whereas deep divergences also exist in Asia. The time elapsed since the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) is 535,000+/-119,000 years. We expect this type of nuclear locus to provide more answers about the genetic origin and history of humans.

Africa↗