Comparative Genomic Analysis Identifies Great-Ape-Specific Structural Variants and Their Evolutionary Relevance.

ABSTRACT: During the origin of great apes about 14 million years ago, a series of phenotypic innovations emerged, such as the increased body size, the enlarged brain volume, the improved cognitive skill, and the diversified diet. Yet, the genomic basis of these evolutionary changes remains unclear. Utilizing the high-quality genome assemblies of great apes (including human), gibbon, and macaque, we conducted comparative genome analyses and identified 15,885 great ape-specific structural variants (GSSVs), including eight coding GSSVs resulting in the creation of novel proteins (e.g., ACAN and CMYA5). Functional annotations of the GSSV-related genes revealed the enrichment of genes involved in development and morphogenesis, especially neurogenesis and neural network formation, suggesting the potential

SUBMITTER: Zhou B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10461412 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature