Genomic Signatures of Selective Pressures and Introgression from Archaic Hominins at Human Innate Immunity Genes.

ABSTRACT: Human genes governing innate immunity provide a valuable tool for the study of the selective pressure imposed by microorganisms on host genomes. A comprehensive, genome-wide study of how selective constraints and adaptations have driven the evolution of innate immunity genes is missing. Using full-genome sequence variation from the 1000 Genomes Project, we first show that innate immunity genes have globally evolved under stronger purifying selection than the remainder of protein-coding genes. We identify a gene set under the strongest selective constraints, mutations in which are likely to predispose individuals to life-threatening disease, as illustrated by STAT1 and TRAF3. We then evaluate the occurrence of local adaptation and detect 57 high-scoring signals of positive selection at inna

SUBMITTER: Deschamps M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4716683 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature