Species-Specific Changes in a Primate Transcription Factor Network Provide Insights into the Molecular Evolution of the Primate Prefrontal Cortex.

ABSTRACT: The human prefrontal cortex (PFC) differs from that of other primates with respect to size, histology, and functional abilities. Here, we analyzed genome-wide expression data of humans, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaques to discover evolutionary changes in transcription factor (TF) networks that may underlie these phenotypic differences. We determined the co-expression networks of all TFs with species-specific expression including their potential target genes and interaction partners in the PFC of all three species. Integrating these networks allowed us inferring an ancestral network for all three species. This ancestral network as well as the networks for each species is enriched for genes involved in forebrain development, axonogenesis, and synaptic transmission. Our analysis allows us to

SUBMITTER: Berto S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6105097 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature