Evolutionary and population (epi)genetics of immunity to infection.

ABSTRACT: Immune response is one of the functions that have been more strongly targeted by natural selection during human evolution. The evolutionary genetic dissection of the immune system has greatly helped to distinguish genes and functions that are essential, redundant or advantageous for human survival. It is also becoming increasingly clear that admixture between early Eurasians with now-extinct hominins such as Neanderthals or Denisovans, or admixture between modern human populations, can be beneficial for human adaptation to pathogen pressures. In this review, we discuss how the integration of population genetics with functional genomics in diverse human populations can inform about the changes in immune functions related to major lifestyle transitions (e.g., from hunting and gathering to fa

SUBMITTER: Barreiro LB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7285878 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature