Meiotic Genes Are Enriched in Regions of Reduced Archaic Ancestry. (21st April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jégou, B.; Sankararaman, S.; Rolland, A.D.; Reich, D.; Chalmel, F.
• Is Part Of: Molecular biology and evolution. Volume 34:Number 8(2017:Aug.)
• Page Start: 1974
• Page End: 1980
• Publication Date: 2017-04-21
• Subjects: archaic hominin admixture -- testis -- germ cells -- meiosis -- genetic incompatibilities; Molecular biology -- Periodicals; Molecular evolution -- Periodicals; Evolution, Molecular -- Periodicals; Molecular Biology -- Periodicals; 572.8
• DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msx141
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0737-4038

Abstract

Abstract: About 1–6% of the genetic ancestry of modern humans today originates from admixture with archaic humans. It has recently been shown that autosomal genomic regions with a reduced proportion of Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestries (NA and DA) are significantly enriched in genes that are more expressed in testis than in other tissues. To determine whether a cellular segregation pattern would exist, we combined maps of archaic introgression with a cross-analysis of three transcriptomic datasets deciphering the transcriptional landscape of human gonadal cell types. We reveal that the regions deficient in both NA and DA contain a significant enrichment of genes transcribed in meiotic germ cells. The interbreeding of anatomically modern humans with archaic humans may have introduced archaic-derived alleles that contributed to genetic incompatibilities affecting meiosis that were subsequently purged by natural selection.