Structurally divergent and recurrently mutated regions of primate genomes

Cell. 2024 Mar 14;187(6):1547-1562.e13. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.052. Epub 2024 Feb 29.

Abstract

We sequenced and assembled using multiple long-read sequencing technologies the genomes of chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, orangutan, gibbon, macaque, owl monkey, and marmoset. We identified 1,338,997 lineage-specific fixed structural variants (SVs) disrupting 1,561 protein-coding genes and 136,932 regulatory elements, including the most complete set of human-specific fixed differences. We estimate that 819.47 Mbp or ∼27% of the genome has been affected by SVs across primate evolution. We identify 1,607 structurally divergent regions wherein recurrent structural variation contributes to creating SV hotspots where genes are recurrently lost (e.g., CARD, C4, and OLAH gene families) and additional lineage-specific genes are generated (e.g., CKAP2, VPS36, ACBD7, and NEK5 paralogs), becoming targets of rapid chromosomal diversification and positive selection (e.g., RGPD gene family). High-fidelity long-read sequencing has made these dynamic regions of the genome accessible for sequence-level analyses within and between primate species.

Keywords: NPHP1 and Joubert syndrome; RGPD gene family; adaptive evolution; comparative genomics; duplicated genes; evolutionary medicine; human diseases; long-read sequencing; primate evolution.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Biological Evolution
  • Genome*
  • Genomic Structural Variation
  • Humans
  • Primates* / classification
  • Primates* / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA