The gene of retroviral origin Syncytin 1 is specific to hominoids and is inactive in Old World monkeys.
Syncytin 1 is one of the best known examples of recent acquisition of a new gene from an endogenous retrovirus (HERV) in the human genome and has been implicated in placental physiology. Within primates, Syncytin 1 is conserved in all hominoids but has not been characterized in Old World monkeys (OWMs). In this study, we investigated the status of Syncytin 1 in 14 hominoid and OWM species. We show that although the HERV-W provirus responsible for the origin of this gene was present in the genome of the most recent common ancestor of hominoids and OWMs, Syncytin 1 is inactive in OWMs. In addition, we were able to determine that the evolution of Syncytin 1 in hominoids involved an accumulation of amino acid changes and showed signatures of both positive and purifying selection. Our results indicate that Syncytin 1 is indeed a hominoid-specific gene and illustrate the complex and dynamic process associated with the origin of new genes.
Cáceres
Mario
M
Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Suite 301, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. mcaceres@genetics.emory.edu
Thomas
James W
JW
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002520:Cercopithecidae / Q000235:genetics*; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics*; D015186:Hominidae / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D010215:Papio / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D015686:Gene Products, env; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; C405335:syncytin