A 2.7-kb deletion in the human NLRP10 gene exon 2 occurred after the human-chimpanzee divergence.
NLRP10 is a member of the NLRP protein family, which is involved in inflammation and apoptosis. Genome sequence comparisons revealed that a 2.7-kb deletion occurred in the human NLRP10 gene exon 2 after the divergence of humans and chimpanzees, resulting in replacement of the entire 3' untranslated region with the flanking LINE-1 element. The human NLRP10 protein lost 30 or more amino acids that are conserved in primates at its carboxy-terminus. The structural modification of the NLRP10 gene might have played a role in development or enhancement of human-specific traits during evolution.
Ha
Hye Jeong
HJ
Department of Life Science (BK21 Program) and Research Center for Biomolecules and Biosystems, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 156-756, Korea.
Kim
Dong Seon
DS
Hahn
Yoonsoo
Y
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013045:Species Specificity
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C494352:NLRP10 protein, human