Human endogenous retrovirus K14C drove genomic diversification of the Y chromosome during primate evolution.
The male-specific region of Y chromosome (MSY) has accumulated a higher density of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) and related sequences when compared with other regions of the human genome. Here, we focused on one HERV family, HERV-K14C that seemed to integrate preferentially into the Y chromosome in humans. To identify every copies of HERV-K14C in the human genome, we applied computational screening to map precisely the locus of individual HERV-K14C copies. Interestingly, 29 of all 146 copies were located in Y chromosome, and these 29 copies were mostly dispersed in the palindromic region. Three distinct HERV-K14C-related transcripts were found and were exclusively expressed in human testis tissue. Based on our phylogenetic analysis of the solitary LTRs derived from HERV-K14C on the Y chromosome we suggested that these sequences were generated as pairs of identical sequences. Specifically, analysis of HERV-K14C-related sequences in the palindromic region demonstrated that the Y chromosomal amplicons existed in our common ancestors and the duplicated pairs arose after divergence of great apes approximately 8-10 million years ago. Taken together, our observation suggested that HERV-K14C-related sequences contributed to genomic diversification of Y chromosome during speciation of great ape lineage.
Sin
Ho-Su
HS
Department of Integrative Cancer Therapy and Urology, Andrology Unit, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan.
Koh
Eitetsu
E
Kim
Dae-Soo
DS
Murayama
Miho
M
Sugimoto
Kazuhiro
K
Maeda
Yuji
Y
Yoshida
Atsumi
A
Namiki
Mikio
M
D000818:Animals; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D019295:Computational Biology; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D000882:Haplorhini / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D015186:Hominidae / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011323:Primates / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D020079:Terminal Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014998:Y Chromosome / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology
D014764:Viral Proteins