Mammalian Genome

, Volume 23, Issue 5–6, pp 387–398 | Cite as

The chimpanzee GH locus: composition, organization, and evolution

  • Antonio A. Pérez-Maya
  • Irám P. Rodríguez-Sánchez
  • Pieter de Jong
  • Michael Wallis
  • Hugo A. Barrera-Saldaña
Article
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Accepted:

Abstract

In most mammals the growth hormone (GH) locus comprises a single gene expressed primarily in the anterior pituitary gland. However, in higher primates multiple duplications of the GH gene gave rise to a complex locus containing several genes. In man this locus comprises five genes, including GH-N (expressed in pituitary) and four genes expressed in the placenta, but in other species the number and organization of these genes vary. The situation in chimpanzee has been unclear, with suggestions of up to seven GH-like genes. We have re-examined the GH locus in chimpanzee and have deduced the complete sequence. The locus includes five genes apparently organized in a fashion similar to that in human, with two of these genes encoding GH-like proteins, and three encoding chorionic somatomammotropins/placental lactogens (CSHs/PLs). There are notable differences between the human and chimpanzee loci with regard to the expressed proteins, gene regulation, and gene conversion events. In particular, one human gene (hCSH-L) has changed substantially since the chimpanzee/human split, potentially becoming a pseudogene, while the corresponding chimpanzee gene (CSH-A1) has been conserved, giving a product almost identical to the adjacent CSH-A2. Chimpanzee appears to produce two CSHs, with potentially differing biological properties, whereas human produces a single CSH. The pattern of gene conversion in human has been quite different from that in chimpanzee. The region around the GH-N gene in chimpanzee is remarkably polymorphic, unlike the corresponding region in human. The results shed new light on the complex evolution of the GH locus in higher primates.

Keywords

Growth Hormone Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Growth Hormone Gene Pituitary Growth Hormone Gene Conversion Event 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Notes

Acknowledgments

We thank Sergio Lozano-Rodriguez, MD, and Hugo R. Gonzalez Cardenas for their critical reading of the manuscript. This research was possible thanks to grants contributed by CONACYT (Q-43987).

Supplementary material

335_2012_9392_MOESM1_ESM.pdf (143 kb)
Supplementary material 1 (PDF 143 kb)

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  • Antonio A. Pérez-Maya
    • 1
  • Irám P. Rodríguez-Sánchez
    • 1
  • Pieter de Jong
    • 2
  • Michael Wallis
    • 3
  • Hugo A. Barrera-Saldaña
    • 1
  1. 1.Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de MedicinaUniversidad Autónoma de Nuevo LeónMonterreyMéxico
  2. 2.Children’s Hospital Oakland Research InstituteOaklandUSA
  3. 3.Biochemistry Department, School of Life SciencesUniversity of SussexFalmer, BrightonUK

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