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Table 6 Specific Examples of transposable elements (TEs) implicated in primate-specific traits: metabolic and other

From: Mobile DNA and the TE-Thrust hypothesis: supporting evidence from the primates

TE generated trait

Gene affected

Gene function

TE responsible

Distributiona

Type of event

Effect

Tissue expression

Type of TE-Thrust

Reference

 

RNF19A

Ubiquitin ligase

Alu

> Human

Exonization

Novel isoform

Various

Active

Huh et al., 2008 [157]

 

BCL2L11

Pro-apoptotic

Alu

> Human

Exonization

Novel isoform

Various

Active

Wu et al., 2007 [158]

 

BCL2L13

Pro-apoptotic

Alu

> Human

Exonization

Novel isoform

Various (cytosolic instead of mitochondrial)

Active

Yi et al., 2003 [159]

 

SFTPB

Pulmonary surfactant

Alu/ERVb

Primate

Exonization

Novel isoform

Various

Active

Lee et al., 2009 [160]

Efficiency of ZNF177 transcription and translation

ZNF177

Transcriptional regulator

Alu/LINE-1c/ERV

> Human

Exonization

Novel isoform

Various

Active

Landry et al., 2001 [161]

Production of salivary amylase

AMY1s

Starch digestion

ERV

Old World primate

Regulatory

Major promoter

Salivary gland

Active

Ting et al., 1992 [99]

 

BAAT

Bile metabolism

ERV

> Human

Regulatory

Major promoter

Liver

Active

van de Lagemaat et al., 2003 [73]

 

CETP

Cholesterol metabolism

Alu

> Human

Regulatory

Negative regulation

Liver

Active

Le Goff et al., 2003 [162]

Absence of FMO1 in adult liver/altered drug metabolism?

FMO1

Xenobiotic metabolism

LINE-1

> Human

Regulatory

Negative regulation in liver

Kidney

Active

Shephard et al., 2007 [163]

 

RNF19A

Ubiquitin ligase

LTRd

> Human

Regulatory

Alternative promoter

Various

Active

Huh et al., 2008 [157]

 

APOC1

Lipid metabolism

ERV

Ape

Regulatory

Alternative promoter

Various

Active

Medstrand et al., 2001 [134]

 

KRT18

Epithelial keratin

Alu

> Human

Regulatory

Retinoic acid responsiveness

Various

Active

Vansant and Reynolds, 1995 [77]

 

PTH

Parathyroid hormone

Alu

> Old World primate

Regulatory

Negative calcium responsiveness

Parathyroid gland

Active

McHaffie and Ralston, 1995 [164]

 

PRKACG

cAMP signalling/regulation of metabolism

Unknown

> Old World primate

Retrotransposition

Novel gene

Various

Active

Reinton et al., 1998 [165]

 

NBR2

Unknown

Alu

Old World primate

Duplication

Novel gene

Various

Passive

Jin et al., 2004 [166]

 

LRRC37A

Unknown

Alu

Old World primate

Duplication

Novel genes

Various

Passive

Jin et al., 2004 [166]

 

ARF2

GTPase/vesicle trafficking

Alu

Great ape

Inversion

Novel fusion gene

Various

Passive

Jin et al., 2004 [166]

Altered arterial wall function?

ELN

Elastin

Alu

> Old World primate/human

Deletion

Exon losses

Various

Passive

Szabo et al., 1999 [167]

Low body mass?

ASIP

Energy metabolism/pigmentation

Alu

Lesser ape (gibbon)

Deletion

Gene loss

Various

Passive

Nakayama and Ishida, 2006 [101]

  1. a > = Maximum known distribution.
  2. bERV = endogenous retrovirus
  3. cLINE = long interspersed nuclear element
  4. dLTR = long terminal repeat