Molecular Info® Copy Right © 2001
Institute of Molecular Development LLC
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Intra- and Interspecific Variation in Primate Gene Expression Patterns
Wolfgang Enard, Philipp Khaitovich,
Joachim Klose, Sebastian Zöllner, Florian Heissig, Patrick Giavalisco, Kay Nieselt-Struwe,
Elaine Muchmore, Ajit Varki,
Rivka Ravid, Gaby M. Doxiadis, Ronald E. Bontrop, Svante Pääbo
The Science, April 2002,
296: 340 - 343.
Although humans and their closest evolutionary relatives, the chimpanzees,
are 98.7% identical in their genomic DNA sequences, they differ in many morphological,
behavioral, and cognitive aspects. The underlying genetic basis of many of these differences
may be altered gene expression. We have compared the transcriptome in blood leukocytes, liver,
and brain of humans, chimpanzees, orangutans, and macaques using microarrays, as well as protein
expression patterns of humans and chimpanzees using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.
We also studied three mouse species that are approximately as related to each other as are
humans, chimpanzees, and orangutans. We identified species-specific gene expression patterns
indicating that changes in protein and gene expression have been particularly pronounced in the
human brain.
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