{"71798":{"#nid":"71798","#data":{"type":"news","title":"\u0022Junk DNA\u0022 Defines Differences Between Humans and Chimps","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor years, scientists believed the vast phenotypic\ndifferences between humans and chimpanzees would be easily explained \u2013 the two\nspecies must have significantly different genetic makeups. However, when their\ngenomes were later sequenced, researchers were surprised to learn that the DNA\nsequences of human and chimpanzee genes are nearly identical. What then is\nresponsible for the many morphological and behavioral differences between the\ntwo species? Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have now\ndetermined that the insertion and deletion of large pieces of DNA near genes\nare highly variable between humans and chimpanzees and may account for major\ndifferences between the two species. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team lead by Georgia Tech Professor of Biology\nJohn McDonald has verified that while the DNA sequence of genes between humans\nand chimpanzees is nearly identical, there are large genomic \u201cgaps\u201d in areas adjacent\nto genes that can affect the extent to which genes are \u201cturned on\u201d and \u201cturned\noff.\u201d The research shows that these genomic \u201cgaps\u201d between the two species are predominantly\ndue to the insertion or deletion (INDEL) of viral-like sequences called\nretrotransposons that are known to comprise about half of the genomes of both\nspecies. The findings are \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mobilednajournal.com\/content\/2\/1\/13\/abstract\u0022\u003Ereported\u003C\/a\u003E in the most recent issue of the online,\nopen-access journal \u003Cem\u003EMobile DNA.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese genetic gaps have primarily been caused by the\nactivity of retroviral-like transposable element sequences,\u201d said McDonald. \u201cTransposable\nelements were once considered \u2018junk DNA\u2019 with little or no function. Now it\nappears that they may be one of the major reasons why we are so different from\nchimpanzees.\u201d\n\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcDonald\u2019s research team, comprised of graduate students Nalini\nPolavarapu, Gaurav Arora and Vinay Mittal, examined the genomic gaps in both\nspecies and determined that they are significantly correlated with differences\nin gene expression reported previously by researchers at the Max Plank\nInstitute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany. \n\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur findings are generally consistent with the notion that the\nmorphological and behavioral differences between humans and chimpanzees are\npredominately due to differences in the regulation of genes rather than to\ndifferences in the sequence of the genes themselves,\u201d said McDonald. \n\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe current analysis of the genetic differences between\nhumans and chimpanzees was motivated by the group\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/newsroom\/release.html?nid=41245\u0022\u003Epreviously published\nfindings\u003C\/a\u003E (2009) that the higher propensity for cancer in humans vs. chimpanzees\nmay have been a by-product of selection for increased brain size in humans. \n\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Research Characterizes Important Genetic Variation Between the Species"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDNA sequences for human and chimpanzees are nearly indentical, despite vast phenotypical differences between the two species. Georgia Tech researchers have determined that the insertion and deletion of large pieces of DNA near genes\nare highly variable between humans and chimpanzees and may account for these major\ndifferences. \u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The insertion and deletion of large pieces of DNA near genes are highly variable between humans and chimps and may account for major variables between species."}],"uid":"27560","created_gmt":"2011-10-25 11:00:45","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:34","author":"Jason Maderer","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-10-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-10-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"71799":{"id":"71799","type":"image","title":"Chimpanzee","body":null,"created":"1449177405","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:45","changed":"1475894644","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:04","alt":"Chimpanzee","file":{"fid":"193605","name":"chimp_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chimp_1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chimp_1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3920685,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/chimp_1_0.jpg?itok=ETyR-d1g"}},"71800":{"id":"71800","type":"image","title":"Chimpanzee 2","body":null,"created":"1449177405","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:45","changed":"1475894644","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:04","alt":"Chimpanzee 2","file":{"fid":"193606","name":"chimp_4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chimp_4_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chimp_4_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5225806,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/chimp_4_0.jpg?itok=iNkUtDZc"}},"39697":{"id":"39697","type":"image","title":"John McDonald","body":null,"created":"1449174110","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:21:50","changed":"1475894258","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:37:38","alt":"John McDonald","file":{"fid":"189660","name":"tgy10882.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tgy10882.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tgy10882.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1559884,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tgy10882.jpg?itok=FOCJnRLa"}}},"media_ids":["71799","71800","39697"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mobilednajournal.com\/content\/2\/1\/13\/abstract","title":"Full Research Article"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Biology"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.cos.gatech.edu\/","title":"College of Sciences"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"3028","name":"evolution"},{"id":"5718","name":"Genetics"},{"id":"2371","name":"John McDonald"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJason Maderer\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-385-2966\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jason.maderer@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}