Web address:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/
080619203301.htm
Evolutionarily Preserved Signature Found In The Primate Brain
ScienceDaily (June 24, 2008) — Researchers have determined that there are
hundreds of biological differences between the sexes when it comes to gene
expression in the cerebral cortex of humans and other primates. These findings
indicate that some of these differences arose a very long time ago and have
been preserved through evolution.
These conserved differences constitute a signature of sex differences in the
brain.
Many more obvious gender differences have been preserved throughout primate
evolution; examples include average body size and weight, and genitalia design.
This study, believed to be the first of its kind, focuses on gene expression
within the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is involved in many of the more
complex functions in both humans and other primates, including memory,
attentiveness, thought processes and language.
The researchers measured gene expression in the brains of male and female
primates from three species: humans, macaques, and marmosets. To measure
activity of specific genes, the products of genes (RNA) obtained from the brain
of each animal were hybridized to microarrays containing thousands of DNA
clones coding for thousands of genes. The authors also investigated DNA
sequence differences among primates for genes showing different levels of
expression between the sexes.
"Knowledge about gender differences is important for many reasons. For example,
this information may be used in the future to calculate medical dosages, as
well as for other treatments of diseases or damage to the brain," says team
leader Professor Elena Jazin, at Uppsala University, Sweden.
In addition to the results mentioned above, the researchers also report on
evolutionary speeds in genes that have been identified as male or
female-oriented. This could provide clues about the power of natural selection
processes during the evolution of primates.
Lead author Björn Reinius notes that the study does not determine whether these
differences in gene expression are in any way functionally significant. Such
questions remain to be answered by future studies.
Journal reference:
1. Reinius B, Saetre P, Leonard JA, Blekhman R, Merino-Martinez R, et al.
Evolutionarily Conserved Sexual Signature in the Primate Brain. PLoS Genetics,
4(6): e1000100 [link]
Adapted from materials provided by Uppsala University, via EurekAlert!, a
service of AAAS.
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Uppsala University (2008, June 24). Evolutionarily Preserved Signature Found In
The Primate Brain. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 23, 2009, from
http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/06/080619203301.htm
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