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Genome-wide Protein-protein Interaction Screening by Protein-fragment Complementation Assay PCA in Living Cells
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Recent coselection in human populations revealed by protein-protein interaction network
Wei Qian1, Hang Zhou1, Kun Tang2
1Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Genome Biology and Evolution
|December 24, 2014
Summary
Recent human evolution shows clustering of selected genes within the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. This suggests coselection may have shaped human adaptation through interconnected biological pathways.
Area of Science:
- Human evolutionary genetics
- Systems biology
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- Genome-wide scans reveal numerous loci under recent natural selection in human populations.
- The role of coselection within complex molecular networks in recent human evolution remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether recent human evolution is influenced by coselection within the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network.
- To analyze genome-wide selection signals in relation to the PPI network structure.
Main Methods:
- Performed genome-wide scans for selection signals in East Asians, Europeans, and Africans using 1000 Genomes data.
- Mapped identified candidate genes onto the human protein-protein interaction (PPI) network.
- Analyzed gene clustering and network distances to assess coselection patterns.
Main Results:
- Candidate genes under recent positive selection exhibit significant clustering on the PPI network.
- Gene pairs with shorter PPI network distances show greater similarity in their evolutionary paths.
- Identified subnetworks enriched for selection signals are overrepresented in signal transduction, neurogenesis, and immune function pathways.
Conclusions:
- Provides the first genome-wide evidence linking recent selection signals to the PPI network.
- Suggests coselection within molecular networks as a potential mechanism driving recent human adaptation.
- Highlights the importance of biological pathways like signal transduction, neurogenesis, and immunity in human evolution.
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