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Saliva Protein Genes in Humans were Shaped During Primate Evolution
Petar Pajic1,2, Luane Landau1, Omer Gokcumen1
1Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
Genome Biology and Evolution
|August 22, 2025
Summary
Secretory calcium-binding phosphoprotein (SCPP) genes in saliva diversified significantly in mammals through gene duplication and loss. These evolutionary changes in SCPP genes impact oral health in primates.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Genomics
- Mammalian evolution
Background:
- The secretory calcium-binding phosphoprotein (SCPP) gene locus has undergone diversification coinciding with major vertebrate evolutionary events.
- SCPP genes are notably expressed in human saliva, suggesting a role in oral biology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary history and diversification of saliva-related SCPP genes using genomic and transcriptomic data.
- To understand the mechanisms driving the evolution of SCPP genes involved in salivary gland expression.
Main Methods:
- Phylogenetic analysis of SCPP genes across mammals.
- Comparative genomics to identify gene duplication, loss, and regulatory shifts.
- Detection of positive selection signatures in primate SCPP genes.
Main Results:
- Extensive diversification of mammalian SCPP genes, particularly those in salivary glands, driven by gene duplications and losses.
- Evidence of regulatory shifts and gene turnover accelerating salivary gland expression in rodents and humans.
- Recent duplications and positive selection identified in primate saliva-related SCPP genes, contrasting with conserved SCPP genes elsewhere in the locus.
Conclusions:
- Saliva-related SCPP genes are highly adaptable, undergoing rapid evolutionary innovation.
- Dietary and pathogenic pressures likely shaped salivary SCPP gene functions, influencing primate oral health, metabolism, and immunity.
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