RT Journal
A1 Nakayama, Kazuhiro
A1 Ishida, Takafumi
T1 Alu-mediated 100-kb deletion in the primate genome: The loss of the agouti signaling protein gene in the lesser apes
JF Genome Research 
JO Genome Research 
YR 2006 
FD April 01 
VO 16 
IS 4 
SP 485 
OP 490 
DO 10.1101/gr.4763906 
UL http://genome.cshlp.org/content/16/4/485.abstract 
AB Agouti signaling protein (ASIP) is an endogenous antagonist of melanocortin receptors that controls a wide range of physiological functions. Its central role in regulation of the melanocortin system implied that ASIP has been relevant to the evolution of various physiological traits in primates. In this study, we have tried to determine DNA sequences of the ASIP gene (ASIP) of various simian species to find molecular evolutionary aspects of ASIP. Unexpectedly, we found that the whole coding region of ASIP was missing only from the gibbon genome; gibbons constitute a large group of hominoid species in Southeast Asia. Our analyses revealed that unequal homologous recombination mediated by two AluSx elements erased a ∼100-kb region including ASIP from the gibbon genome. The data provide new evidence for the significant roles of Alu elements in the dynamic evolution of the primate genome.