Human evolution from non-human primates has seen substantial change in the central nervous system, with the molecular mechanisms underlying human brain evolution remaining largely unknown. Methylation of cytosine at the fifth carbon (5-methylcytosine; 5 mC) is an essential epigenetic mark linked to neurodevelopment, as well as neurological disease. The emergence of another modified form of cytosine (5-hydroxymethylcytosine; 5 hmC) that is enriched in the brain further substantiates a role for these epigenetic marks in neurodevelopment, yet little is known about the evolutionary importance of these marks in brain development. Here, human and monkey brain tissue were profiled, identifying 5,516 and 4,070 loci that were differentially methylated and hydroxymethylated, respectively, between the species. Annotation of these loci to the human genome revealed genes critical for the development of the nervous system and that are associated with intelligence and higher cognitive functioning, such asRELNandGNAS. Moreover, ontological analyses of these differentially methylated and hydroxymethylated genes revealed a significant enrichment of neuronal/immunological-related processes, including neurogenesis and axon development. Finally, the sequences flanking the differentially methylated/hydroxymethylated loci contained a significant enrichment of binding sites for neurodevelopmentally important transcription factors (e.g.,OTX1andPITX1), suggesting that DNA methylation may regulate gene expression by mediating transcription factor binding on these transcripts. Together, these data support dynamic species-specific epigenetic contributions in the evolution and development of the human brain from non-human primates.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 06 April 2018.
All research outputs
#14,611,720
of 25,721,020 outputs
Outputs from Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience
#1,353
of 3,372 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#224,259
of 457,629 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience
#50
of 124 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,721,020 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 42nd percentile – i.e., 42% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 3,372 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 6.2. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 58% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 457,629 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 50% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 124 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 58% of its contemporaries.
