summary: New research indicates that the genetic alternative in the Nova1 protein may have played a major role in the emergence of human speech. Scientists have introduced this human alternative exclusively in mice and studded, indicating a potential role in vocal communication.
The study confirmed that the primitive human beings and Densovan did not possess this alternative, which indicates that it grew up uniquely in modern humans. The researchers believe that this genetic change may have contributed to the development of spoken language by influencing the brain networks involved in the vocal.
More analysis of 650,058 human genre revealed that almost all modern humans carry this alternative, pointing to its evolutionary importance. Future studies aim to explore their potential links of language -related disorders and nervous growth conditions.
Main facts:
- Human alternative: NOVA1 protein in modern humans carries a unique genetic change that does not exist in primitive human beings or Denisovan.
- Voice effect: When inserting it into mice, the human variable, its vocal patterns, which hints into a role in the development of speech.
- Evolutionary importance: Almost all modern humans carry this alternative, indicating that it has become dominant due to the advantages of voice communication.
source: Rockefeller University
The origins of the human language remain mysterious. Are we the only animals capable of complex speech?
We are Hoomo, the sane The only Wumidin who can give detailed trends to the freshwater source distant or describe the delicate and red purple of the dramatic sunset?
It is possible that our close relatives that primary human beings are anatomical features in the throat and the ears that could have been able to speak and hear the spoken language, and they share us with a gene variable associated with the ability to speak.
However, we only find in modern humans the expanded brain areas that are necessary to produce and understand the language.
Researchers from Rockefeller University have now discovered interesting genetic evidence: it is only the protein variable found in humans that may have helped form the appearance of spoken language.
In a study published in Nature CommunicationsResearchers at the Rockefeller Robert B. discovered. Darnell said that when they put this human alternative exclusively from Nova1-a protein linked to the RNA in the brain known as a decisive matter for neurological development-to mice, they changed their acoustics as they called it to each other.
The study also confirmed that the alternative is not present in either Neanderthal or Denisovan, the ancient humans that our ancestors interfered with, as it is clear from their genetic effects that remain in many human genres today.
“This gene is part of a comprehensive evolutionary change in early contemporary humans and hints in the potential old origins of the spoken language,” says Darnell, head of the molecular nervous biology laboratory.
“Nova1 The human language gene may be goodwill, although it is definitely one of the many genetic changes of human beings. “
Three decades in making
Anatomical adjustments to the vocal paths and complex nerve networks provide our language capabilities. But genetics behind them is not a good understanding.
One theoretical genetic language driver Foxp2That is, symbols of the copy factor that involved in early brain growth. People with mutations in this gene show sharp flaws in speech, including the inability to coordinate lip and mouth movements with sound.
Humans have amino acid alternatives in Foxp2 that were not found in the lead or other mammals – but primitive humans also have, indicating that the alternative arose in a predecessor of both human genealogies. But some results are on Foxp2 It has been disputed, and its role in developing the human language is still unclear.
now Nova1 He grew up as a candidate. The gene produces a protein key to linking the RNA for neurons for the development of the brain and muscle nervous control that was cloned for the first time and was characterized by the law in 1993.
It was found in almost identical form through a wide range of biomas, from mammals to birds – but not in humans. Instead, we have a unique shape that features one change in amino acids, from ezoliosin to Fallen, in place 197 (i197V) in the protein chain.
The first author Yoko Tajima, a post -PhD fellow at Darnell Laboratory. Many of them may be an integral part of brain growth.
“Such changes may have played important roles in obtaining the characteristics that have contributed to the emergence, expansion and survival survival. Hoomo, the saneShe says.
A specialist in how to modify the RNA genetic expression proteins, Darnell has been looking for Nova1 since the early 1990s, when he and his colleagues first identified it as an operator of nervous self -disorder called POMA and that could cause severe drowse.
They have recently started to determine the cases that Nova1 Genetic variables are associated with developmental difficulties and motor difficulties.
“Nova1’s understanding was a long effort for me,” he says.
The current study, led by Tajima, used CRISPR genes to replace the common NOVA1 protein found in mice with the human alternative i197V. Then they used advanced techniques such as cross -immune immunosuppressive analysis (the clip), a method developed by Darnil, to locate the RNV1 RNA in the NOVA1 in the medium mouse brain.
Great detection
The first noticeable discovery was that the human alternative had no effect on connecting RNA related to neurological development or engine control. She was working exactly as it was replaced.
So what was he doing? The second important discovery gave them a hint: binding sites were greatly affected by the human alternative that were present in the genes that were coded for the RNA associated with pressure.
“Moreover, many of these genes associated with pressing were found to be binding goals for Nova1, indicating the involvement of Nova1 in mystery,” says Tajima.
“We thought, amazing. “We didn’t expect it,” says Darnell. “It was one of the really amazing moments in science.”
Darnell laboratory then joined the Rockefeller Laboratory for the Science of Nervous Code in the language, headed by Eric de Garfis, who studies the molecular and genetic mechanisms behind vocal learning.
Change communications
During the next few years, collaborators have investigated the influence on rocks between mice of different ages in different contexts. They found changing sound patterns between both of the bite of both sexes and adult males.
“All children’s mice make ultrasound chords for their mothers, and the changing researchers classified as” four letters ” – d, d, and m”, notice Darnil.
“We have found that when we translate” the chests made by the mice with the I197V variable for human beings, they were different from those in mice of wild type. Some “messages” have changed. “
They found similar patterns when they studied invitations for the hopeful mating of mice from males exposed to female mice in Shabas. “They talked differently from female mice,” he says. “One can imagine how these vocal changes can have a deep effect on development.”
The human element
The potential effect of i197V has become their next focus. To ensure that it was not found in our closest human-human relatives, who lived largely in Europe, and Denissovan, named after the Central Asian Cave, where they were discovered-the researchers compared eight human genre with three high-crocodiles, the genus and the high-covered Denisovan genome .
As expected, our old relatives-who are believed to have been divided about 250,000-300,000 years ago-the same NOVA1 protein like all non-human animals.
Then they combed through 650,058 modern human genre in the DBSNP database, a catalog of the short sequence differences derived from people all over the world. If there is an alternative to i197V, it will be found here.
Among these 650,058 people, all of them, except for the six, had a human alternative. These six have the old alternative. Samples are unlimited, the details of them are unknown.
“Our data indicates that a group of contemporary human ancestors in Africa has developed the human alternative i197V, which then became dominant, perhaps because it gives advantages related to voice communication,” he suggested.
“Then this population left Africa and spread all over the world.”
Disease and disorders
In the future, Darnell Laboratory will investigate how Nova1 will organize the language function, taking into account linguistic disorders or growth.
“We believe that understanding these issues will provide important visions on how the brain works during sound communications – and how poor organization leads to certain disturbances,” says Tajima.
Its nervous paths may enter, for example, when the various disorders make a person unable to speak. It may affect the development of non -verbal autism. Nova1 is one of the many genes associated with autism spectrum disorder.
In 2023, the laboratory reported a patient suffering from a disability in the Nova1, whose nervous symptoms included delaying speech.
“Our discovery can be a clinical link in many ways, from developmental disorders to neurological degenerative diseases,” Darnell added.
About news of neuroscience in genetics and evolutionary neuroscience
author: Catherine Vens
source: Rockefeller University
communication: Catherine Vens – Rockefeller University
image: The image is attributed to news of neuroscience
The original search: Open access.
“Human NOVA1 fastening factor changes mouse sound connectionsWritten by Robert B. Darnell and others. Nature Communications
a summary
Human NOVA1 fastening factor changes mouse sound connections
Nova1, which is a protein linked to the nervous DNA expressed in the central nervous system, is necessary to survive in mice and natural development in humans.
Changing a single amino acid (i197V) in the field of linking the second RNA in Nova1 is unique than the unique of modern human humans.
To study its physiological effects, we created mice that carry the I197V variable of the human shape (Nova1He/isAnd analysis of molecular and behavioral consequences.
While the replacement of the i197V had a little effect on the ability to connect the RNA in NOVA1, it has led to specific effects on alternative fastening, and the clip was revealed by multiple linking peaks in the mouse brain texts participating in the pronunciation.
These molecular results were linked to behavioral differences in sound patterns in Nova1He/is Mice as well as puppies and adults.
The results we have found indicate that this human replacement for human beings may be part of an old evolutionary selective survey in a group of common ancestors of Hoomo, the saneIt may contribute to the development of spoken language by regulating the differential DNA during the growth of the brain.
2025-02-18 21:45:00
