核化线粒体组学与转基因人分析法在人类进化研究中的应用1例

Mitochromics:A Simplified Transgenic Human Assay

5年前,作者提出转基因人分析法,即以人类染色体DNA与线粒体DNA的重组状况作为研究对象,并将这种研究线粒体DNA与染色体DNA之间相互作用的科学称之为核化线粒体组学。分析当时可利用的尼安特人的线粒体DNA高变区数百个碱基,认为不能排除尼安特人与现代人在基因水平上可能存在亲缘关系。最近,细胞杂志发表了尼安特人的线粒体DNA完全序列,通过利用核化线粒体组学方法,使5年前的推论得到了确认,即尼安特人与现代人在基因水平上存在亲缘关系。这一应用实例对分子考古学具有一定的参考价值。

Objective When mtDNA is recognized as a transgene,humankind becomes a transgenic species occurred naturally under strict definition of transgenic technology.We thus suggested a method of transgenic human assay 5 years ago.Further application of this assay in studying the biological effect of mtDNA-original homologues in the genome of modern eukaryotic cells,a new discipline was termed Mitochromics.Mitochromic analysis allows us to speculate the genetic relationship between Neandertal and modern humans based on the limited Neandertal mtDNA sequences of the high variable regions 5 years ago.Recently,＂Cel＂ published the whole mtDNA genome of Neandertal.We revisit the genetic relationship using this new mtDNA genome and confirmed the speculation we raised 5 years ago.Now we can conclude that there is a close relationship between Neandertal and modern humans at genetic level,evidenced by the presence of 10% of same transgenes between our nuclear genome and the nuclear genome of Neandertal although it is not available yet.