Human-specific gene <i>ARHGAP11B</i> promotes basal progenitor amplification and neocortex expansion

Marta Florio(Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics), Mareike Albert(Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics), Elena Taverna(Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics), Takashi Namba(Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics), Holger Brandl(Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics), Éric Lewitus(Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics), Christiane Haffner(Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics), Alex M. Sykes(Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics), Fong Kuan Wong(Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics), Jula Peters(Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics), Elaine Guhr(Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics), Sylvia Klemroth(Technische Universität Dresden), Kay Prüfer(Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology), Janet Kelso(Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology), Ronald Naumann(Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics), Ina Nüsslein(Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics), Andreas Dahl(Technische Universität Dresden), Robert Lachmann(Klinik für Frauenheilkunde), Svante Pääbo(Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology), Wieland Β. Huttner(Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics)
Science
February 26, 2015
10.1126/science.aaa1975
Cited by 632

Abstract

Evolutionary expansion of the human neocortex reflects increased amplification of basal progenitors in the subventricular zone, producing more neurons during fetal corticogenesis. In this work, we analyze the transcriptomes of distinct progenitor subpopulations isolated by a cell polarity-based approach from developing mouse and human neocortex. We identify 56 genes preferentially expressed in human apical and basal radial glia that lack mouse orthologs. Among these, ARHGAP11B has the highest degree of radial glia-specific expression. ARHGAP11B arose from partial duplication of ARHGAP11A (which encodes a Rho guanosine triphosphatase-activating protein) on the human lineage after separation from the chimpanzee lineage. Expression of ARHGAP11B in embryonic mouse neocortex promotes basal progenitor generation and self-renewal and can increase cortical plate area and induce gyrification. Hence, ARHGAP11B may have contributed to evolutionary expansion of human neocortex.

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