A recent study published in Cell Genomics, led by researchers from EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), has provided new insights into the evolution of human cell cycle regulation. The research team, including Romain Forey and Cyril Pulver, created a comprehensive atlas of gene activity during the human cell cycle. This groundbreaking work sheds light on how recently evolved genes influence this fundamental process.
The study identified specific transcription factors, such as ZNF519 (exclusive to primates) and ZNF274 (present in mammals), as key regulators. Disabling ZNF519 led to issues in DNA replication, while ZNF274 regulated the timing of genome duplication. These findings highlight how new genetic elements, unique to humans and our close relatives, interact with ancient cellular processes.
This research is crucial for understanding diseases like cancer, where cell cycle dysregulation is a hallmark. It may also explain differences in cancer behavior and other developmental disorders between humans and other mammals. The comprehensive atlas of human cell cycle gene expression is available to the scientific community, offering a valuable resource for further investigation.