Neanderthals and Diabetes

[shunyadragon]

Genetic research has found another link between Homo sapiens sapiens, humans and Neanderthals in Diabetes gene.

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS—Scientists have determined that a variation of a gene that increases the risk of a person developing type 2 diabetes by 25 percent was likely introduced into human populations by Neanderthals more than 60,000 years ago. Half of people with a recent Native American lineage, including Latin Americans, have the gene, SLC16A11, as do 20 percent of East Asians. The newly sequenced, high quality Neanderthal genome, taken from a female toe found in Siberia's Denisova Cave, also included the variant, and researchers say that analysis suggests that Neanderthals introduced it into the human genome when they intermixed with modern humans, after the latter left Africa 60,000 to 70,000 years ago. According to the findings from the completed Neanderthal genome, roughly two percent of the genomes of today's non-African humans are comprised of Neanderthal DNA.

[klaus54]

Genetic research has found another link between Homo sapiens sapiens, humans and Neanderthals in Diabetes gene.

Interesting find! Do you know if "pure" Africans (not mixed with Eurasia ancestors) can suffer from Type II diabetes mellitus? I know it's a big problem among African-Americans.

If Africans are susceptible to Type II diabetes then perhaps this convergent evolution?

[sfs1]

Interesting find! Do you know if "pure" Africans (not mixed with Eurasia ancestors) can suffer from Type II diabetes mellitus? I know it's a big problem among African-Americans.

If Africans are susceptible to Type II diabetes then perhaps this convergent evolution?

Yes, Africans get T2D. No need to invoke convergent evolution: this is only one of many variants that confer risk for diabetes -- and there may well be some risk without any risk alleles.

[shunyadragon]

Yes, Africans get T2D. No need to invoke convergent evolution: this is only one of many variants that confer risk for diabetes -- and there may well be some risk without any risk alleles.

The comparison between human genes and Neanderthal genes is for a specific gene that they share that increases the risk of diabetes. This has nothing to do with whether Africans get Diabetes or not nor whether there are other variants that confer risk for diabetes

[sfs1]

The comparison between human genes and Neanderthal genes is for a specific gene that they share that increases the risk of diabetes. This has nothing to do with whether Africans get Diabetes or not nor whether there are other variants that confer risk for diabetes

I know.

[klaus54]

But pure Africans and East Asians and Denosovians don't share this specific gene that increases the risk of diabetes so shouldn't they be less susceptible to T2D? Or am I too stupid to get with the program.

[shunyadragon]

But pure Africans and East Asians and Denosovians don't share this specific gene that increases the risk of diabetes so shouldn't they be less susceptible to T2D? Or am I too stupid to get with the program.

I would have to look into this further, but I believe that before the introduction of the western diet high in sugar and high glycemic carbs, the Oriental incidence of diabetes was very low. I believe that in Latin America the incidence was also lower before the consumption of sugar greatly increased with the influence of western diets.

[klaus54]

I would have to look into this further, but I believe that before the introduction of the western diet high in sugar and high glycemic carbs, the Oriental incidence of diabetes was very low. I believe that in Latin America the incidence was also lower before the consumption of sugar greatly increased with the influence of western diets.

Good point. T2D has a strong "nurture" component with consumption of sweets, starch, and consequent obesity. It's interesting that N'Tals had acquired a T2D-susceptibility mutation which was likely "neutral" with respect to their dietary lifestyle but deleterious in their cross-over descendants.