RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Evolution and cell-type specificity of human-specific genes preferentially expressed in progenitors of fetal neocortex JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 225722 DO 10.1101/225722 A1 Marta Florio A1 Michael Heide A1 Holger Brandl A1 Anneline Pinson A1 Sylke Winkler A1 Pauline Wimberger A1 Wieland B. Huttner A1 Michael Hiller YR 2017 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/11/28/225722.abstract AB To understand the molecular basis underlying the expansion of the neocortex during primate, and notably human, evolution, it is essential to identify the genes that are particularly active in the neural stem and progenitor cells of developing neocortex. Here, we have used existing transcriptome datasets to carry out a comprehensive screen for protein-coding genes preferentially expressed in progenitors of fetal human neocortex. In addition to the previously studied gene ARHGAP11B, we show that ten known and two newly identified human-specific genes exhibit such expression, however with distinct neural progenitor cell-type specificity compared to their ancestral paralogs. Furthermore, we identify 41 additional human genes with progenitor-enriched expression which have orthologs only in primates. Our study not only provides a resource of genes that are candidates to exert specific, and novel, roles in neocortical development, but also reveals that distinct mechanisms gave rise to these genes during primate, and notably human, evolution.