Functional variability of rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) NAT2 gene for drug-metabolising arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2.

Human NAT2 is a polymorphic pharmacogene encoding for N-acetyltransferase 2, a hepatic enzyme active towards arylamine and arylhydrazine drugs, including the anti-tubercular antibiotic isoniazid. The isoenzyme also modulates susceptibility to chemical carcinogenesis, particularly of the bladder. Human NAT2 represents an ideal model for anthropological investigations into the demographic adaptation of worldwide populations to their xenobiotic environment.

Evolutionary stasis of the pseudoautosomal boundary in strepsirrhine primates.

Sex chromosomes are typically comprised of a non-recombining region and a recombining pseudoautosomal region. Accurately quantifying the relative size of these regions is critical for sex-chromosome biology both from a functional and evolutionary perspective. The evolution of the pseudoautosomal boundary (PAB) is well documented in haplorrhines (apes and monkeys) but not in strepsirrhines (lemurs and lorises).

Population variability of rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) NAT1 gene for arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1: Functional effects and comparison with human.

Human NAT1 gene for N-acetyltransferase 1 modulates xenobiotic metabolism of arylamine drugs and mutagens. Beyond pharmacogenetics, NAT1 is also relevant to breast cancer. The population history of human NAT1 suggests evolution through purifying selection, but it is unclear whether this pattern is evident in other primate lineages where population studies are scarce.

Humans and Chimpanzees Display Opposite Patterns of Diversity in Genes.

Among the many genes involved in the metabolism of therapeutic drugs, human arylamine -acetyltransferases () genes have been extensively studied, due to their medical importance both in pharmacogenetics and disease epidemiology. One member of this small gene family, , is established as the locus of the classic human acetylation polymorphism in drug metabolism. Current hypotheses hold that selective processes favoring haplotypes conferring lower activity have been operating in modern humans' recent history as an adaptation to local chemical and dietary environments.

Comparative analysis of xenobiotic metabolising N-acetyltransferases from ten non-human primates as in vitro models of human homologues.

Xenobiotic metabolising N-acetyltransferases (NATs) perform biotransformation of drugs and carcinogens. Human NAT1 is associated with endogenous metabolic pathways of cells and is a candidate drug target for cancer. Human NAT2 is a well-characterised polymorphic xenobiotic metabolising enzyme, modulating susceptibility to drug-induced toxicity.