Furthermore, some studies have examined the functional role of FOXP2 expression in S. teguina and other vocalizing rodent species.
The human gene was originally identified by Oxford University geneticists Simon Fisher and Anthony Monaco through molecular investigations of an unusual family known as the KE family.
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One particular target that is directly downregulated by FOXP2 in human neurons is the CNTNAP2 gene, a member of the neurexin family; variants in this target gene have been associated with common forms of language impairment.
Subsequently, it was discovered that every c-Fos-positive neuron in the pre-LC (after sodium deprivation) also expresses the transcription factor FOXP2.
FOXP2 |
On the other hand, analysis of FOXP2, using the chromatin immunoprecipitation technique, revealed that it binds onto and directly down-regulates expression of CNTNAP2, a gene found to be associated with nonsense-word repetition, a major marker of SLI.
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Importantly, knowledge of such genes, e.g. CNTNAP2, and also those that regulate FOXP2, will enable better understanding of FOXP2’s role in speech and language, the genetic makeup of these processes themselves and ultimately why the gene is under such positive selection.