Primate evolution of the recombination regulator PRDM9

The PRDM9 gene encodes a protein with a highly variable tandem-repeat zinc finger (ZF) DNA-binding domain that plays a key role in determining sequence-specific hotspots of meiotic recombination genome wide. Here we survey the diversity of the PRDM9 ZF domain by sequencing this region in 64 primates from 18 species, revealing 68 unique alleles across all groups. We report ubiquitous positive selection at nucleotide positions corresponding to DNA contact residues and the expansion of ZFs within clades, which confirms the rapid evolution of the ZF domain throughout the primate lineage. Alignment of Neandertal and Denisovan sequences suggests that PRDM9 in archaic hominins was closely related to present-day human alleles that are rare and specific to African populations. In the context of its role in reproduction, our results are consistent with variation in PRDM9 contributing to speciation events in primates. PRDM9 is a hybrid sterility gene in mammals; yet its role in primate evolution is unclear. Here, Schwartz et al. identify new PRDM9 alleles in 64 primates and show rapid evolution throughout the primate lineage, which suggests that PRDM9 plays a major role in speciation.