  The hominid-specific non-LTR retrotransposon termed SINE VNTR Alu (SVA) is
the youngest of the transposable elements in the human genome. The propagation
of the most ancient SVA type A took place about thirteen millions years ago
ago, and the youngest SVA types appeared in the human genome after the
chimpanzee divergence. Functional enrichment analysis of genes associated with
SVA insertions demonstrated their strong link to multiple ontological
categories attributed to brain function and the disorders. SVA types that
expanded their presence in the human genome at different stages of hominoid
life history were also associated with progressively evolving behavioural
features that indicated a potential impact of SVA propagation on a cognitive
ability of a modern human. The SVA-associated genes were highly cross-linked in
functional networks suggesting an accumulative impact of functional alterations
potentially caused by SVA insertions. Our analysis uncovered a potential role
of SVAs in evolution of human CNS and especially emergence of functional trends
relevant to social and parental behaviour. It also supports models which
explain in part how brain function can be modulated by both the immune and
reproductive systems based on the gene expression patterns and gene pathways
potentially altered by SVA insertions.
