---
res:
  bibo_abstract:
  - "Alternative splicing represents a major source of potential evolutionary novelty
    in protein sequence. Despite this, relatively few studies have investigated the
    functional impacts of human-specific alternative splicing. Here, we analyze RNA-sequencing
    data from nine iPSC-derived cell types and identify dozens of human transcriptomic
    conserved deletions (htCONDELs): evolutionary divergence in splicing that leads
    to the partial or full removal of conserved protein-coding sequence from the human
    transcriptome. We investigated one example in detail: an htCONDEL in the gene\r\nHMMR\r\n
    \                 , which encodes a centrosomal protein that binds microtubules
    and regulates mitosis. We found that this htCONDEL, which produces a human-specific
    isoform lacking a conserved microtubule-binding domain, enables cells to flexibly
    divide with a broader range of mitotic spindle orientations\r\n      in vitro\r\n
    \                 . Introducing the human\r\n                  HMMR\r\n                  isoform
    into mice similarly alters the orientation of cell division in the developing
    neocortex and increases the production of outer radial glia-like cells, the expansion
    of which played an essential role in increasing human brain size. Combined with
    previous work implicating the same\r\n                 HMMR\r\n                  isoform
    in carcinoma progression, our results suggest that evolution of\r\nHMMR\r\n                  splicing
    in humans increased plasticity in cell division, potentially leading to tradeoffs
    between advantageous effects on brain development and deleterious effects on cancer
    risk later in life.@eng"
  bibo_authorlist:
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Alexander L.
      foaf_name: Starr, Alexander L.
      foaf_surname: Starr
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Ana
      foaf_name: Villalba Requena, Ana
      foaf_surname: Villalba Requena
      foaf_workInfoHomepage: http://www.librecat.org/personId=68cb85a0-39f7-11eb-9559-9aaab4f6a247
    orcid: 0000-0002-5615-5277
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Jenna
      foaf_name: Rever, Jenna
      foaf_surname: Rever
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Yuwei
      foaf_name: Chen, Yuwei
      foaf_surname: Chen
      foaf_workInfoHomepage: http://www.librecat.org/personId=7f9e985d-7380-11f0-bf20-b4121a7bdcbc
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Florian
      foaf_name: Pauler, Florian
      foaf_surname: Pauler
      foaf_workInfoHomepage: http://www.librecat.org/personId=48EA0138-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
    orcid: 0000-0002-7462-0048
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Leslie
      foaf_name: Magtanong, Leslie
      foaf_surname: Magtanong
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Christopher A.
      foaf_name: Maxwell, Christopher A.
      foaf_surname: Maxwell
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Simon
      foaf_name: Hippenmeyer, Simon
      foaf_surname: Hippenmeyer
      foaf_workInfoHomepage: http://www.librecat.org/personId=37B36620-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
    orcid: 0000-0003-2279-1061
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Hunter B.
      foaf_name: Fraser, Hunter B.
      foaf_surname: Fraser
  bibo_doi: 10.64898/2026.09.16.752114
  dct_date: 2026^xs_gYear
  dct_language: eng
  dct_title: A human transcriptomic deletion links cortical expansion and cancer@
...