ABSTRACT
To define the multi-cellular epigenomic and transcriptional landscape of cardiac cellular development, we generated single-cell chromatin accessibility maps of human fetal heart tissues. We identified eight major differentiation trajectories involving primary cardiac cell types, each associated with dynamic transcription factor (TF) activity signatures. We contrasted regulatory landscapes of iPSC-derived cardiac cell types and their in vivo counterparts, which enabled optimization of in vitro differentiation of epicardial cells. Further, we interpreted sequence based deep learning models of cell-type-resolved chromatin accessibility profiles to decipher underlying TF motif lexicons. De novo mutations predicted to affect chromatin accessibility in arterial endothelium were enriched in congenital heart disease (CHD) cases vs. controls. In vitro studies in iPSCs validated the functional impact of identified variation on the predicted developmental cell types. This work thus defines the cell-type-resolved cis-regulatory sequence determinants of heart development and identifies disruption of cell type-specific regulatory elements in CHD.
Subject(s)
Chromatin , Heart Defects, Congenital , Humans , Chromatin/genetics , Heart Defects, Congenital/genetics , Heart , Mutation , Single-Cell AnalysisABSTRACT
Genetic perturbations of cortical development can lead to neurodevelopmental disease, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To identify genomic regions crucial to corticogenesis, we mapped the activity of gene-regulatory elements generating a single-cell atlas of gene expression and chromatin accessibility both independently and jointly. This revealed waves of gene regulation by key transcription factors (TFs) across a nearly continuous differentiation trajectory, distinguished the expression programs of glial lineages, and identified lineage-determining TFs that exhibited strong correlation between linked gene-regulatory elements and expression levels. These highly connected genes adopted an active chromatin state in early differentiating cells, consistent with lineage commitment. Base-pair-resolution neural network models identified strong cell-type-specific enrichment of noncoding mutations predicted to be disruptive in a cohort of ASD individuals and identified frequently disrupted TF binding sites. This approach illustrates how cell-type-specific mapping can provide insights into the programs governing human development and disease.
Subject(s)
Cerebral Cortex/embryology , Chromatin/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental , Single-Cell Analysis , Astrocytes/cytology , Cell Differentiation , Cell Lineage/genetics , Cluster Analysis , Deep Learning , Epigenesis, Genetic , Fuzzy Logic , Glutamates/metabolism , Humans , Mutation/genetics , Neurons/metabolism , Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid/geneticsABSTRACT
The splicing of pre-mRNAs into mature transcripts is remarkable for its precision, but the mechanisms by which the cellular machinery achieves such specificity are incompletely understood. Here, we describe a deep neural network that accurately predicts splice junctions from an arbitrary pre-mRNA transcript sequence, enabling precise prediction of noncoding genetic variants that cause cryptic splicing. Synonymous and intronic mutations with predicted splice-altering consequence validate at a high rate on RNA-seq and are strongly deleterious in the human population. De novo mutations with predicted splice-altering consequence are significantly enriched in patients with autism and intellectual disability compared to healthy controls and validate against RNA-seq in 21 out of 28 of these patients. We estimate that 9%-11% of pathogenic mutations in patients with rare genetic disorders are caused by this previously underappreciated class of disease variation.
Subject(s)
Forecasting/methods , RNA Precursors/genetics , RNA Splicing/genetics , Algorithms , Alternative Splicing/genetics , Autistic Disorder/genetics , Deep Learning , Exons/genetics , Humans , Intellectual Disability/genetics , Introns/genetics , Neural Networks, Computer , RNA Precursors/metabolism , RNA Splice Sites/genetics , RNA Splice Sites/physiologyABSTRACT
While mutations affecting protein-coding regions have been examined across many cancers, structural variants at the genome-wide level are still poorly defined. Through integrative deep whole-genome and -transcriptome analysis of 101 castration-resistant prostate cancer metastases (109X tumor/38X normal coverage), we identified structural variants altering critical regulators of tumorigenesis and progression not detectable by exome approaches. Notably, we observed amplification of an intergenic enhancer region 624 kb upstream of the androgen receptor (AR) in 81% of patients, correlating with increased AR expression. Tandem duplication hotspots also occur near MYC, in lncRNAs associated with post-translational MYC regulation. Classes of structural variations were linked to distinct DNA repair deficiencies, suggesting their etiology, including associations of CDK12 mutation with tandem duplications, TP53 inactivation with inverted rearrangements and chromothripsis, and BRCA2 inactivation with deletions. Together, these observations provide a comprehensive view of how structural variations affect critical regulators in metastatic prostate cancer.
Subject(s)
Genomic Structural Variation/genetics , Prostatic Neoplasms/genetics , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , BRCA2 Protein/metabolism , Cyclin-Dependent Kinases/metabolism , DNA Copy Number Variations , Exome , Gene Expression Profiling/methods , Genomics/methods , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Mutation , Neoplasm Metastasis/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/metabolism , Receptors, Androgen/genetics , Receptors, Androgen/metabolism , Tandem Repeat Sequences/genetics , Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism , Whole Genome Sequencing/methodsABSTRACT
Understanding the drivers of speciation is fundamental in evolutionary biology, and recent studies highlight hybridization as an important evolutionary force. Using whole-genome sequencing data from 22 species of guenons (tribe Cercopithecini), one of the world's largest primate radiations, we show that rampant gene flow characterizes their evolutionary history and identify ancient hybridization across deeply divergent lineages that differ in ecology, morphology, and karyotypes. Some hybridization events resulted in mitochondrial introgression between distant lineages, likely facilitated by cointrogression of coadapted nuclear variants. Although the genomic landscapes of introgression were largely lineage specific, we found that genes with immune functions were overrepresented in introgressing regions, in line with adaptive introgression, whereas genes involved in pigmentation and morphology may contribute to reproductive isolation. In line with reports from other systems that hybridization might facilitate diversification, we find that some of the most species-rich guenon clades are of admixed origin. This study provides important insights into the prevalence, role, and outcomes of ancestral hybridization in a large mammalian radiation.
Subject(s)
Biological Evolution , Gene Flow , Animals , Genome , Genomics , Primates/genetics , Phylogeny , Hybridization, Genetic , MammalsABSTRACT
In this Letter, analysis of steady-state regulatory T (Treg) cell percentages from Il2ra enhancer deletion (EDEL) and wild-type (WT) mice revealed no differences between them (Extended Data Fig. 9d). This analysis included two mice whose genotypes were incorrectly assigned. Even after correction of the genotypes, no significant differences in Treg cell percentages were seen when data across experimental cohorts were averaged (as was done in Extended Data Fig. 9d). However, if we normalize the corrected data to account for variation among experimental cohorts, a subtle decrease in EDEL Treg cell percentages is revealed and, using the corrected and normalized data, we have redrawn Extended Data Fig. 9d in Supplementary Fig. 1. The Supplementary Information to this Amendment contains the corrected and reanalysed Extended Data Fig. 9d. The sentence "This enhancer deletion (EDEL) strain also had no obvious T cell phenotypes at steady state (Extended Data Fig. 9)." should read: "This enhancer deletion (EDEL) strain had a small decrease in the percentage of Treg cells (Extended Data Fig. 9).". This error does not affect any of the main figures in the Letter or the data from mice with the human autoimmune-associated single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) knocked in or with a 12-base-pair deletion at the site (12DEL). In addition, we stated in the Methods that we observed consistent immunophenotypes of EDEL mice across three founders, but in fact, we observed consistent phenotypes in mice from two founders. This does not change any of our conclusions and the original Letter has not been corrected.
ABSTRACT
The majority of genetic variants associated with common human diseases map to enhancers, non-coding elements that shape cell-type-specific transcriptional programs and responses to extracellular cues. Systematic mapping of functional enhancers and their biological contexts is required to understand the mechanisms by which variation in non-coding genetic sequences contributes to disease. Functional enhancers can be mapped by genomic sequence disruption, but this approach is limited to the subset of enhancers that are necessary in the particular cellular context being studied. We hypothesized that recruitment of a strong transcriptional activator to an enhancer would be sufficient to drive target gene expression, even if that enhancer was not currently active in the assayed cells. Here we describe a discovery platform that can identify stimulus-responsive enhancers for a target gene independent of stimulus exposure. We used tiled CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) to synthetically recruit a transcriptional activator to sites across large genomic regions (more than 100 kilobases) surrounding two key autoimmunity risk loci, CD69 and IL2RA. We identified several CRISPRa-responsive elements with chromatin features of stimulus-responsive enhancers, including an IL2RA enhancer that harbours an autoimmunity risk variant. Using engineered mouse models, we found that sequence perturbation of the disease-associated Il2ra enhancer did not entirely block Il2ra expression, but rather delayed the timing of gene activation in response to specific extracellular signals. Enhancer deletion skewed polarization of naive T cells towards a pro-inflammatory T helper (TH17) cell state and away from a regulatory T cell state. This integrated approach identifies functional enhancers and reveals how non-coding variation associated with human immune dysfunction alters context-specific gene programs.
Subject(s)
Autoimmunity/genetics , CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics , Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/genetics , Enhancer Elements, Genetic/genetics , Animals , Antigens, CD/biosynthesis , Antigens, CD/genetics , Antigens, CD/immunology , Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/biosynthesis , Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/genetics , Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/immunology , Cell Differentiation , Cell Line , Chromatin/genetics , Female , Gene Expression Regulation/genetics , Humans , Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit/biosynthesis , Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit/genetics , Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit/immunology , Lectins, C-Type/biosynthesis , Lectins, C-Type/genetics , Lectins, C-Type/immunology , Mice , Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics , Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology , Th17 Cells/cytology , Th17 Cells/immunologyABSTRACT
Inflammatory bowel diseases are chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders that affect millions of people worldwide. Genome-wide association studies have identified 200 inflammatory bowel disease-associated loci, but few have been conclusively resolved to specific functional variants. Here we report fine-mapping of 94 inflammatory bowel disease loci using high-density genotyping in 67,852 individuals. We pinpoint 18 associations to a single causal variant with greater than 95% certainty, and an additional 27 associations to a single variant with greater than 50% certainty. These 45 variants are significantly enriched for protein-coding changes (n = 13), direct disruption of transcription-factor binding sites (n = 3), and tissue-specific epigenetic marks (n = 10), with the last category showing enrichment in specific immune cells among associations stronger in Crohn's disease and in gut mucosa among associations stronger in ulcerative colitis. The results of this study suggest that high-resolution fine-mapping in large samples can convert many discoveries from genome-wide association studies into statistically convincing causal variants, providing a powerful substrate for experimental elucidation of disease mechanisms.
Subject(s)
Genetic Predisposition to Disease/genetics , Genetic Variation/genetics , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/genetics , Quantitative Trait Loci/genetics , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Binding Sites , Chromatin/genetics , Colitis, Ulcerative/genetics , Crohn Disease/genetics , Epigenesis, Genetic/genetics , Female , Genome-Wide Association Study , Genotype , Humans , Linkage Disequilibrium/genetics , Male , Middle Aged , Smad3 Protein/genetics , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Young AdultABSTRACT
SUMMARY: The Probabilistic Identification of Causal SNPs (PICS) algorithm and web application was developed as a fine-mapping tool to determine the likelihood that each single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in LD with a reported index SNP is a true causal polymorphism. PICS is notable for its ability to identify candidate causal SNPs within a locus using only the index SNP, which are widely available from published GWAS, whereas other methods require full summary statistics or full genotype data. However, the original PICS web application operates on a single SNP at a time, with slow performance, severely limiting its usability. We have developed a next-generation PICS tool, PICS2, which enables performance of PICS analyses of large batches of index SNPs with much faster performance. Additional updates and extensions include use of LD reference data generated from 1000 Genomes phase 3; annotation of variant consequences; annotation of GTEx eQTL genes and downloadable PICS SNPs from GTEx eQTLs; the option of generating PICS probabilities from experimental summary statistics; and generation of PICS SNPs from all SNPs of the GWAS catalog, automatically updated weekly. These free and easy-to-use resources will enable efficient determination of candidate loci for biological studies to investigate the true causal variants underlying disease processes. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: PICS2 is available at https://pics2.ucsf.edu. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Subject(s)
Genome-Wide Association Study , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , Genome-Wide Association Study/methods , GenotypeABSTRACT
Genome-wide association studies have identified loci underlying human diseases, but the causal nucleotide changes and mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we developed a fine-mapping algorithm to identify candidate causal variants for 21 autoimmune diseases from genotyping data. We integrated these predictions with transcription and cis-regulatory element annotations, derived by mapping RNA and chromatin in primary immune cells, including resting and stimulated CD4(+) T-cell subsets, regulatory T cells, CD8(+) T cells, B cells, and monocytes. We find that â¼90% of causal variants are non-coding, with â¼60% mapping to immune-cell enhancers, many of which gain histone acetylation and transcribe enhancer-associated RNA upon immune stimulation. Causal variants tend to occur near binding sites for master regulators of immune differentiation and stimulus-dependent gene activation, but only 10-20% directly alter recognizable transcription factor binding motifs. Rather, most non-coding risk variants, including those that alter gene expression, affect non-canonical sequence determinants not well-explained by current gene regulatory models.
Subject(s)
Autoimmune Diseases/genetics , Epigenesis, Genetic/genetics , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics , Autoimmune Diseases/immunology , Autoimmune Diseases/pathology , Base Sequence , Chromatin/genetics , Consensus Sequence/genetics , Enhancer Elements, Genetic/genetics , Epigenomics , Genome-Wide Association Study , Humans , Nucleotide Motifs , Organ Specificity , T-Lymphocytes/immunology , T-Lymphocytes/metabolism , Transcription Factors/metabolismABSTRACT
The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which in humans leads to the disease COVID-19, has caused global disruption and more than 2 million fatalities since it first emerged in late 2019. As we write, infection rates are at their highest point globally and are rising extremely rapidly in some areas due to more infectious variants. The primary target of SARS-CoV-2 is the cellular receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2). Recent sequence analyses of the ACE2 gene predict that many nonhuman primates are also likely to be highly susceptible to infection. However, the anticipated risk is not equal across the Order. Furthermore, some taxonomic groups show high ACE2 amino acid conservation, while others exhibit high variability at this locus. As an example of the latter, analyses of strepsirrhine primate ACE2 sequences to date indicate large variation among lemurs and lorises compared to other primate clades despite low sampling effort. Here, we report ACE2 gene and protein sequences for 71 individual strepsirrhines, spanning 51 species and 19 genera. Our study reinforces previous results while finding additional variability in other strepsirrhine species, and suggests several clades of lemurs have high potential susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Troublingly, some species, including the rare and endangered aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis), as well as those in the genera Avahi and Propithecus, may be at high risk. Given that lemurs are endemic to Madagascar and among the primates at highest risk of extinction globally, further understanding of the potential threat of COVID-19 to their health should be a conservation priority. All feasible actions should be taken to limit their exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/veterinary , Lemur , Lorisidae , Primate Diseases/epidemiology , Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2/chemistry , Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2/genetics , Animals , COVID-19/epidemiology , Lemur/genetics , Lorisidae/genetics , Primate Diseases/virology , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Most metazoan microRNA (miRNA) target sites have perfect pairing to the seed region, located near the miRNA 5' end. Although pairing to the 3' region sometimes supplements seed matches or compensates for mismatches, pairing to the central region has been known to function only at rare sites that impart Argonaute-catalyzed mRNA cleavage. Here, we present "centered sites," a class of miRNA target sites that lack both perfect seed pairing and 3'-compensatory pairing and instead have 11-12 contiguous Watson-Crick pairs to the center of the miRNA. Although centered sites can impart mRNA cleavage in vitro (in elevated Mg(2+)), in cells they repress protein output without consequential Argonaute-catalyzed cleavage. Our study also identified extensively paired sites that are cleavage substrates in cultured cells and human brain. This expanded repertoire of cleavage targets and the identification of the centered site type help explain why central regions of many miRNAs are evolutionarily conserved.
Subject(s)
MicroRNAs/metabolism , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , 3' Untranslated Regions , Animals , Base Pairing , Base Sequence , Brain/metabolism , Cations, Divalent , Conserved Sequence , Gene Expression Profiling , HeLa Cells , Humans , Magnesium/metabolism , Mice , RNA, Double-Stranded/metabolismABSTRACT
Transcription factor (TF) proteins regulate gene activity by binding to regulatory regions, most importantly at gene promoters. Many genes have alternative promoters (APs) bound by distinct TFs. The role of differential TF activity at APs during tumour development is poorly understood. Here we show, using deep RNA sequencing in 274 biopsies of benign prostate tissue, localized prostate tumours and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, that AP usage increases as tumours progress and APs are responsible for a disproportionate amount of tumour transcriptional activity. Expression of the androgen receptor (AR), the key driver of prostate tumour activity, is correlated with elevated AP usage. We identified AR, FOXA1 and MYC as potential drivers of AP activation. DNA methylation is a likely mechanism for AP activation during tumour progression and lineage plasticity. Our data suggest that prostate tumours activate APs to magnify the transcriptional impact of tumour drivers, including AR and MYC.
Subject(s)
DNA Methylation , Disease Progression , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-alpha , Promoter Regions, Genetic , Prostatic Neoplasms , Receptors, Androgen , Male , Humans , Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics , Prostatic Neoplasms/genetics , Prostatic Neoplasms/pathology , Prostatic Neoplasms/metabolism , Receptors, Androgen/metabolism , Receptors, Androgen/genetics , Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-alpha/metabolism , Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-alpha/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/metabolism , RNA-Seq , Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant/genetics , Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant/pathology , Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant/metabolism , Cell Line, TumorABSTRACT
We examined 454,712 exomes for genes associated with a wide spectrum of complex traits and common diseases and observed that rare, penetrant mutations in genes implicated by genome-wide association studies confer â¼10-fold larger effects than common variants in the same genes. Consequently, an individual at the phenotypic extreme and at the greatest risk for severe, early-onset disease is better identified by a few rare penetrant variants than by the collective action of many common variants with weak effects. By combining rare variants across phenotype-associated genes into a unified genetic risk model, we demonstrate superior portability across diverse global populations compared to common variant polygenic risk scores, greatly improving the clinical utility of genetic-based risk prediction. One sentence summary: Rare variant polygenic risk scores identify individuals with outlier phenotypes in common human diseases and complex traits.
ABSTRACT
We examined 454,712 exomes for genes associated with a wide spectrum of complex traits and common diseases and observed that rare, penetrant mutations in genes implicated by genome-wide association studies confer ~10-fold larger effects than common variants in the same genes. Consequently, an individual at the phenotypic extreme and at the greatest risk for severe, early-onset disease is better identified by a few rare penetrant variants than by the collective action of many common variants with weak effects. By combining rare variants across phenotype-associated genes into a unified genetic risk model, we demonstrate superior portability across diverse global populations compared with common-variant polygenic risk scores, greatly improving the clinical utility of genetic-based risk prediction.
Subject(s)
Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Multifactorial Inheritance , Penetrance , Humans , Genome-Wide Association Study , Mutation , Phenotype , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Baboons (genus Papio ) are a morphologically and behaviorally diverse clade of catarrhine monkeys that have experienced hybridization between phenotypically and genetically distinct phylogenetic species. We used high coverage whole genome sequences from 225 wild baboons representing 19 geographic localities to investigate population genomics and inter-species gene flow. Our analyses provide an expanded picture of evolutionary reticulation among species and reveal novel patterns of population structure within and among species, including differential admixture among conspecific populations. We describe the first example of a baboon population with a genetic composition that is derived from three distinct lineages. The results reveal processes, both ancient and recent, that produced the observed mismatch between phylogenetic relationships based on matrilineal, patrilineal, and biparental inheritance. We also identified several candidate genes that may contribute to species-specific phenotypes. One-Sentence Summary: Genomic data for 225 baboons reveal novel sites of inter-species gene flow and local effects due to differences in admixture.
ABSTRACT
Baboons (genus Papio) are a morphologically and behaviorally diverse clade of catarrhine monkeys that have experienced hybridization between phenotypically and genetically distinct phylogenetic species. We used high-coverage whole-genome sequences from 225 wild baboons representing 19 geographic localities to investigate population genomics and interspecies gene flow. Our analyses provide an expanded picture of evolutionary reticulation among species and reveal patterns of population structure within and among species, including differential admixture among conspecific populations. We describe the first example of a baboon population with a genetic composition that is derived from three distinct lineages. The results reveal processes, both ancient and recent, that produced the observed mismatch between phylogenetic relationships based on matrilineal, patrilineal, and biparental inheritance. We also identified several candidate genes that may contribute to species-specific phenotypes.
Subject(s)
Biological Evolution , Gene Flow , Papio , Animals , Male , Papio/anatomy & histology , Papio/genetics , Phenotype , Phylogeny , Species Specificity , Sex CharacteristicsABSTRACT
Comparative analysis of primate genomes within a phylogenetic context is essential for understanding the evolution of human genetic architecture and primate diversity. We present such a study of 50 primate species spanning 38 genera and 14 families, including 27 genomes first reported here, with many from previously less well represented groups, the New World monkeys and the Strepsirrhini. Our analyses reveal heterogeneous rates of genomic rearrangement and gene evolution across primate lineages. Thousands of genes under positive selection in different lineages play roles in the nervous, skeletal, and digestive systems and may have contributed to primate innovations and adaptations. Our study reveals that many key genomic innovations occurred in the Simiiformes ancestral node and may have had an impact on the adaptive radiation of the Simiiformes and human evolution.
Subject(s)
Evolution, Molecular , Primates , Animals , Humans , Genome , Genomics , Phylogeny , Primates/anatomy & histology , Primates/classification , Primates/genetics , Gene Rearrangement , Brain/anatomy & histologyABSTRACT
The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which in humans leads to the disease COVID-19, has caused global disruption and more than 1.5 million fatalities since it first emerged in late 2019. As we write, infection rates are currently at their highest point globally and are rising extremely rapidly in some areas due to more infectious variants. The primary viral target is the cellular receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2). Recent sequence analyses of the ACE2 gene predicts that many nonhuman primates are also likely to be highly susceptible to infection. However, the anticipated risk is not equal across the Order. Furthermore, some taxonomic groups show high ACE2 amino acid conservation, while others exhibit high variability at this locus. As an example of the latter, analyses of strepsirrhine primate ACE2 sequences to date indicate large variation among lemurs and lorises compared to other primate clades despite low sampling effort. Here, we report ACE2 gene and protein sequences for 71 individual strepsirrhines, spanning 51 species and 19 genera. Our study reinforces previous results and finds additional variability in other strepsirrhine species, and suggests several clades of lemurs have high potential susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Troublingly, some species, including the rare and Endangered aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis), as well as those in the genera Avahi and Propithecus, may be at high risk. Given that lemurs are endemic to Madagascar and among the primates at highest risk of extinction globally, further understanding of the potential threat of COVID-19 to their health should be a conservation priority. All feasible actions should be taken to limit their exposure to SARS-CoV-2.