The Andean adaptive toolkit to counteract high altitude maladaptation: genome-wide and phenotypic analysis of the Collas

Abstract During their migrations out of Africa, humans successfully colonised and adapted to a wide range of habitats, including extreme high altitude environments, where reduced atmospheric oxygen (hypoxia) imposes a number of physiological challenges. This study evaluates genetic and phenotypic va...

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Autori principali: Eichstaedt, CA, Antão, T, Pagani, L, Cardona, A, Kivisild, T, Mormina, M
Natura: Journal article
Lingua:English
Pubblicazione: Public Library of Science 2014
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author Eichstaedt, CA
Antão, T
Pagani, L
Cardona, A
Kivisild, T
Mormina, M
author_facet Eichstaedt, CA
Antão, T
Pagani, L
Cardona, A
Kivisild, T
Mormina, M
author_sort Eichstaedt, CA
collection OXFORD
description Abstract During their migrations out of Africa, humans successfully colonised and adapted to a wide range of habitats, including extreme high altitude environments, where reduced atmospheric oxygen (hypoxia) imposes a number of physiological challenges. This study evaluates genetic and phenotypic variation in the Colla population living in the Argentinean Andes above 3500 m and compares it to the nearby lowland Wichí group in an attempt to pinpoint evolutionary mechanisms underlying adaptation to high altitude hypoxia. We genotyped 730,525 SNPs in 25 individuals from each population. In genome-wide scans of extended haplotype homozygosity Collas showed the strongest signal around VEGFB, which plays an essential role in the ischemic heart, and ELTD1, another gene crucial for heart development and prevention of cardiac hypertrophy. Moreover, pathway enrichment analysis showed an overrepresentation of pathways associated with cardiac morphology. Taken together, these findings suggest that Colla highlanders may have evolved a toolkit of adaptative mechanisms resulting in cardiac reinforcement, most likely to counteract the adverse effects of the permanently increased haematocrit and associated shear forces that characterise the Andean response to hypoxia. Regulation of cerebral vascular flow also appears to be part of the adaptive response in Collas. These findings are not only relevant to understand the evolution of hypoxia protection in high altitude populations but may also suggest new avenues for medical research into conditions where hypoxia constitutes a detrimental factor
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spelling oxford-uuid:5bc2676b-0898-47c8-ae71-7fdf632189012024-02-07T11:33:24ZThe Andean adaptive toolkit to counteract high altitude maladaptation: genome-wide and phenotypic analysis of the CollasJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:5bc2676b-0898-47c8-ae71-7fdf63218901EnglishSymplectic Elements at OxfordPublic Library of Science2014Eichstaedt, CAAntão, TPagani, LCardona, AKivisild, TMormina, MAbstract During their migrations out of Africa, humans successfully colonised and adapted to a wide range of habitats, including extreme high altitude environments, where reduced atmospheric oxygen (hypoxia) imposes a number of physiological challenges. This study evaluates genetic and phenotypic variation in the Colla population living in the Argentinean Andes above 3500 m and compares it to the nearby lowland Wichí group in an attempt to pinpoint evolutionary mechanisms underlying adaptation to high altitude hypoxia. We genotyped 730,525 SNPs in 25 individuals from each population. In genome-wide scans of extended haplotype homozygosity Collas showed the strongest signal around VEGFB, which plays an essential role in the ischemic heart, and ELTD1, another gene crucial for heart development and prevention of cardiac hypertrophy. Moreover, pathway enrichment analysis showed an overrepresentation of pathways associated with cardiac morphology. Taken together, these findings suggest that Colla highlanders may have evolved a toolkit of adaptative mechanisms resulting in cardiac reinforcement, most likely to counteract the adverse effects of the permanently increased haematocrit and associated shear forces that characterise the Andean response to hypoxia. Regulation of cerebral vascular flow also appears to be part of the adaptive response in Collas. These findings are not only relevant to understand the evolution of hypoxia protection in high altitude populations but may also suggest new avenues for medical research into conditions where hypoxia constitutes a detrimental factor
spellingShingle Eichstaedt, CA
Antão, T
Pagani, L
Cardona, A
Kivisild, T
Mormina, M
The Andean adaptive toolkit to counteract high altitude maladaptation: genome-wide and phenotypic analysis of the Collas
title The Andean adaptive toolkit to counteract high altitude maladaptation: genome-wide and phenotypic analysis of the Collas
title_full The Andean adaptive toolkit to counteract high altitude maladaptation: genome-wide and phenotypic analysis of the Collas
title_fullStr The Andean adaptive toolkit to counteract high altitude maladaptation: genome-wide and phenotypic analysis of the Collas
title_full_unstemmed The Andean adaptive toolkit to counteract high altitude maladaptation: genome-wide and phenotypic analysis of the Collas
title_short The Andean adaptive toolkit to counteract high altitude maladaptation: genome-wide and phenotypic analysis of the Collas
title_sort andean adaptive toolkit to counteract high altitude maladaptation genome wide and phenotypic analysis of the collas
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