Asian Scientist (Jul. 24, 2013) – A team of researchers from China and the US have used genomic analysis to identify regions of the human genome linked to high altitude adaptations in a nomadic Mongolian population called the Deedu.
The Deedu Mongolians are known to have moved into the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau from the Mongolian steppes some 500 years ago. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, at more than 3,000 meters above sea level, is one of the most inhospitable places on earth because of its high altitude and low oxygen environment.
In their study, published in PLOS Genetics, the researchers’ analyzed the genetic make-up of 49 Deedu Mongolian individuals and compared them with 369 individuals from 10 different Eurasian populations, including other Mongolian and Tibetan populations.
Through this analysis, the researchers found that present-day Deedu Mongolians share genetic ancestry with other Mongolians and with Tibetans. They also identify several genes that appear to have been subject to selection in the Deedu population, including genes linked to high altitude or metabolic traits in other populations.
In particular, high-altitude selection candidate genes previously identified in Tibetans are among the strongest adaptive signals in Deedu Mongolians.
They also performed whole-genome sequencing on one Deedu individual, revealing about 300 protein-coding changes in the genome that are specific to this individual. This analysis of the first Mongolian genome sequenced gave the researchers a glimpse of some of the genetic variants that may be specific to the Deedu population.
The findings are expected to provide valuable insight into how humans adapt genetically to extreme environments like the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and may aid in the treatment of altitude-related diseases.
The article can be found at: Xing et al. (2013) Genomic Analysis Of Natural Selection And Phenotypic Variation In High-Altitude Mongolians.
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