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Ahmad HI, Mahmood S, Hassan M, Sajid M, Ahmed I, Shokrollahi B, Shahzad AH, Abbas S, Raza S, Khan K, Muhammad SA, Fouad D, Ataya FS, Li Z. Genomic insights into Yak (Bos grunniens) adaptations for nutrient assimilation in high-altitudes. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5650. [PMID: 38453987 PMCID: PMC10920680 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55712-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
High-altitude environments present formidable challenges for survival and reproduction, with organisms facing limited oxygen availability and scarce nutrient resources. The yak (Bos grunniens), indigenous to the Tibetan Plateau, has notably adapted to these extreme conditions. This study delves into the genomic basis of the yak's adaptation, focusing on the positive selection acting on genes involved in nutrient assimilation pathways. Employing techniques in comparative genomics and molecular evolutionary analyses, we selected genes in the yak that show signs of positive selection associated with nutrient metabolism, absorption, and transport. Our findings reveal specific genetic adaptations related to nutrient metabolism in harsh climatic conditions. Notably, genes involved in energy metabolism, oxygen transport, and thermoregulation exhibited signs of positive selection, suggesting their crucial role in the yak's successful colonization of high-altitude regions. The study also sheds light on the yak's immune system adaptations, emphasizing genes involved in response to various stresses prevalent at elevated altitudes. Insights into the yak's genomic makeup provide valuable information for understanding the broader implications of high-altitude adaptations in mammalian evolution. They may contribute to efforts in enhancing livestock resilience to environmental challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hafiz Ishfaq Ahmad
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
| | - Sammina Mahmood
- Department of Botany, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Mubashar Hassan
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (Sub campus UVAS, Lahore), Jhang, 35200, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Sajid
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (Sub campus UVAS, Lahore), Jhang, 35200, Pakistan
| | - Irfan Ahmed
- Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Borhan Shokrollahi
- Hanwoo Research Institute, National Institute of Animal Science, Pyeongchang, 25340, Korea
- Department of Animal Science, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran
| | - Abid Hussain Shahzad
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (Sub campus UVAS, Lahore), Jhang, 35200, Pakistan
| | - Shaista Abbas
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Jhang, 35200, Pakistan
| | - Sanan Raza
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (Sub campus UVAS, Lahore), Jhang, 35200, Pakistan
| | - Komal Khan
- Department of Basic Sciences, Anatomy Section, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Jhang, 35200, Pakistan
| | - Sayyed Aun Muhammad
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (Sub campus UVAS, Lahore), Jhang, 35200, Pakistan
| | - Dalia Fouad
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 22452, Riyadh, 11495, Saudi Arabia
| | - Farid S Ataya
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, 11495, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zhengtian Li
- Qujing Normal University, College of Biological Resource and Food Engineering, 655011, Yunnan, China.
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Ding Y, Liu J, Xu Y, Dong X, Shao B. Evolutionary Adaptation of Aquaporin-4 in Yak ( Bos grunniens) Brain to High-Altitude Hypoxia of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. High Alt Med Biol 2020; 21:167-175. [PMID: 32155353 DOI: 10.1089/ham.2019.0076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: In high-altitude animals, brain cell resilience against hypoxia stress is one critical evolutionary step that has promoted individual survival and species adaptation to the environment. Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is implicated in a number of physiopathological processes, particularly in the development of brain edema, and other functions such as the regulation of extracellular space volume, potassium buffering, waste clearance, and calcium signaling. Still, the role of AQP4 in the adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia remains unknown. The yak (Bos grunniens) is the only large mammal that is currently known to have adapted to the high-altitude hypoxic environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (>4000 m above sea level). Methods: In this study, we cloned the complementary DNA (cDNA) for yak AQP4 and analyzed structural differences of AQP4 between yak and cattle. We used reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot to investigate whether the expression of AQP4 mRNA and protein was different in brain of yak and cattle. In addition, immunohistochemistry was use to analyze the localization and expression of AQP4 in brain of yak and cattle. Results: Immunohistochemical results have shown that AQP4 is expressed in many regions of the yak brain, and both protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) levels are significantly lower than those of low-altitude cattle (Bos taurus). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that yak AQP4 is evolutionarily conserved. Interestingly, a substitution of Ala (cattle) to Ser in position 82, and eight additional amino acid residues composing an α-helix region are present in yak AQP4 protein. These sequence modifications potentially modulate the function of AQP4 in distinct environments. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that AQP4 may have an important role in the resistance to cerebral edema through low expression and maintenance of normal physiological function in the yak brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanping Ding
- School of Life Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yuanqing Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoqing Dong
- School of Life Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, P.R. China
| | - Baoping Shao
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, P.R. China
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