Stobdan T, Akbari A, Azad P, Zhou D, Poulsen O, Appenzeller O, Gonzales GF, Telenti A, Wong EHM, Saini S, Kirkness EF, Venter JC, Bafna V, Haddad GG. New insights into the genetic basis of Monge's disease and adaptation to high-altitude. Mol Biol Evol. 2017 Sep 19. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msx239. PMID: 29029226.
From the abstract: "Human high-altitude (HA) adaptation or mal-adaptation is explored to understand the physiology, pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms that underlie long-term exposure to hypoxia. Here we report the results of an analysis of the largest whole-genome-sequencing of Chronic Mountain Sickness (CMS) [also known as Monge's disease] and non-CMS individuals, identified candidate genes and functionally validated these candidates in a genetic model system (Drosophila). ... examination of individual genes in these regions revealed the involvement of previously identified candidates (e.g., SENP1) and also unreported ones SGK3, COPS5, PRDM1 and IFT122 in CMS. Remarkably, in addition to genes like SENP1, SGK3 and COPS5 which are HIF-dependent, our study reveals for the first time HIF-independent gene PRDM1, indicating an involvement of wider, non-HIF pathways in HA adaptation. Finally, we observed that down-regulating orthologs of these genes in Drosophila significantly enhanced their hypoxia tolerance. ... Since the overwhelming majority of SNPs are in non-exonic (and possibly regulatory) regions, we speculate that adaptation to HA necessitates greater genetic flexibility allowing for transcript variability in response to graded levels of hypoxia."
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