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Newman JH, Holt TN, Cogan JD, Womack B, Phillips JA, Li C, Kendall Z, Stenmark KR, Thomas MG, Brown RD, Riddle SR, West JD, Hamid R. Increased prevalence of EPAS1 variant in cattle with high-altitude pulmonary hypertension. Nat Commun 2015; 6:6863. [PMID: 25873470 PMCID: PMC4399003 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
High-altitude pulmonary hypertension (HAPH) has heritable features and is a major cause of death in cattle in the Rocky Mountains, USA. Although multiple genes are likely involved in the genesis of HAPH, to date no major gene variant has been identified. Using whole-exome sequencing, we report the high association of an EPAS1 (HIF2α) double variant in the oxygen degradation domain of EPAS1 in Angus cattle with HAPH, mean pulmonary artery pressure >50 mm Hg in two independent herds. Expression analysis shows upregulation of 26 of 27 HIF2α target genes in EPAS1 carriers with HAPH. Of interest, this variant appears to be prevalent in lowland cattle, in which 41% of a herd of 32 are carriers, but the variant may only have a phenotype when the animal is hypoxemic at altitude. The EPAS1 variant will be a tool to determine the cells and signalling pathways leading to HAPH.
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Affiliation(s)
- John H. Newman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA
| | - Timothy N. Holt
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, College of Agricultural Science, Colorado State University, Ft Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
| | - Joy D. Cogan
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA
| | - Bethany Womack
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA
| | - John A. Phillips
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA
| | - Chun Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
| | - Zachary Kendall
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA
| | - Kurt R. Stenmark
- Cardiovascular Pulmonary Research Laboratory, Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Denver Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Milton G. Thomas
- Department of Animal Science, Colorado State University, Ft Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
| | - R. Dale Brown
- Cardiovascular Pulmonary Research Laboratory, Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Denver Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Suzette R. Riddle
- Cardiovascular Pulmonary Research Laboratory, Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Denver Colorado 80045, USA
| | - James D. West
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA
| | - Rizwan Hamid
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA
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