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Wilsterman K, Cheviron ZA. Fetal growth, high altitude, and evolutionary adaptation: a new perspective. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2021; 321:R279-R294. [PMID: 34259046 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00067.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Residence at high altitude is consistently associated with low birthweight among placental mammals. This reduction in birthweight influences long-term health trajectories for both the offspring and mother. However, the physiological processes that contribute to fetal growth restriction at altitude are still poorly understood, and thus our ability to safely intervene remains limited. One approach to identify the factors that mitigate altitude-dependent fetal growth restriction is to study populations that are protected from fetal growth restriction through evolutionary adaptations (e.g., high altitude-adapted populations). Here, we examine human gestational physiology at high altitude from a novel evolutionary perspective that focuses on patterns of physiological plasticity, allowing us to identify 1) the contribution of specific physiological systems to fetal growth restriction and 2) the mechanisms that confer protection in highland-adapted populations. Using this perspective, our review highlights two general findings: first, that the beneficial value of plasticity in maternal physiology is often dependent on factors more proximate to the fetus; and second, that our ability to understand the contributions of these proximate factors is currently limited by thin data from altitude-adapted populations. Expanding the comparative scope of studies on gestational physiology at high altitude and integrating studies of both maternal and fetal physiology are needed to clarify the mechanisms by which physiological responses to altitude contribute to fetal growth outcomes. The relevance of these questions to clinical, agricultural, and basic research combined with the breadth of the unknown highlight gestational physiology at high altitude as an exciting niche for continued work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Wilsterman
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana
| | - Zachary A Cheviron
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana
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2
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Bitarello BD, de Filippo C, Teixeira JC, Schmidt JM, Kleinert P, Meyer D, Andrés AM. Signatures of Long-Term Balancing Selection in Human Genomes. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:939-955. [PMID: 29608730 PMCID: PMC5952967 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Balancing selection maintains advantageous diversity in populations through various mechanisms. Although extensively explored from a theoretical perspective, an empirical understanding of its prevalence and targets lags behind our knowledge of positive selection. Here, we describe the Non-central Deviation (NCD), a simple yet powerful statistic to detect long-term balancing selection (LTBS) that quantifies how close frequencies are to expectations under LTBS, and provides the basis for a neutrality test. NCD can be applied to a single locus or genomic data, and can be implemented considering only polymorphisms (NCD1) or also considering fixed differences with respect to an outgroup (NCD2) species. Incorporating fixed differences improves power, and NCD2 has higher power to detect LTBS in humans under different frequencies of the balanced allele(s) than other available methods. Applied to genome-wide data from African and European human populations, in both cases using chimpanzee as an outgroup, NCD2 shows that, albeit not prevalent, LTBS affects a sizable portion of the genome: ∼0.6% of analyzed genomic windows and 0.8% of analyzed positions. Significant windows (P < 0.0001) contain 1.6% of SNPs in the genome, which disproportionally fall within exons and change protein sequence, but are not enriched in putatively regulatory sites. These windows overlap ∼8% of the protein-coding genes, and these have larger number of transcripts than expected by chance even after controlling for gene length. Our catalog includes known targets of LTBS but a majority of them (90%) are novel. As expected, immune-related genes are among those with the strongest signatures, although most candidates are involved in other biological functions, suggesting that LTBS potentially influences diverse human phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara D Bitarello
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Cesare de Filippo
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - João C Teixeira
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Unit of Human Evolutionary Genetics, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Joshua M Schmidt
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Philip Kleinert
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Computational Molecular Biology Department, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Diogo Meyer
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aida M Andrés
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Rothhammer F, Fuentes-Guajardo M, Chakraborty R, Lorenzo Bermejo J, Dittmar M. Neonatal variables, altitude of residence and Aymara ancestry in northern Chile. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121834. [PMID: 25885573 PMCID: PMC4401771 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies performed in the Andean plateau, one of the highest inhabited areas in the world, have reported that reduced availability of oxygen is associated to fetal growth retardation and lower birth weight, which are established predictors of morbidity and mortality during the first year of life. To test this hypothesis, perinatal variables of neonates born at the Juan Noé Hospital of Arica, Chile, were analyzed in relation to altitude of residence and Aymara ancestry of their mothers. The study population comprised the offspring of 5,295 mothers born between February 2004 and August 2010. Information included birth weight, height, head circumference, gestational age, altitude of residence and socioeconomic status, and was obtained from medical records. Mother´s ancestry was assessed based on surnames which were linked to percentages of Aymara admixture estimates relying on 40 selected ancestry informative markers. After correcting for the effect of multicollinearity among predictor variables, neonates born to mothers with an increased component of Aymara ancestry showed significantly higher birth weight and height at sea level, a marginally significant (p-value 0.06) decrease of birth weight and a significant decrease of height with altitude in comparison with the offspring of mothers with low Aymara ancestry. Since observed tendencies are suggestive of a possible genetic adaptation to hypoxia of the Chilean Aymara, we discuss briefly preliminary evidence related to fetal oxygen transport, particularly polymorphisms in the promoters of the HBG1 and HBG2 genes that are modulators of HbF synthesis, obtained in this ethnic group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Rothhammer
- Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile
- Centro de Investigaciones del Hombre en el Desierto (CIHDE), Arica, Chile
- * E-mail:
| | - Macarena Fuentes-Guajardo
- Departmento de Tecnología Médica, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile
| | - Ranajit Chakraborty
- Center for Computational Genomics, Institute of Applied Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United State of America
| | - Justo Lorenzo Bermejo
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Informatics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Manuela Dittmar
- Department of Human Biology, Zoological Institute, Christian Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
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Tashi T, Feng T, Koul P, Amaru R, Hussey D, Lorenzo FR, RiLi G, Prchal JT. High altitude genetic adaptation in Tibetans: no role of increased hemoglobin-oxygen affinity. Blood Cells Mol Dis 2014; 53:27-9. [PMID: 24618341 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2014.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
High altitude exerts selective evolutionary pressure primarily due to its hypoxic environment, resulting in multiple adaptive responses. High hemoglobin-oxygen affinity is postulated to be one such adaptive change, which has been reported in Sherpas of the Himalayas. Tibetans have lived on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau for thousands of years and have developed unique phenotypes, such as protection from polycythemia which has been linked to PDH2 mutation, resulting in the downregulation of the HIF pathway. In order to see if Tibetans also developed high hemoglobin-oxygen affinity as a part of their genetic adaptation, we conducted this study assessing hemoglobin-oxygen affinity and their fetal hemoglobin levels in Tibetan subjects from 3 different altitudes. We found normal hemoglobin-oxygen affinity in all subjects, fetal hemoglobin levels were normal in all except one and no hemoglobin variants in any of the subjects. We conclude that increased hemoglobin-oxygen affinity or increased fetal hemoglobin are not adaptive phenotypes of the Tibetan highlanders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsewang Tashi
- Division of Hematology, University of Utah and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Tang Feng
- Research Center for High Altitude Medicine, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai Province, China
| | - Parvaiz Koul
- Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Ricardo Amaru
- National Academy of Sciences, Cell Biology Unit, San Andres University School of Medicine, La Paz, Bolivia
| | | | - Felipe R Lorenzo
- Division of Hematology, University of Utah and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Ge RiLi
- Research Center for High Altitude Medicine, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai Province, China
| | - Josef T Prchal
- Division of Hematology, University of Utah and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; ARUP Laboratories, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
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Spicer JI, Rundle SD, Tills O. Studying the altered timing of physiological events during development: It's about time…or is it? Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2011; 178:3-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2011.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2011] [Revised: 06/03/2011] [Accepted: 06/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Yi X, Liang Y, Huerta-Sanchez E, Jin X, Cuo ZXP, Pool JE, Xu X, Jiang H, Vinckenbosch N, Korneliussen TS, Zheng H, Liu T, He W, Li K, Luo R, Nie X, Wu H, Zhao M, Cao H, Zou J, Shan Y, Li S, Yang Q, Asan, Ni P, Tian G, Xu J, Liu X, Jiang T, Wu R, Zhou G, Tang M, Qin J, Wang T, Feng S, Li G, Huasang, Luosang J, Wang W, Chen F, Wang Y, Zheng X, Li Z, Bianba Z, Yang G, Wang X, Tang S, Gao G, Chen Y, Luo Z, Gusang L, Cao Z, Zhang Q, Ouyang W, Ren X, Liang H, Zheng H, Huang Y, Li J, Bolund L, Kristiansen K, Li Y, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Li R, Li S, Yang H, Nielsen R, Wang J, Wang J. Sequencing of 50 human exomes reveals adaptation to high altitude. Science 2010; 329:75-8. [PMID: 20595611 DOI: 10.1126/science.1190371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1053] [Impact Index Per Article: 75.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Residents of the Tibetan Plateau show heritable adaptations to extreme altitude. We sequenced 50 exomes of ethnic Tibetans, encompassing coding sequences of 92% of human genes, with an average coverage of 18x per individual. Genes showing population-specific allele frequency changes, which represent strong candidates for altitude adaptation, were identified. The strongest signal of natural selection came from endothelial Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain protein 1 (EPAS1), a transcription factor involved in response to hypoxia. One single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at EPAS1 shows a 78% frequency difference between Tibetan and Han samples, representing the fastest allele frequency change observed at any human gene to date. This SNP's association with erythrocyte abundance supports the role of EPAS1 in adaptation to hypoxia. Thus, a population genomic survey has revealed a functionally important locus in genetic adaptation to high altitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Yi
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
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