EGLN1 involvement in high-altitude adaptation revealed through genetic analysis of extreme constitution types defined in Ayurveda.
It is being realized that identification of subgroups within normal controls corresponding to contrasting disease susceptibility is likely to lead to more effective predictive marker discovery. We have previously used the Ayurvedic concept of Prakriti, which relates to phenotypic differences in normal individuals, including response to external environment as well as susceptibility to diseases, to explore molecular differences between three contrasting Prakriti types: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. EGLN1 was one among 251 differentially expressed genes between the Prakriti types. In the present study, we report a link between high-altitude adaptation and common variations rs479200 (C/T) and rs480902 (T/C) in the EGLN1 gene. Furthermore, the TT genotype of rs479200, which was more frequent in Kapha types and correlated with higher expression of EGLN1, was associated with patients suffering from high-altitude pulmonary edema, whereas it was present at a significantly lower frequency in Pitta and nearly absent in natives of high altitude. Analysis of Human Genome Diversity Panel-Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain (HGDP-CEPH) and Indian Genome Variation Consortium panels showed that disparate genetic lineages at high altitudes share the same ancestral allele (T) of rs480902 that is overrepresented in Pitta and positively correlated with altitude globally (P < 0.001), including in India. Thus, EGLN1 polymorphisms are associated with high-altitude adaptation, and a genotype rare in highlanders but overrepresented in a subgroup of normal lowlanders discernable by Ayurveda may confer increased risk for high-altitude pulmonary edema.
Genomics and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi 110007, India.
Shilpi
S
Aggarwal
Sapna
S
Negi
Pankaj
P
Jha
Prashant K
PK
Singh
Tsering
T
Stobdan
M A Qadar
MA
Pasha
Saurabh
S
Ghosh
Anurag
A
Agrawal
Bhavana
B
Prasher
Mitali
M
Mukerji
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D000532:Altitude Sickness / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D064799:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-Proline Dioxygenases; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011393:Procollagen-Proline Dioxygenase / Q000235:genetics*; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000235:genetics
C490190:EGLN1 protein, human; D011393:Procollagen-Proline Dioxygenase; D064799:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-Proline Dioxygenases