title: Mitogenomic analyses propose positive selection in mitochondrial genes for high-altitude adaptation in galliform birds.
abstract: Galliform birds inhabit very diverse habitats, including plateaus that are above 3000 m in altitude. At high altitude, lower temperature and hypoxia are two important factors influencing survival. Mitochondria, as the ultimate oxygen transductor, play an important role in aerobic respiration through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). We analyzed the mitochondrial genomes of six high-altitude phasianidae birds and sixteen low-altitude relatives in an attempt to determine the role of mitochondrial genes in high-altitude adaptation. We reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships of these phasianidae birds and relatives and found at least four lineages that independently occupied this high-altitude habitat. Selective analyses revealed significant evidence for positive selection in the genes ND2, ND4, and ATP6 in three of the high-altitude lineages. This result strongly suggests that adaptive evolution of mitochondrial genes played a critical role during the independent acclimatization to high altitude by galliform birds.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
authors.forename: Taicheng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Joint Influenza Research Centre (SUMC/HKU), Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China.
authors.forename: Xuejuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Irwin
authors.affiliation: Joint Influenza Research Centre (SUMC/HKU), Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China. Electronic address: shenyy@mail.kiz.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Yongyi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China. Electronic address: zhangyp@mail.kiz.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Yaping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D046094:Galliformes; D050259:Genes, Mitochondrial; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial; D025261:Mitochondrial Proton-Translocating ATPases / Q000235:genetics; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D017385:Sequence Homology
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase; D025261:Mitochondrial Proton-Translocating ATPases
keywords: Galliform birds; High-altitude adaptation; Mitochondrial genes; Positive selection