title: Genetic responses to seasonal variation in altitudinal stress: whole-genome resequencing of great tit in eastern Himalayas.
abstract: Species that undertake altitudinal migrations are exposed to a considerable seasonal variation in oxygen levels and temperature. How they cope with this was studied in a population of great tit (Parus major) that breeds at high elevations and winters at lower elevations in the eastern Himalayas. Comparison of population genomics of high altitudinal great tits and those living in lowlands revealed an accelerated genetic selection for carbohydrate energy metabolism (amino sugar, nucleotide sugar metabolism and insulin signaling pathways) and hypoxia response (PI3K-akt, mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways) in the high altitudinal population. The PI3K-akt, mTOR and MAPK pathways modulate the hypoxia-inducible factors, HIF-1α and VEGF protein expression thus indirectly regulate hypoxia induced angiogenesis, erythropoiesis and vasodilatation. The strategies observed in high altitudinal great tits differ from those described in a closely related species on the Tibetan Plateau, the sedentary ground tit (Parus humilis). This species has enhanced selection in lipid-specific metabolic pathways and hypoxia-inducible factor pathway (HIF-1). Comparative population genomics also revealed selection for larger body size in high altitudinal great tits.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Yanhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Shilin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Naijian
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Yalin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, PO Box 50007, SE-10405 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Per G P
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Ericson
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Yong E
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Dawei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.affiliation: Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Ruiqiang
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Fumin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lei
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001717:Birds; D002681:China; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000235:genetics; D012621:Seasons; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*