title: Positive Darwinian selection within interferon regulatory factor genes of Gymnocypris przewalskii (Cyprinidae) on the Tibetan Plateau.
abstract: Tibetan Plateau (TP) had experienced phased uplift, resulting in inhospitable environment of low temperature, hypoxia and high ultraviolet radiation for Tibetan wildlife. Many organisms can well adapt to TP, it is of ecological and evolutionary interest to untangle how organisms adapt to extreme environment on TP through evolution. Previous studies mainly focused on hypoxia and metabolism related genes, but we know little about the evolutionary history of immune genes in Tibetan wildlife. In this study, we first identified 10 interferon regulatory factor (IRF) genes from Tibetan naked carp Gymnocypris przewalskii. Within this gene family, IRF3, IRF5, IRF7 and IRF8 contained positive selection sites. Evidences indicated that positive selection may lead to IRF genes functional alternations, presumably driving genes towards adaptation to the environmental changes. Taken together, our results suggested 4 candidate genes as interesting targets for further experimental confirmation of their functional variations and contributions to high altitude adaptation in Tibet fish.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China; Laboratory of Plateau Fish Evolutionary and Functional Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China; Laboratory of Plateau Fish Evolutionary and Functional Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China; Laboratory of Plateau Fish Evolutionary and Functional Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Yongtao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China; Laboratory of Plateau Fish Evolutionary and Functional Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Chenguang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science and Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China.
authors.forename: Lihong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China; Laboratory of Plateau Fish Evolutionary and Functional Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China.
authors.forename: Cunfang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China; Laboratory of Plateau Fish Evolutionary and Functional Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China. Electronic address: zhaokai@nwipb.cas.cn.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D050835:Interferon Regulatory Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D010802:Phylogeny; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D018609:Tibet
chemical_list: D029941:Fish Proteins; D050835:Interferon Regulatory Factors
keywords: Adaptation; Gene duplication; Highland fish; Immunity; Positive selection