Evolutionary Genetics of Hypoxia Tolerance in Cetaceans during Diving.

ABSTRACT: Hypoxia was a major challenge faced by cetaceans during the course of secondary aquatic adaptation. Although physiological traits of hypoxia tolerance in cetaceans have been well characterized, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. We investigated the sequences of 17 hypoxia-tolerance-related genes in representative cetaceans to provide a comprehensive insight into the genetic basis of hypoxia tolerance in these animals. Genes involved in carrying and transporting oxygen in the blood and muscle (hemoglobin-α and β, myoglobin), and genes involved in the regulation of vasoconstriction (endothelin-1, -2, and -3; endothelin receptor type A and B; adrenergic receptor α-1D; and arginine vasopressin) appear to have undergone adaptive evolution, evidence for positive selection on the

SUBMITTER: Tian R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4824146 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature