Genome of Laudakia sacra Provides New Insights into High-Altitude Adaptation of Ectotherms.

ABSTRACT: Anan's rock agama (Laudakia sacra) is a lizard species endemic to the harsh high-altitude environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, a region characterized by low oxygen tension and high ultraviolet (UV) radiation. To better understand the genetic mechanisms underlying highland adaptation of ectotherms, we assembled a 1.80-Gb L. sacra genome, which contained 284 contigs with an N50 of 20.19 Mb and a BUSCO score of 93.54%. Comparative genomic analysis indicated that mutations in certain genes, including HIF1A, TIE2, and NFAT family members and genes in the respiratory chain, may be common adaptations to hypoxia among high-altitude animals. Compared with lowland reptiles, MLIP showed a convergent mutation in L. sacra and the Tibetan hot-spring snake (

SUBMITTER: Yan C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9456099 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature