Project description:Background: The number of red blood cells (RBCs) increases significantly in response to high-altitude hypoxic environments, and the RBC microRNA (miRNA) expression pattern is similar to that in whole blood. Studies have shown that miRNA in plasma can act as a circulating hypoxia-associated marker, but the effect of a high-altitude hypoxic environment on RBC-derived miRNAs has not yet been reported. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 20 Han Chinese individuals residing at 500 m (Sichuan Han), 10 migrant Han Chinese citizens residing at 3658 m (Tibet Han) and 12 native Tibetans, and RBC indices measurements and miRNA sequencing analyses were performed for the three sample groups. The levels of some markedly altered miRNAs at high altitude were subsequently measured from 5 randomly selected samples of each group by real-time PCR. Bioinformatic analyses was performed to determine the potential target genes of selected hypoxia-associated miRNAs. Results: Marked changes of several RBC indices were observed among the Tibet Han population, the Tibetan population and the Sichuan Han population. A total of 516 miRNAs derived from RBCs were initially identified by miRNA sequencing in the three sample groups. Compared with the Sichuan Han population, 49 miRNAs were differentially expressed in the Tibet Han population (17 upregulated and 32 downregulated). 12 upregulated and 21 downregulated miRNAs were observed in the Tibetan population compared with the Sichuan Han population. A total of 40 RBC miRNAs were differentially expressed in the Tibetan population (15 upregulated and 25 downregulated) compared with the Tibet Han population. Two significantly altered miRNAs with the highest expression levels (miRNA-144-5p and miR-30b-5p) were selected for real-time PCR analysis, and the results were consistent with those of miRNA sequencing. Furthermore, bioinformatic analyses showed that some potential target genes of miR-144-5p and miR-30b-5p are involved in the erythroid- hypoxia-, and nitric oxide (NO)-related signaling pathways in response to hypoxia. Conclusion: Our findings provide clear evidence, for the first time, that a high-altitude hypoxic environment significantly affects human RBC miRNA profiles.
Project description:This study explores how yaks, an ideal animal model for studying plateau adaptability, adapt to high-altitude environments. The lung is a representative organ of the yak’s adaptation to high-altitude environments. The F1 hybrids of yak and cattle, known as dzho, also exhibit adaptability to plateau conditions. This study constructed a single-cell transcriptome atlas of the lungs in yak, dzho and cattle, containing 51 subtypes. We initially found that the differential subtypes among yak, dzho and cattle were mainly concentrated in T&NK cells and fibroblasts. Most of them belonged to new cell subtypes. Subsequently, we speculated that NKG7 and CD4 played a central regulatory role in T&NK cells, contributing to T cell activation and affecting the adaptive immune response of yaks. In fibroblasts, MYL9 and IGF2 are believed to play key regulatory roles, participating in maintaining cellular energy metabolism balance. These results provide an important scientific basis for systematically analysing the molecular regulatory mechanisms of yak adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia.
Project description:Purpose:Yak long-term colonization and widespread distribution across the plateau can be serve as an ideal natural animal model to provide insights into the adaptive evolution of other plateau species, including humans. Methods:To exploring the molecular mechanisms of lung tissue in yak to response to hypoxia, the mRNA, lncRNA and miRNA of lung tissue from cattle and three different altitude yaks were sequenced. Results:A total of 21764 mRNAs, 14168 lncRNAs and 1209miRNAs (305 known and 904 novel miRNAs)were identifed.Compared yak with cattle, 4975 mRNAs, 3326 lncRNAs and 75 miRNAs were differentially expressed. 756 mRNAs, 346 lncRNAs and 83 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed amongthree different altitude yaks(fold change≥2 and P-value<0.05). Conclusions:The differentially expressed genes were functionally enriched in long-chain fatty acid metabolic process and protein processing between yak and cattle, while the immune response and cell cycle were enriched among three different altitude yaks. Furthermore, the competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) networks were identified to illustrate their roles.
Project description:Tibetan chicken has a suite of adaptive features to tolerate the high-altitude hypoxic environment as a unique native breed in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China. Increasing evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) have roles in hypoxic adaptation of high-altitude animals, though their exact contributions remain unclear. This study aims to uncover the global landscape of mRNAs, lncRNAs and miRNAs using transcriptome sequencing so as to construct a regulatory network of competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) provide a new sight for the hypoxic adaptation of Tibetan chicken embryos. In the study, 354 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEGs), 389 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) and 73 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were identified between Tibetan (TC) and Chahua chicken (CH). The functional analysis showed that several important DEMs and their targets of DELs and DEMs are involved in angiogenesis (include blood vessel development and blood circulation) and energy metabolism (include glucose, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism). The ceRNA network was then constructed with the predicted pairs of DEGs-DEMs-DELs which further revealed regulatory roles of these differentially expressed RNAs in hypoxic adaptation of Tibetan chicken.
Project description:Purpose:Yak long-term colonization and widespread distribution across the plateau can be serve as an ideal natural animal model to provide insights into the adaptive evolution of other plateau species, including humans. Methods:To exploring the molecular mechanisms of lung tissue in yak to response to hypoxia, the mRNA, lncRNA and miRNA of lung tissue from cattle and three different altitude yaks were sequenced. Results:A total of 21764 mRNAs, 14168 lncRNAs and 1209miRNAs (305 known and 904 novel miRNAs)were identifed.Compared yak with cattle, 4975 mRNAs, 3326 lncRNAs and 75 miRNAs were differentially expressed. 756 mRNAs, 346 lncRNAs and 83 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed amongthree different altitude yaks(fold change≥2 and P-value<0.05). Conclusions:The differentially expressed genes were functionally enriched in long-chain fatty acid metabolic process and protein processing between yak and cattle, while the immune response and cell cycle were enriched among three different altitude yaks. Furthermore, the competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) networks were identified to illustrate their roles.