Physiological Adaptability of Yak in Extreme High-Altitude Habitat Using Serum Metabolite Analysis
Physiological Adaptability of Yak in Extreme High-Altitude Habitat Using Serum Metabolite Analysis
Zhang Qiang1,2
ABSTRACT
Comparative analysis of divergence in serum chemical derivatives among yaks living in ecological habitats at different altitudes was performed to determine the physiological adaptation basis in blood metabolites of yaks at extreme high altitudes due to long-term natural selection of plateau ecological environment. Twenty serum samples from yaks were collected, including 10 from those living on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau at altitudes above 5000 m for a long time and 10 from those living in ecological regions at altitudes of ~4000m. Results revealed 592 metabolites in all samples, of which the highest proportion was attributed to amino acids and their metabolites (18.58%), followed by organic acids and their derivatives (16.20%). Meanwhile, 89 significantly different metabolites (SDMs) were identified between groups, of which 55 were significantly upregulated (e.g., 3-methylcrotonyl glycine, 2-hydroxy-3, and 5-dinitrobenzoic acid, etc.) in the yaks living at extremely high altitude. In addition, 28 metabolites (fumaric acid, serotonin, glycochenodeoxycholic acid, and all trans-retinal) were enriched in 55 KEGG signaling pathways and mainly attributed to organismal systems and metabolism. This work further clarified that long-term natural selection at extremely high altitude prompts animals to have visible physiological adaptations in serum. In addition, the serum of yak living at high altitudes is rich in a series of metabolites (e.g., lysophosphatidylethanolamine, γ-linolenic acid, and 12-hydrox) that are helpful for the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases and respiratory diseases and could contribute to the drug development of anti-plateau in the future.
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