School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA.
Heredity (Edinb). 2012 Apr;108(4):354-61. doi: 10.1038/hdy.2011.85. Epub 2011 Sep 21.
Elucidating the molecular genetic basis of adaptive traits is a central goal of evolutionary genetics. The cold, hypoxic conditions of high-altitude habitats impose severe metabolic demands on endothermic vertebrates, and understanding how high-altitude endotherms cope with the combined effects of hypoxia and cold can provide important insights into the process of adaptive evolution. The physiological responses to high-altitude stress have been the subject of over a century of research, and recent advances in genomic technologies have opened up exciting opportunities to explore the molecular genetic basis of adaptive physiological traits. Here, we review recent literature on the use of genomic approaches to study adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia in terrestrial vertebrates, and explore opportunities provided by newly developed technologies to address unanswered questions in high-altitude adaptation at a genomic scale.
阐明适应性状的分子遗传基础是进化遗传学的核心目标。高海拔栖息地的寒冷、缺氧条件对恒温脊椎动物施加了严峻的代谢需求，了解高海拔恒温动物如何应对缺氧和寒冷的综合影响，可以为适应进化过程提供重要的见解。高海拔应激的生理反应是一个多世纪研究的主题，基因组技术的最新进展为探索适应生理性状的分子遗传基础开辟了令人兴奋的机会。在这里，我们回顾了最近关于使用基因组方法研究陆地脊椎动物对高海拔缺氧适应的文献，并探讨了新开发技术提供的机会，以在基因组范围内解决高海拔适应的未解决问题。
