Tajik highlanders have resided in Pamirs(altitude >3000 m) for thousands of years. How they adapted to the harsh conditions remains unsolved. Herein, we measured four physiological traits for two groups of Tajik hi...
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Tajik highlanders have resided in Pamirs(altitude >3000 m) for thousands of years. How they adapted to the harsh conditions remains unsolved. Herein, we measured four physiological traits for two groups of Tajik highlanders: Sarikoli Tajik and Wakhi Tajik, in comparison to highland Kyrgyz. Neither hematologic nor spirometric evidence exhibit Tibetan-style adaptation in Tajik highlanders. To discern the potential genetic mechanism of high altitude adaptation in Tajik highlanders, we sequenced the whole genomes of 19 Sarikoli Tajiks, 20 Wakhi Tajiks, and 20 lowland Tajiks. The population genomic analyses reveal Tajiks as a branch of Central Asians experiencing complicated patterns of gene flows from European, South Asian, and East Asian populations. The settlement of Pamirs by the Sarikoli Tajiks is approximated to be around 3200 years ago. Selective sweep assessments, verified by coalescent simulation, identify SNRNP40, ZCCHC17, and FABP3 on chromosome 1, and kctd13, TMEM219, and TAOK2 on chromosome 16, as the potential targets of selection in the Sarikoli Tajiks. These genes are involved in neurological development and diseases. The selective haplotypes in the Sarikoli Tajiks are standing variations with distribution in lowland populations. Luciferase reporter assays show that the selective haplotype of kctd13 promoter and enhancer regions exhibit higher transcription activity than the nonselective haplotype. Overall, our findings provide novel insight into a very recent high altitude adaptation in humans, which probably targeted nervous system by utilizing standing variations via soft sweep.
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