Physiological and Genetic Adaptations to Diving in Sea Nomads.
Cell
; 173(3): 569-580.e15, 2018 04 19.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29677510
ABSTRACT
Understanding the physiology and genetics of human hypoxia tolerance has important medical implications, but this phenomenon has thus far only been investigated in high-altitude human populations. Another system, yet to be explored, is humans who engage in breath-hold diving. The indigenous Bajau people ("Sea Nomads") of Southeast Asia live a subsistence lifestyle based on breath-hold diving and are renowned for their extraordinary breath-holding abilities. However, it is unknown whether this has a genetic basis. Using a comparative genomic study, we show that natural selection on genetic variants in the PDE10A gene have increased spleen size in the Bajau, providing them with a larger reservoir of oxygenated red blood cells. We also find evidence of strong selection specific to the Bajau on BDKRB2, a gene affecting the human diving reflex. Thus, the Bajau, and possibly other diving populations, provide a new opportunity to study human adaptation to hypoxia tolerance. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
Key words
Full text:
1
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Organ Size
/
Adaptation, Physiological
/
Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases
/
Diving
/
Breath Holding
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
En
Journal:
Cell
Year:
2018
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Denmark