Comparative transcriptomic analysis of Tibetan Gynaephora to explore the genetic basis of insect adaptation to divergent altitude environments

Abstract

Adaptation of insects to different altitudes remain largely unknown, especially those endemic to the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Here, we generated the transcriptomes of Gynaephora menyuanensis and G. alpherakii, inhabiting different high altitudes on the TP, and used these and the previously available transcriptomic and genomic sequences from low-altitude insects to explore potential genetic basis for divergent high-altitude adaptation in Gynaephora. An analysis of 5,869 orthologous genes among Gynaephora and other three low-altitude insects uncovered that fast-evolving genes and positively selected genes (PSGs) in the two Gynaephora species were enriched in energy metabolism and hypoxia response categories (e.g. mitochondrion, oxidation-reduction process, and response to oxidative stress). Particularly, mTOR signaling pathway involving hypoxia was enriched by PSGs, indicating this well-known pathway in mammal hypoxia adaptation may be an important signaling system in Gynaephora. Furthermore, some PSGs were associated with response to hypoxia (e.g. cytochrome proteins), cold (e.g. dehydrogenase) and DNA repair (e.g. DNA repair proteins). Interestingly, several insect-specific genes that were associated with exoskeleton and cuticle development (e.g. chitinase and ecdysteroids) had experienced positive selection, suggesting the specific adaptive mechanisms in insects. This study is favourable for understanding the adaptive evolution of Gynaephora and even TP insects to divergent altitudes.