High-altitude adaptation: Role of genetic and epigenetic factors

Abstract

After the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, the field of genetics has witnessed massive progress that spanned research in high-altitude biology also. Especially the decade of 2010s witnessed the most of it and revealed various genetic signatures of high-altitude adaptation in Tibetans, Andeans and Ethiopians. High-altitude area, with its extreme environment, harbors a tremendous potential for gene-environment interaction, an aspect that could be explored by epigenetic studies. There are only four original articles till now which explore the epigenetic aspect of high-altitude adaptation or acclimatization. However, there is no comprehensive review to provide complete information on the genetic and epigenetic aspects of high-altitude adaptations. Hence, we have prepared this mini-review to summarize the genetic and epigenetic studies that have correlated the high-altitude adaptation or acclimatization, until recently.