A functional genomics investigation of hypoxia tolerance adaptation in Bajau Sea Nomads
Abstract
The ~Sea Nomads~ of Southeast Asia have lived a marine-dependent lifestyle for over 1000 years. Their marine hunter-gatherer existence depends notably on the food they collect through free diving [1], and they are renowned for their extraordinary abilities. It was recently demonstrated for the first time that this lifestyle is also facilitated by physiological and genetic adaptations to diving [2]. The Bajau, a group of Sea Nomads living in Indonesia, have significantly larger spleens than a nearby population. This phenotype is significantly associatedwith a genetic variant in the gene PDE10A that has been under positive selection in the Bajau. PDE10A encodes a phosphodiesterase acting on the thyroid hormone synthesis pathway, and the Bajau variant is associated with higher thyroid hormone levels. Here we will determine the molecular mechanisms by which the observed mutation in PDE10A affects thyroid hormone levels as well as spleen size and composition by creating a genome edited PDE10A knockout(PDE10A-/-) mouse model. Using this model, we will be able to investigate thyroid hormone levels, spleen size, and spleen cellular composition.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 20, 2019
- Source ID
- N000141912598
Entities
People
- Melissa Ilardo
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Utah