Journal Article

Biological adaptations in the Arctic cervid, the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)

Heller, Rasmus, Xia, Wenhao, Wei, Haijun, Chen, Lei, Wang, Wen, Li, Zhipeng, Wang, Kun, Yang, Yifeng, Li, Guangyu, Kvie, Kjersti Sternang, Liu, Xing, Røed, Knut Håkon, Gilbert, M. Thomas P., Lin, Zeshan, Zhong, Yingbin, Qiu, Qiang, Chen, Xianqing, Yang, Yue, Zhu, Wenbo, Wang, Han, Yan, Biyao, Liu, Chang, Xiao, Wuhan

2019

Overview

Ruminants are a diverse group of mammals that includes families containing well-known taxa such as deer, cows, and goats. However, their evolutionary relationships have been contentious, as have the origins of their distinctive digestive systems and headgear, including antlers and horns (see the Perspective by Ker and Yang). To understand the relationships among ruminants, L. Chen et al. sequenced 44 species representing 6 families and performed a phylogenetic analysis. From this analysis, they were able to resolve the phylogeny of many genera and document incomplete lineage sorting among major clades. Interestingly, they found evidence for large population reductions among many taxa starting at approximately 100,000 years ago, coinciding with the migration of humans out of Africa. Examining the bony appendages on the head—the so-called headgear—Wang et al. describe specific evolutionary changes in the ruminants and identify selection on cancer-related genes that may function in antler development in deer. Finally, Lin et al. take a close look at the reindeer genome and identify the genetic basis of adaptations that allow reindeer to survive in the harsh conditions of the Arctic. Science , this issue p. eaav6202 , p. eaav6335 , p. eaav6312 ; see also p. 1130 The genetics of distinctive reindeer characteristics are identified from their genome. The reindeer is an Arctic species that exhibits distinctive biological characteristics, for which the underlying genetic basis remains largely unknown. We compared the genomes of reindeer against those of other ruminants and nonruminant mammals to reveal the genetic basis of light arrhythmicity, high vitamin D metabolic efficiency, the antler growth trait of females, and docility. We validate that two reindeer vitamin D metabolic genes ( CYP27B1 and POR ) show signs of positive selection and exhibit higher catalytic activity than those of other ruminants. A mutation upstream of the reindeer CCND1 gene endows an extra functional binding motif of the androgen receptor and thereby may result in female antlers. Furthermore, a mutation (proline-1172→threonine) in reindeer PER2 results in loss of binding ability with CRY1, which may explain circadian arrhythmicity in reindeer.

• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science,American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS),The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subject: Adaptation / Adaptation, Biological / Amino Acid Motifs - genetics / Amino Acid Substitution / Androgen receptors / Androgens / Animals / Antlers / Antlers - growth & development / Appendages / Arctic Regions / Binding / Binding Sites - genetics / Biological evolution / Calciferol / Catalysis / Catalytic activity / CCND1 gene / Circadian rhythm / Circadian Rhythm - genetics / Circadian Rhythm - physiology / Circadian rhythms / Cold regions / Cyclin D1 - genetics / Deer / Exhibits / Fat metabolism / Female / Females / Food availability / Genes / Genomes / Genomic analysis / Goats / Headgear / Horns / Individualized Instruction / Literary Devices / Mammals / Metabolism / Mutation / Neural crest / Period 2 protein / Period Circadian Proteins - genetics / Phylogeny / Positive selection / Proline / Proline - genetics / Rangifer tarandus / Reindeer - genetics / Reindeer - metabolism / Reindeer - physiology / RESEARCH ARTICLE SUMMARY / Species / Taxa / Threonine / Threonine - genetics / Vitamin D / Vitamin D - metabolism