What is it about?
We conducted skin pigmentation phenotyping and genome-wide analysis of Tibetans to understand the underlying mechanism of adaptation to UV radiation. We observe that Tibetans have darker baseline skin color compared to lowland Han Chinese, as well as an improved tanning ability. The adaptive variant of the GNPAT gene enhance melanin synthesis in Tibetans.
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Why is it important?
Our findings identify the first gene protecting indigenous Tibetans from the strong UV radiation at high altitude.
Perspectives
Skin color is in many scennaria the subject of natural selection, leading to a gradient of skin darkness among world populations, including those indigenous populations living at high altitude.
Bing Su
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Genetic adaptation of skin pigmentation in highland Tibetans, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, September 2022, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2200421119.
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