Rich  diversity  and  potency  of  skin  antioxidant  peptides  revealed  a  novel  molecular  basis for high-altitud-e adaptation of amphibians. Sci Rep, 2016, 6: 19866

Title: Rich diversity and potency of skin antioxidant peptides revealed a novel molecular basis for high-altitude adaptation of amphibians. 

Author: Yang X, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Lee WH, Zhang Y

Publication Name: Sci Rep

Pub Year: 2016

Volume: 6

Issue: 1

Page Number: 19866

IF: 5.228 

Abstract:

Elucidating the mechanisms of high-altitude adaptation is an important research area in modern biology. To date, however, knowledge has been limited to the genetic mechanisms of adaptation to the lower oxygen and temperature levels prevalent at high altitudes, withadaptation to UV radiation largely neglected. Furthermore, few proteomic or peptidomic analyses of these factors have been performed. In this study, the molecular adaptation of high-altitude Odorrana andersonii and cavernicolous O. wuchuanensis to elevated UV radiation was investigated. Compared with O. wuchuanensis, O. andersonii exhibited greater diversity and free radical scavenging potentiality of skin antioxidant peptides to cope with UV radiation. This implied that O. andersonii evolved a much more complicated and powerful skin antioxidant peptide system to survive high-altitude UV levels. Our results provided valuable peptidomic clues for understanding the novel molecular basis for adaptation to high elevation habitats.