A study identifies 5 genetic markers near the EGLN1 gene that are associated with increased aerobic capacity at altitude and were found at higher frequency among 429 high-altitude Quechua people of Peru than in 94 people from lowland populations; the gene encodes a protein that controls the cellular hypoxic response, suggesting that the markers might represent evidence of natural selection in high-altitude populations.
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Article #19-06171: "Association of EGLN1 gene with high aerobic capacity of Peruvian Quechua at high altitude," by Tom D. Brutsaert et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Tom D. Brutsaert, Syracuse University, NY; e-mail: tdbrutsa@syr.edu
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences