Altitudinal adaptation in Thitarodes xiaojinensis : HSP60A -mediated thermal tolerance evolution under gene flow

Altitudinal adaptation in Thitarodes xiaojinensis: HSP60A-mediated thermal tolerance evolution under gene flow | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Ecology and Evolution This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 12 May 2026 V1 Latest version Share on Altitudinal adaptation in Thitarodes xiaojinensis : HSP60A -mediated thermal tolerance evolution under gene flow Authors : Qiu-yang Wei 0000-0002-7637-5592 [email protected] , Yuan-chuan He [email protected] , Shuai Pang [email protected] , and Shi-jiang Chen [email protected] Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/authorea.15003249/v1 Under Review Ecology and Evolution Peer review timeline 9 views 3 downloads Contents Abstract Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Climate warming intensifies thermal selection pressures on high-altitude species. However, the molecular mechanisms facilitating their rapid adaptation under persistent gene flow remain poorly understood. This study investigates adaptive differentiation between High-altitude (High) and Low-altitude (Low) ecotypes of Thitarodes xiaojinensis, an endemic species of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, through an integrative approach combining specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq), RNA sequencing (RNA-seq)-based transcriptional profiling, and survival experiments. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses confirm conspecific status but reveal distinct phenotypic divergence. Population structure analysis at K=2 uncovers altitude-correlated genetic clustering despite a largely shared genetic background (optimal K=1). Genome-wide scans using Weir & Cockerham FST identify HSP60A as the top outlier locus, with a peak locus-level FST of 0.375. Targeted PCR amplification validates a derived variant within this locus is carried by 80% of Low ecotype individuals and completely absent in all High populations, suggesting that this variant is associated with incipient ecological divergence between the two ecotypes. RNA-seq-based co-expression analysis further reveals that HSP60A participates in a thermally responsive gene network connected to the MAPK signaling pathway, with 16 co-expressed gene partners (kME = 0.846, GS = 0.543). Survival assays at 16°C demonstrate that low-altitude ecotypes exhibit significantly lower HSP60A expression yet higher survival rates compared to high-altitude ecotypes (P = 0.0342), consistent with an elevated heat shock response activation threshold in the low-altitude ecotype. These findings provide evidence linking natural sequence variation, transcriptional regulation, and thermal adaptation in T. xiaojinensis, providing rigorous evidence for temperature-driven adaptive divergence in alpine ecotypes with ongoing gene flow. We highlight HSP60A’s key role in sustaining this differentiation despite gene flow, offering insights into high-altitude species’ evolutionary resilience under rapid climate warming. Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 12 May 2026 Peer review timeline Under Review Ecology and Evolution 12 May 2026 Submission Checks Completed Collection Ecology and Evolution Authors Affiliations Qiu-yang Wei 0000-0002-7637-5592 [email protected] Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China, 400065 View all articles by this author Yuan-chuan He [email protected] Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China, 400065 View all articles by this author Shuai Pang [email protected] Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China, 400065 View all articles by this author Shi-jiang Chen [email protected] Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China, 400065 View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 9 views 3 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Qiu-yang Wei, Yuan-chuan He, Shuai Pang, et al. Altitudinal adaptation in Thitarodes xiaojinensis : HSP60A -mediated thermal tolerance evolution under gene flow. Authorea . 12 May 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/authorea.15003249/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . 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