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SUMMARY:Nitrate\, hypoxia and mitochondria: the secrets of Sherpa success?
  - Dr Andrew Murray - Dr Andrew Murray\, Department of PDN
DTSTART:20151110T190000Z
DTEND:20151110T200000Z
UID:TALK62437@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:41615
DESCRIPTION:The Sherpa people migrated from Tibet to settlements in easter
 n Nepal around 500 years ago and are renowned for their aptitude as climbe
 rs of the high Himalayan peaks. The Sherpas share a common ancestry with o
 ther Tibetan populations\, which may date back 30\,000 years to the earlie
 st colonisers of the Tibetan Plateau. Tibetan populations\, including the 
 Sherpas\, have thus been exposed to high-altitude for a period of time whi
 ch has permitted natural selection towards traits associated with life in 
 hypobaric hypoxia. Physiological features\, including lower circulating ha
 emoglobin concentrations\, elevated exhaled nitric oxide (NO) and circulat
 ing NO metabolites\, and enhanced blood flow compared with lowlanders\, su
 ggest that alterations in O2 delivery offset the lower inspired partial pr
 essures of O2. Recent genome-wide studies have identified candidate marker
 s that may be associated with these traits. These include haplotypes in ge
 nomic regions encoding components of oxygen-sensing pathways and regulator
 s of the expression of fatty acid oxidation genes. However\, whilst it has
  become apparent that there is a genetic basis to human high-altitude adap
 tation\, the mechanistic links between genetics and physiology have remain
 ed largely unresolved until now. In particular\, little was known about me
 tabolic adaptation in Sherpas\, though they have been reported to have a l
 ower muscle mitochondrial density than lowlanders. In this talk I will pre
 sent data from our recent work into Sherpa physiology and metabolism and d
 iscuss the possible relevance of these findings to the treatment of critic
 ally ill patients.\n\nDr Murray studied Biochemistry at Oxford and is now 
 a Director of Studies in Natural Sciences at Trinity Hall\, Cambridge. He 
 is also a lecturer in the PDN Departtment\, and his research is concerned 
 with the response of the body to low oxygen levels in diseases and at high
  altitude. \n\nThis talk will be very helpful for HOM\, MIMS\, BOD\, HR an
 d Part II PDN\, Biochemistry and Zoology.\n\n***Refreshments will be provi
 ded!***
LOCATION:Bateman Room\, Gonville &amp\; Caius College
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