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Abstract:
Pikas originated in Asia and are small lagomorphs native to cold climates. The plateau pika, Ochotona curzoniae
is a keystone species on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and an ideal animal model for hypoxic adaptation
studies. Altered mitochondrial function, especially cytochrome c oxidase activity, is an important
factor in modulation of energy generation and expenditure during cold and hypoxia adaptation. In this
study, we determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the O. curzoniae mitochondrial genome.
The plateau pika mitochondrial DNA is 17,131 bp long and encodes the complete set of 37 proteins typical
for vertebrates. Phylogenetic analysis based on concatenated heavy-strand encoded protein-coding
genes revealed that pikas are closer to rabbit and hare than to rat. This suggests that rabbit or hare would
be a good control animal for pikas in cold and hypoxia adaptation studies. Fifteen novel mitochondrial
DNA-encoded amino acid changes were identified in the pikas, including three in the subunits of cytochrome
c oxidase. These amino acid substitutions potentially function in modulation of mitochondrial
complexes and electron transport efficiency during cold and hypoxia adaptation.
