Deciphering genomic adaptation to high altitude in native cattle of Leh-Ladakh

The present study was conducted with an aim to understand molecular basis of adaptation of Ladakhi cattle native breed of Leh-Ladakhi and tolerant to hypobaric hypoxia environment of high altitude. A comparison with Sahiwal cattle adapted to arid, semi-arid tropical region was made to identify genomic differences in cattle breeds adapted to diverse altitudes and distinct environments. To understand the genome wide variations in Ladakhi and Sahiwal cows adapted to diverse altitudes, whole genome sequence data was generated in 8 individuals at 20X coverage.