Bomas, customary residences for individuals and animals in Turkana, situated close to Nakechichok on the Turkwel River in Kenya.(Image credit: Julien Ayroles/UC Berkeley)
A fresh investigation reveals that the Turkana people, an ethnic group from Kenya, have built up hereditary modifications to enable their systems to retain water in severe desert conditions.
Turkana women frequently journey 3 to 6 miles (5 to 10 kilometers) daily, carrying containers of water on their heads amidst intense heat. Consequently, they often endure lengthy stretches deprived of water. Their sustenance also comprises a protein-enriched, yet relatively low-calorie, regimen of meat, dairy, and animal blood. Despite this, their bodies effectively endure this demanding physical activity in the desert’s heat.
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However, while this alteration could assist the Turkana in the desert environment, Ayroles additionally posits that as this community increasingly transitions to urban settings and embraces contemporary diets, the variant may bring about a heightened vulnerability to persistent illnesses.
The research group collaborated alongside about 5,000 Turkana participants. From this assembly, they initially sequenced the complete genomes of 367 individuals, deciphering their DNA sequence in detail. The researchers scrutinized these genomes and discovered that eight regions displayed unique genetic variation, implying that specific genetic variants were more prevalent among the Turkana compared to other populations. The strongest indication surfaced proximate to the STC1 gene.
To substantiate this suggested role of the STC1 gene, the scientists executed tests using cells in laboratory settings. They extracted human kidney cells and introduced antidiuretic hormone (ADH, alternatively known as vasopressin), a signal dispatched by the brain to the kidneys when the body’s water levels diminish. The cells acted in response by activating the STC1 gene, implying that at least one of the gene’s roles is to contribute to water conservation.
Subsequently, Ayroles and his team conducted computational simulations to approximate when the noted gene variants might have emerged within the Turkana populace. They projected that natural selection in the STC1 region commenced approximately 5,000 to 7,000 years prior, corresponding roughly to the period when pastoralist practices propagated through East Africa and the Sahara underwent desertification.
Members of Kenya’s Turkana community frequently walk several miles daily in intense heat to obtain water for their livestock and individual consumption.
Nonetheless, presently, this genetic acclimatization might not be advantageous for the Turkana community. Commencing in the 1980s, Ayroles noted that significant droughts and famines impelled numerous Turkana to abandon nomadic herding and relocate to towns. Their food intake evolved from predominantly animal-derived products to grains and processed foods, encompassing flour and sugar.
The team executed supplementary analyses to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the disparities between urban and rural Turkana populations. For instance, they evaluated the kidney function of 447 individuals utilizing markers such as urea and creatinine, and scrutinized variations in gene operation among an additional 230 individuals.
These outcomes proposed that Turkana individuals residing in urban hubs exhibited kidney profiles indicative of reduced efficiency, relative to Turkana in rural locales. Their blood also manifested heightened operation in stress- and inflammation-related genes, which is frequently linked to a heightened risk of chronic ailments, such as cardiovascular disease. These discoveries imply that, under circumstances where they are not consistently dehydrated and their diets are more carbohydrate-dense, the identical variant that formerly benefited Turkana individuals may inadvertently place strain on the kidneys and metabolic mechanisms.
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“Approximately 80% of the dietary intake of [the Turkana individuals] is constituted by animal byproducts, namely meat, milk, and blood; there is a near absence of carbohydrates,” Ayroles communicated to Live Science. “And subsequently, attributable to food provisions or within urban areas, carbohydrates constitute the predominant component of their diet. This alteration is pronounced and interlinked with the identical noncommunicable diseases witnessed in the West.”
Study team personnel clarify the project objectives to a community proximal to Nakechichok on the Turkwel River within Turkana County, Kenya.
“Existence in that region is exceedingly arduous. These individuals are admirable,” Ayroles appended. “Notwithstanding, from a biological vantage point, they have functioned remarkably effectively.”
Tony Capra, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, who did not participate in the undertaking, affirmed the study’s “exemplary” nature.
“I hold this [study] in high regard. [It] ascertains what I am confident will evolve into a quintessential illustration of genetic adjustment to an immensely parched setting amid the Turkana people of northern Kenya,” Capra conveyed to Live Science via email. Comprehending the genetic underpinnings of human adjustment presents a challenge. “The attribute rendering this study exemplary resides in its enduring collaboration with Turkana communities and localized healthcare professionals,” Capra stated.
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That being stated, he cautioned that the majority of human adjustments do not typically hinge on a solitary gene. On the contrary, they are more frequently ascribable to variations spanning numerous genes, each exerting subtle impacts that are more challenging to discern. Therefore, it is improbable that STC1 functions in isolation.
Gazing forward, Ayroles and his group intend to juxtapose the Turkana’s genetic adjustments with those of other desert-dwelling populations in Africa, India, and South America. They additionally aspire to more comprehensively grasp how gene variations that enable individuals to flourish in deserts interact with contemporary, urbanized existence – whether they assist or impede the individuals bearing them. The team speculates that comprehending these genetic determinants could contribute to revealing unsung catalysts of chronic diseases.
Larissa G. CapellaLive Science Contributor
Larissa G. Capella is a science journalist based in Washington state. She earned a B.S. degree in physics and a B.A. degree in English literature in 2024, which allowed her to engage in a career that integrates both academic fields. She mainly covers reporting on environmental, Earth-related, and physical sciences, and she is consistently enthusiastic about composing on any science that piques her attention. Her publications have been featured in Eos, Science News, Space.com, among additional places.
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Sourse: www.livescience.com
