Genetic signals of high-altitude adaptation in amphibians: a comparative transcriptome analysis

Background High-altitude adaptation provides an excellent system for studying how organisms cope with multiple environmental stressors and interacting genetic modifications. To explore the genetic basis of high-altitude adaptation in poikilothermic animals, we acquired transcriptome sequences from a high-altitude population and a low-altitude population of the Asiatic toad (Bufo gargarizans). Transcriptome data from another high-altitude amphibian, Rana kukunoris and its low-altitude relative R. chensiensis, which are from a previous study, were also incorporated into our comparative analysis.