PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Kaixiong Ye
AU  - Feng Gao
AU  - David Wang
AU  - Ofer Bar-Yosef
AU  - Alon Keinan
TI  - Adaptation of the <em>FADS</em> gene family in Europe: Variation across time, geography and subsistence
AID  - 10.1101/111229
DP  - 2017 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 111229
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/02/23/111229.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/02/23/111229.full
AB  - The FADS gene family encodes rate-limiting enzymes for the biosynthesis of omega-6 and omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), which is essential for individuals subsisting on LCPUFAs-poor diets (e.g. plant-based). Positive selection on FADS genes has been reported in multiple populations, but its presence and pattern in Europeans remain elusive. Here, with analyses of ancient and modern DNA, we demonstrated positive selection acted on variants centered on FADS1 and FADS2 both before and after the advent of farming in Europe, but adaptive alleles in these two periods are opposite. Selection signals in recent history also vary geographically, with the strongest in Southern Europe. We showed that adaptive alleles in recent farmers are associated with expression of FADS genes, enhanced LCPUFAs biosynthesis and reduced risk of inflammatory bowel diseases. Thus, the adaptation of FADS genes in Europe varies across time and geography, probably due to varying diet and subsistence.