Qingke,a staple crop grown on the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau,has evolved a metabolomic profile providing both environmental stress resilience and human nutrition.We review the hypothesis that the metabolites that c...Qingke,a staple crop grown on the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau,has evolved a metabolomic profile providing both environmental stress resilience and human nutrition.We review the hypothesis that the metabolites that confer cold and UV resistance on the crop also facilitate human adaptation to high-altitude stresses.Specifically,β-glucans regulate blood glucose primarily via short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs)produced through gut microbiota fermentation,which directly mediate glucose homeostasis.Phenolamides accumulate via the phenylpropanoid pathway,with chalcone isomerase(CHI)serving as a key enzyme in flavonoid biosynthesis and enhancing UV-B resistance.Under low temperatures,β-glucans improve frost tolerance by modulating osmotic balance and inhibiting ice-nucleating proteins,while lipids maintain membrane fluidity to sustain cellular function during cold stress.Importantly,we explore the hypothesis that these same metabolites,upon consumption,may facilitate human adaptation to high-altitude stresses.This hypothesis is supported by preliminary epidemiological associations between Qingke consumption and favorable health outcomes in high-altitude populations,as well as established bioactivities of the implicated metabolites in vitro and in animal models.However,direct causal evidence in humans and a comprehensive understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms remain key knowledge gaps that warrant future investigation.Qingke as a unique resource at the interface of agricultural resilience and human nutrition.Understanding its metabolic blueprint will inform the development of functional foods and climate-resilient crops.展开更多
Microblade assemblages are among the most common prehistoric archaeological materials found on the Tibetan Plateau(TP)and are thought to indicate large scale migration to and settlement of the TP.Few microblade sites,...Microblade assemblages are among the most common prehistoric archaeological materials found on the Tibetan Plateau(TP)and are thought to indicate large scale migration to and settlement of the TP.Few microblade sites,however,have been systematically excavated,especially in the remotest,highest-elevation regions of the TP.The timing of the large-scale arrival,spread,and permanent settlement of people on the TP therefore remains controversial.In this paper,we report on a recently excavated site,Locality 3 of the Nwya Devu Site(ND3),located at 4600 meters above sea level(masl),near the shore of Ngoin Lake,on the interior TP.Our analyses reveal a fairly typical microblade technological orientation and two types of microblade cores:wedge-shaped and semi-conical,which are similar to those found throughout North China.Using Optically Stimulated Luminescence(OSL)dating and AMS^(14)C dating,the age of ND3 ranges from 11 to 10 ka.This date range indicates ND3 is the oldest microblade site yet recorded in the remote,high-elevation regions of the TP and thus provides important information about when and how hunter-gatherers using microblades began exploiting the higher altitudes of the TP.Taken together,studies at ND3 and throughout the TP suggest that a microblade adaptation is associated with the first prolonged human occupation of the plateau and that microblades played a significant role in mediating the risks and facilitating the mobility necessary to permanently inhabit the TP.展开更多
基金supported by the Financial Special Fund,grant number XZ202401JD0027National Barley Industry Technology System(CARS-05-01A-08)+3 种基金the Xizang Agri-Tech Innovation Project(XZNKY-2025-CXGC-T01)the Joint Funds of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.U20A2026)the Financial Special Fund,grant number(32401784,2017CZZX001/2,XZNKY-2018-C-021 and NYSTC202401)the China Agriculture Research System of Barley(CARS-05).
文摘Qingke,a staple crop grown on the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau,has evolved a metabolomic profile providing both environmental stress resilience and human nutrition.We review the hypothesis that the metabolites that confer cold and UV resistance on the crop also facilitate human adaptation to high-altitude stresses.Specifically,β-glucans regulate blood glucose primarily via short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs)produced through gut microbiota fermentation,which directly mediate glucose homeostasis.Phenolamides accumulate via the phenylpropanoid pathway,with chalcone isomerase(CHI)serving as a key enzyme in flavonoid biosynthesis and enhancing UV-B resistance.Under low temperatures,β-glucans improve frost tolerance by modulating osmotic balance and inhibiting ice-nucleating proteins,while lipids maintain membrane fluidity to sustain cellular function during cold stress.Importantly,we explore the hypothesis that these same metabolites,upon consumption,may facilitate human adaptation to high-altitude stresses.This hypothesis is supported by preliminary epidemiological associations between Qingke consumption and favorable health outcomes in high-altitude populations,as well as established bioactivities of the implicated metabolites in vitro and in animal models.However,direct causal evidence in humans and a comprehensive understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms remain key knowledge gaps that warrant future investigation.Qingke as a unique resource at the interface of agricultural resilience and human nutrition.Understanding its metabolic blueprint will inform the development of functional foods and climate-resilient crops.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Project of China(Grant No.2021YFC1523603)the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research(Grant No.2019QZKK0601)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42072033&41977380)the National Social Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.23&ZD268&21@WTK001)。
文摘Microblade assemblages are among the most common prehistoric archaeological materials found on the Tibetan Plateau(TP)and are thought to indicate large scale migration to and settlement of the TP.Few microblade sites,however,have been systematically excavated,especially in the remotest,highest-elevation regions of the TP.The timing of the large-scale arrival,spread,and permanent settlement of people on the TP therefore remains controversial.In this paper,we report on a recently excavated site,Locality 3 of the Nwya Devu Site(ND3),located at 4600 meters above sea level(masl),near the shore of Ngoin Lake,on the interior TP.Our analyses reveal a fairly typical microblade technological orientation and two types of microblade cores:wedge-shaped and semi-conical,which are similar to those found throughout North China.Using Optically Stimulated Luminescence(OSL)dating and AMS^(14)C dating,the age of ND3 ranges from 11 to 10 ka.This date range indicates ND3 is the oldest microblade site yet recorded in the remote,high-elevation regions of the TP and thus provides important information about when and how hunter-gatherers using microblades began exploiting the higher altitudes of the TP.Taken together,studies at ND3 and throughout the TP suggest that a microblade adaptation is associated with the first prolonged human occupation of the plateau and that microblades played a significant role in mediating the risks and facilitating the mobility necessary to permanently inhabit the TP.
