<div>Nature Communications 4, Article number: 2433 doi:10.1038/ncomms3433</div>
<div>Received 02 May 2013 Accepted 13 August 2013 Published 17 September 2013</div>
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<div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Abstract</span></b></div>
<div><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial, helvetica, 'MS Pゴシック', 'MS ゴシック', Osaka, 'MS PGothic', sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 23.912500381469727px;">Tigers and their close relatives (</span><i style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial, helvetica, 'MS Pゴシック', 'MS ゴシック', Osaka, 'MS PGothic', sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 23.912500381469727px;">Panthera</i><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial, helvetica, 'MS Pゴシック', 'MS ゴシック', Osaka, 'MS PGothic', sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 23.912500381469727px;">) are some of the world’s most endangered species. Here we report the </span><i style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial, helvetica, 'MS Pゴシック', 'MS ゴシック', Osaka, 'MS PGothic', sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 23.912500381469727px;">de novo</i><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial, helvetica, 'MS Pゴシック', 'MS ゴシック', Osaka, 'MS PGothic', sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 23.912500381469727px;"> assembly of an Amur tiger whole-genome sequence as well as the genomic sequences of a white Bengal tiger, African lion, white African lion and snow leopard. Through comparative genetic analyses of these genomes, we find genetic signatures that may reflect molecular adaptations consistent with the big cats’ hypercarnivorous diet and muscle strength. We report a snow leopard-specific genetic determinant in </span><i style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial, helvetica, 'MS Pゴシック', 'MS ゴシック', Osaka, 'MS PGothic', sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 23.912500381469727px;">EGLN1</i><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial, helvetica, 'MS Pゴシック', 'MS ゴシック', Osaka, 'MS PGothic', sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 23.912500381469727px;"> (Met39>Lys39), which is likely to be associated with adaptation to high altitude. We also detect a </span><i style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial, helvetica, 'MS Pゴシック', 'MS ゴシック', Osaka, 'MS PGothic', sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 23.912500381469727px;">TYR</i><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial, helvetica, 'MS Pゴシック', 'MS ゴシック', Osaka, 'MS PGothic', sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 23.912500381469727px;">260G>A mutation likely responsible for the white lion coat colour. Tiger and cat genomes show similar repeat composition and an appreciably conserved synteny. Genomic data from the five big cats provide an invaluable resource for resolving easily identifiable phenotypes evident in very close, but distinct, species.</span></div>
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