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Naked mole rats, unusual subterranean rodents known for their bald appearance and teeth-bearing snouts, have unveiled a genetic secret potentially key to their remarkable longevity.
A new study focusing on these peculiar creatures has identified an evolved DNA repair mechanism that may account for their extended lifespan.
These burrowing rodents boast a maximum lifespan of nearly 40 years, establishing them as the world’s longest-lived rodent species.
The findings, published in the journal Science, may also provide insights into the naked mole rat’s resistance to a variety of age-related ailments.
Their resistance to cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and arthritis has spurred scientists to investigate the underlying mechanisms of their physiology.
The study, spearheaded by a research team at Tonji University in Shanghai, China, centered on DNA repair – a fundamental process occurring within our cells. When DNA strands, the building blocks of our genetic code, sustain damage, a repair mechanism is activated, utilizing an undamaged strand as a template to mend the break.
This research specifically investigated a particular protein involved in the damage sensing and repair system.
Upon detecting damage, cells produce a protein known as c-GAS. While this protein serves multiple functions, the researchers focused on its role in humans, where it interferes with and impedes the DNA reassembly process.
Scientists hypothesize that this interference may contribute to cancer development and a shortened lifespan.
However, in naked mole rats, researchers discovered that this same protein exhibits the opposite effect, aiding in the repair of DNA strands and preserving the integrity of the genetic code within each cell.
Professor Gabriel Balmus, a DNA repair and aging researcher at the University of Cambridge, hailed the discovery as an exciting breakthrough and only “the tip of the iceberg” in comprehending the remarkable longevity of these animals.
“You can think of cGAS as a biological Lego piece – the same basic shape in humans and naked mole-rats, but in the mole-rat version a few connectors are flipped, allowing it to assemble an entirely different structure and function.”
Professor Balmus explained that over millions of years of evolution, naked mole rats appear to have rewired this pathway and “used it to their advantage”.
“This finding raises fundamental questions: how did evolution reprogram the same protein to act in reverse? What changed? And is this an isolated case or part of a broader evolutionary pattern?”
Crucially, scientists are seeking to understand what can be learned from these rodents to enhance human health and extend the quality of life in old age.
“I think if we could reverse-engineer the naked mole-rat’s biology,” said Prof Balmus, “we might bring some much-needed therapies for an ageing society.”
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