University of Illinois Chicago
Browse

Adaptations to a Subterranean Environment and Longevity Revealed by the Analysis of Mole Rat Genomes

Download (2.39 MB)
journal contribution
posted on 2015-05-18, 00:00 authored by X. Fang, I. Seim, Z. Huang, M.V. Gerashchenko, Z. Xiong, A.A. Turanov, Y. Zhu, A. V. Lobanov, D. Fan, S.H. Yim, T.J. Park
Subterranean mammals spend their lives in dark, unventilated environments that are rich in carbon dioxide and ammonia and low in oxygen. Many of these animals are also long-lived and exhibit reduced aging-associated diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. We sequenced the genome of the Damaraland mole rat (DMR, Fukomys damarensis) and improved the genome assembly of the naked mole rat (NMR, Heterocephalus glaber). Comparative genome analyses, along with the transcriptomes of related subterranean rodents, revealed candidate molecular adaptations for subterranean life and longevity, including a divergent insulin peptide, expression of oxygen-carrying globins in the brain, prevention of high CO2-induced pain perception, and enhanced ammonia detoxification. Juxtaposition of the genomes of DMR and other more conventional animals with the genome of NMR revealed several truly exceptional NMR features: unusual thermogenesis, an aberrant melatonin system, pain insensitivity, and unique processing of 28S rRNA. Together, these genomes and transcriptomes extend our understanding of subterranean adaptations, stress resistance, and longevity.

Funding

This work was supported by the NIH (AG047745, AG047200, AG038004, AG021518, and GM061603), the WCU Program (R31-2008-000-10010-0), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31171190).

History

Publisher Statement

This is a copy of an article published in Cell Reports ª2014 The Authors

Publisher

Elsevier Inc.

issn

2211-1247

Issue date

2014-09-11

Usage metrics

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Keywords

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC