Scientists Sequence Complete Genome of the Naked Mole Rat
Posted on October 12, 2011
Scientists have sequenced the complete genome of the naked mole rat. A colony of more than 2,000 naked mole rats, living at the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies at the University of Texas Health Science Center, contributed to the findings, which were published today in the journal Nature.
The mouse-sized naked mole rat is the longest-lived rodent known. It can live up to 31 years in captivity. The strange creatures resemble pink, saber-toothed sausages. The naked mole rat is able to rewire its brain (a process called neural plasticity), tolerate low oxygen and low body temperatures, and show cancer-free good health well into old age. The Barshop Institute recently had one mole rate, known as Old Man, live for at least 32 years.
Rochelle Buffenstein, Ph.D., professor of physiology at the Barshop Institute, says, "Understanding their genomic footprint may reveal how they are able to maintain the integrity of their proteins and DNA far better than other animals do in old age, as well as how they mitigate the translation of oxidative damage into age-related declines and disease."
Dr. Buffenstein also says, "If we understand which genes are different or are expressed differently in naked mole rats - compared to short-lived mice that clearly have poor defenses against aging and cancer - we might find clues as to why the naked mole rat is able to extend both health span and longevity, as well as fight cancer, and this information could be directly relevant and translatable to humans."