title: Genome sequencing reveals insights into physiology and longevity of the naked mole rat.
abstract: The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a strictly subterranean, extraordinarily long-lived eusocial mammal. Although it is the size of a mouse, its maximum lifespan exceeds 30 years, making this animal the longest-living rodent. Naked mole rats show negligible senescence, no age-related increase in mortality, and high fecundity until death. In addition to delayed ageing, they are resistant to both spontaneous cancer and experimentally induced tumorigenesis. Naked mole rats pose a challenge to the theories that link ageing, cancer and redox homeostasis. Although characterized by significant oxidative stress, the naked mole rat proteome does not show age-related susceptibility to oxidative damage or increased ubiquitination. Naked mole rats naturally reside in large colonies with a single breeding female, the 'queen', who suppresses the sexual maturity of her subordinates. They also live in full darkness, at low oxygen and high carbon dioxide concentrations, and are unable to sustain thermogenesis nor feel certain types of pain. Here we report the sequencing and analysis of the naked mole rat genome, which reveals unique genome features and molecular adaptations consistent with cancer resistance, poikilothermy, hairlessness and insensitivity to low oxygen, and altered visual function, circadian rythms and taste sensing. This information provides insights into the naked mole rat's exceptional longevity and ability to live in hostile conditions, in the dark and at low oxygen. The extreme traits of the naked mole rat, together with the reported genome and transcriptome information, offer opportunities for understanding ageing and advancing other areas of biological and biomedical research.
authors: Department of Bioinspired Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 120-750, Korea.
authors: Eun Bae
authors: EB
authors: Kim
authors: Xiaodong
authors: X
authors: Fang
authors: Alexey A
authors: AA
authors: Fushan
authors: Zhiyong
authors: Z
authors: Huang
authors: Alexei V
authors: AV
authors: Lobanov
authors: Lijuan
authors: L
authors: Han
authors: Stefano M
authors: SM
authors: Marino
authors: Xiaoqing
authors: X
authors: Sun
authors: Anton A
authors: AA
authors: Turanov
authors: Pengcheng
authors: P
authors: Yang
authors: Sun Hee
authors: SH
authors: Yim
authors: Xiang
authors: X
authors: Zhao
authors: Marina V
authors: MV
authors: Kasaikina
authors: Nina
authors: N
authors: Stoletzki
authors: Chunfang
authors: C
authors: Peng
authors: Paz
authors: P
authors: Polak
authors: Zhiqiang
authors: Z
authors: Xiong
authors: Adam
authors: A
authors: Kiezun
authors: Yabing
authors: Y
authors: Zhu
authors: Yuanxin
authors: Y
authors: Chen
authors: Gregory V
authors: GV
authors: Kryukov
authors: Qiang
authors: Q
authors: Zhang
authors: Leonid
authors: L
authors: Peshkin
authors: Lan
authors: L
authors: Yang
authors: Roderick T
authors: RT
authors: Bronson
authors: Rochelle
authors: R
authors: Buffenstein
authors: Bo
authors: B
authors: Wang
authors: Changlei
authors: C
authors: Han
authors: Qiye
authors: Q
authors: Li
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Chen
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Zhao
authors: Shamil R
authors: SR
authors: Sunyaev
authors: Thomas J
authors: TJ
authors: Park
authors: Guojie
authors: G
authors: Zhang
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Vadim N
authors: VN
authors: Gladyshev
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000235:genetics; D003624:Darkness; D005796:Genes / Q000235:genetics; D016678:Genome / Q000235:genetics*; D042822:Genomic Instability / Q000235:genetics; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000235:genetics; D008136:Longevity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019577:Mole Rats / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis / Q000235:genetics; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D013649:Taste / Q000235:genetics; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000235:genetics; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen