title: Interspecific correlation between red blood cell mitochondrial ROS production, cardiolipin content and longevity in birds.
abstract: Mitochondrial respiration releases reactive oxygen species (ROS) as by-products that can damage the soma and may in turn accelerate ageing. Hence, according to "the oxidative stress theory of ageing", longer-lived organisms may have evolved mechanisms that improve mitochondrial function, reduce ROS production and/or increase cell resistance to oxidative damage. Cardiolipin, an important mitochondrial inner-membrane phospholipid, has these properties by binding and stabilizing mitochondrial inner-membrane proteins. Here, we investigated whether ROS production, cardiolipin content and cell membrane resistance to oxidative attack in freshly collected red blood cells (RBCs) are associated with longevity (range 5-35 years) in 21 bird species belonging to seven Orders. After controlling for phylogeny, body size and oxygen consumption, variation in maximum longevity was significantly explained by mitochondrial ROS production and cardiolipin content, but not by membrane resistance to oxidative attack. RBCs of longer-lived species produced less ROS and contained more cardiolipin than RBCs of shorter-lived species did. These results support the oxidative stress theory of ageing and shed light on mitochondrial cardiolipin as an important factor linking ROS production to longevity.
authors: Department of Ecology and Evolution, Quartier Sorge, bâtiment Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland. jessica.delhaye@live.fr.
authors: Jessica
authors: J
authors: Delhaye
authors: Department of Ecology and Evolution, Quartier Sorge, bâtiment Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.|Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: Nicolas
authors: N
authors: Salamin
authors: Department of Ecology and Evolution, Quartier Sorge, bâtiment Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: Alexandre
authors: A
authors: Roulin
authors: IPHC, UNISTRA, CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, 67200, Strasbourg, France.
authors: François
authors: F
authors: Criscuolo
authors: Department of Ecology and Evolution, Quartier Sorge, bâtiment Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.|Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, Aberdeen, UK.
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Bize
authors: Department of Ecology and Evolution, Quartier Sorge, bâtiment Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: Philippe
authors: P
authors: Christe
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D001835:Body Weight; D002308:Cardiolipins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008136:Longevity; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D051336:Mitochondrial Membranes / Q000737:chemistry; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010802:Phylogeny; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002308:Cardiolipins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species
keywords: Birds; Comparative methods; Free radicals; Longevity; Phospholipids