title: The Greenland shark: A new challenge for the oxidative stress theory of ageing?
abstract: The free radical theory of ageing predicts that long-lived species should be more resistant to oxidative damage than short-lived species. Although many studies support this theory, recent studies found notable exceptions that challenge the generality of this theory. In this study, we have analysed the oxidative status of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus), which has recently been found as the longest living vertebrate animal known to science with a lifespan of at least 272years. As compared to other species, the Greenland shark had body mass-corrected values of muscle glutathione peroxidase and red blood cells protein carbonyls (metric of protein oxidative damage) above 75 percentile and below 25 percentile, respectively. None of the biochemical metrics of oxidative status measured in either skeletal muscle or red blood cells were correlated with maximum lifespan of species. We propose that the values of metrics of oxidative status we measured might be linked to ecological features (e.g., adaptation to cold waters and deep dives) of this shark species rather to its lifespan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Institute for Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK. Electronic address: davidcostantini@libero.it.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Costantini
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
authors.forename: Shona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
authors.forename: Shaun S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Killen
authors.affiliation: Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, DK-3000 Helsingør, Denmark.
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, DK-3000 Helsingør, Denmark.
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Steffensen
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006116:Greenland; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D050050:Protein Carbonylation; D012754:Sharks / Q000097:blood / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D029941:Fish Proteins; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase
keywords: Ageing; Lifespan; Oxidative stress; Sharks; Vertebrates