Whale DNA Might Be Hiding Clues About Longevity
Joao Pedro de Magalhaes is a biologist and expert in aging science at the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom and a the study's lead author. He said that in pursuit of finding genes that might be associated with a longer life span, scientists have found many species whose genetics they believe warrant further study. Among those interesting genetic targets were were Bowhead whales, Fox News reported.
Bowhead whales are one of the largest mammal species on Earth. Adults can reach up to 100 tonnes. Unlike other whale species that migrate to feed and reproduce, bowheads are only found in the Arctic and spend their entire lives in fertile cold waters. Bowheads were once thought to live 60 to 70 years, similar to other whale species. But scientific evidence suggests that some individuals of this species can live up to 150-200 years.
In addition to their long lifespan, bowhead whales have a remarkably low cancer rate even though their big size and long life should suggest the opposite. Approximately 30 percent of humans will develop some type of cancer during their lifetime, but bowheads seem to be spared.
In order to unveil the mystery behind the phenomenon, the researchers investigated the bowhead genome and tried to identify the genes and mechanisms that contribute to bowheads' longevity. Magalhaes said that they found that bowhead whales have a uniquely mutated gene named ERCC1. This gene is involved in damaged DNA repair, which can potentially provide protection against cancer. Furthermore they also discovered a gene called PCNA that contains a section of duplicated DNA, which is associated with cell growth and DNA repair. Magalhaes stated that the duplication could potentially slow aging.
Magalhaes said: "My own view is that different long-lived species use different tricks to evolve life spans, and there aren't many genes in common. But you do find some common pathways, so there may be common patterns." He also added that looking at the mechanisms that protect against disease is a really unexplored area of research, Fox News reported.
