In Search of Mammalian Gene Duplications Correlated with Species Longevity

Duplication of a genetic sequence is a common occurrence over evolutionary time, one of the mechanisms by which species evolve. Noteworthy duplications include the many versions of cancer suppressor gene TP53 that are observed in the elephant genome. Large animals have many more cells than small animals, and so the evolution of greater size must be accompanied by the evolution of ways to greatly reduce cancer risk per cell. Researchers here report on the results of searching for specific gene duplications in mammalian species that correlate with species longevity. This provides starting points for further study of the mechanisms that determine sizable differences in mammalian life spans, at present a poorly understood area of biochemistry. Whether or not such mechanisms can provide a basis for therapies to slow or reverse degenerative aging in humans in the near term of the next few decades remains a question mark. Duplications of human longevity-associated genes across placental mammals Natural selection has shaped a wide range of lifespans across mammals, with a few long-lived species showing negligible signs of ageing. Approaches used to elucidate the genetic mechanisms underlying mammalian longevity usually involve phylogenetic selection tests on candidate genes, detections of convergent amino acid changes in long-lived lineages, analyses of differential gene expression between age cohorts or species, and measurements of age-related epigenetic chan...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs