Humans, giant tortoises, and other animals have genes responsible for DNA repair, namely for the correct repair and self-destruction of cells that have received severe mutations.
According to a study conducted by scientists from the University at Buffalo in the US, giant tortoises have extra copies of genes involved in so-called apoptosis. This is a cell self-destruction process that protects turtles from the ravages of aging, including cancer. Laboratory tests conducted on giant tortoises of the Galapagos Islands confirmed the presence of a similar protective mechanism in these animals, reports the online publication InoSMI, citing an article in the Al Arabiya publication from the United Arab Emirates.
Biologists from the University of California, Berkeley, have identified genes associated with extremely long lifespans in some species of Pacific perch. The discovered genes are responsible for maintaining the structure of DNA, regulate cell division and cell death, and are also immune regulators, reports the journal Science.
The lifespan of vertebrates varies greatly: some animals live only five weeks (the pygmy goby) while others live 400 years (the Greenland shark). One of the longest-living animals is the Aleutian sea bass Sebastes aleutianus. This fish, native to the Pacific Ocean, reaches one meter in length and can live for more than 200 years. But its relative, the small sea bass Sebastes viviparus, lives only 11 years. The lifespan of terrestrial vertebrates is often related to body size: the larger the animal, the longer it lives. Thus, even closely related species can differ greatly in life expectancy, indicating that the “secret of longevity” may lie in single genes, writes the online magazine nplus1.ru.
Humans have genes responsible for DNA repair, namely for the correct repair and self-destruction of cells that have received severe mutations. This is exactly what the STK17A gene is like. Fewer mutations have accumulated in the DNA of centenarians; a mutation that occurs in the DNA of a particular cell affects the life of that cell and all the “descendants” that will come from it during division. They can be harmless, and occasionally even useful, but more often they are harmful. Therefore, the fewer mutations accumulated in the body’s cells, the better it functions. The longer a person lives, the more often his cells have divided or repaired (“repaired” the DNA molecule) and the more mutations they have accumulated.
By the end of the 21st century, people will be able to live up to 130 years, and the life expectancy limit will reach 180 years, HEC Montreal scientists from the University of Montreal concluded while analyzing statistical data, writes the Daily Mail.