An international team of scientists from institutions such as the Fritz Lipmann Institute on Aging (FLI) in Jena, Germany, and the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa has successfully mapped the genome of the world’s longest-living vertebrate, the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus), which boasts a remarkable lifespan of up to 400 years.
Genome mapping reveals the sequence and location of genes along the DNA chain, offering critical insights into the biological mechanisms that enable organisms to survive, grow, and reproduce. By decoding the complete genome of the Greenland shark, a species found in the deep waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean, researchers gain a rare opportunity to uncover the genetic secrets behind its extraordinary longevity.
Only a few complex animals outlive humans. Among them are giant tortoises, such as Jonathan, a 191-year-old currently residing on the island of St. Helena. However, even this impressive lifespan pales in comparison to that of the Greenland shark. Its genome is twice the length of a human’s, making it one of the largest animal genomes ever studied, with 6.5 billion base pairs (the lungfish holds the record, with 35 billion base pairs).
“The vast size of the Greenland shark’s genome is largely due to the presence of repetitive and self-replicating elements,” explains Professor Alessandro Cellerino, a neurobiologist at FLI and the Laboratory of Biology at SNS. He contributed to the study along with Neuroscience PhD student Davide Drago, who specializes in the comparative study of brain aging in sharks.
QWE