International cooperation reveals 2000 new genes are essential for human longevity

What determines the lifespan of each species? This is a basic and highly complex problem that has aroused research interest in various fields throughout history

Take mammals as an example.

As for human beings, we may live to 120 years old, and on average we are very long-lived

Now, an international research team led by researchers from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Pompeii Fabra in Barcelona, ​​Spain, is involved in a comparative genome study of the evolution of 57 mammals.

"When you only compare the human genome, you will find differences between genes that encode small differences in human lifespans

Gerard Muntané, co-director of the study, commented: "Using the variation that exists between other mammalian species, you can get closer to identifying other essential changes in lifespan, which may not significantly distinguish us humans at the genetic level

Protein stability is the core of longevity

One of the effects observed in all mammals after a certain age is that the proteome—all the proteins expressed by the genome—is unstable, for reasons that are unclear

Through this study, the research team found that proteins with amino acid changes in long-lived organisms are more stable than proteins in shorter-lived organisms

"We believe that when a protein is not degraded in the cell and continues to perform its function for a longer time, it will be more stable

Application of Evolutionary Biology in Medicine

The research published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution opened the door to the development of new therapeutic targets and the treatment of diseases related to human aging

The method developed by the research team can be used to answer other questions related to human health in the future

This research was funded by the European Regional Development Fund, national research institutions and the Catalan government and other institutions

Original search: Farré X.