2023-09-20 13:58:04
When we think about bats, we generally associate them with myths, superstitions and, especially since the coronavirus pandemic, with their direct or indirect ability to transmit viruses that can cause serious diseases in humans.
Also sometimes the image of his human relative Batman, a superhero with his own ideal of justice in the fight against crime, comes to mind. But, although that is another story (and fictional), it is true that bats have extraordinary traits worthy of a Marvel character: they are extremely long-lived for their size, immune to many viruses and, on top of that, they show an enviable resistance to cancer.
Bats as a model in science
Although they are not as common in laboratories as mice or rats, the bats They have unique characteristics whose study allows us to obtain knowledge in different scientific fields, with the possible applications that this entails. Thus, unlike other mammals, bats are capable of flying (there are species of mammals that can glide or glide, but cannot actively fly). Its physiology and biomechanics of flight are areas of interest for students of the evolution of flight in animals of the vertebrate group.
Additionally, bats have the ability to see through sound, which is called echolocation. This interesting phenomenon is the object of study in sensory perception from a neurobiological point of view. And, of course, bats are essential for our ecosystems as pollinators and they play a very important role in preventing pests. Being among the threatened species, research on its biology and habitats is crucial for the conservation and maintenance of ecosystems.
Longevity and disease resistance
Surprisingly, some bat species live longer than other mammals of similar size. Most small mammals, such as mice, rats, and hamsters, typically do not live more than three years (excluding death from predators). However, many bats can live in the wild for decades, with records spanning over 40 years for some species. Longevity has been associatedamong other aspects, to their ability to hibernate or the fact that they live in caves.
Furthermore, bats show remarkable resistance to certain diseases, including some viruses that are deadly to other mammals. Thus, these flying mammals have been implicated, but not affected, in outbreaks zoonotic (that are transmitted to humans) emerging, including the Marburg virus, the virus Nipah and in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses 1 (SARS-CoV-1) and 2 (SARS-CoV-2), either through direct human contact or through animals that acted as intermediaries.
Molecular and cellular adaptations
Different studies indicate that bats may have adaptations at the genetic and cellular level that protect them against aging processes, viruses and diseases, including cancer.
Although it is known that bats are not completely immune to cancer, tumors have not yet been reported for the longest-lived species. In this sense, genetic adaptations related to tumor suppression have been described for two of the longest-living species, Myotis brandii y Myotis myotisadaptations that could contribute to their extreme longevity.
Furthermore, an improvement has also been detected in the DNA repair and immunocompetencethe microbiota stabilization and the reduction of inflammation and resistance to viruses facilitated by a more flexible thermoregulation (the one related to hibernation mentioned above). It has also been suggested that their tolerance to many viral infections comes from unusual features of your innate immune response.
Taking all these adaptations into account, it is more than evident that bats are a very interesting model to investigate the wide variety of relationships between genotype and the phenotype, as well as its clinical implication. For example, if we are able to understand those mechanisms of the immune system of bats that allow them to tolerate viral infections, we could be better prepared to prevent zoonotic outbreaks.
Genomics and evolution to study cancer
But it is also extremely interesting to carry out comparative genomic analyzes between bats and other mammals more susceptible to cancer, since the results obtained can offer us clues about the causes of cancer or the connections between cancer and immunity and, with this, look for solutions to combat it.
And to this end, an article is published today in the prestigious magazine Genome Biology and Evolution in which they echo a new and complex genomic sequencing methodology in two bat species: the Jamaican fruit bat Artibeus jamaicensis and the Mesoamerican mustached bat Pteronotus mesoamericanus. The results have been compared with those of other mammals (human, mouse, dog, pig, horse and 13 other species of bat).
The research group has discovered that one type of interferon (INF-omega) is more common in bats, and that antiviral genes stimulated by type I interferons have also evolved rapidly, with strong selection in favor of the genes IFIT2(with special antiviral activity) and PRDM9 (related to recombination and also involved in responses to infections), adaptations that most likely allow them to harbor viruses without suffering from the disease.
They have also found, throughout the evolutionary branch of bats, evidence of positive selection in 33 tumor suppressor genes and 6 DNA repair genes, which may be associated with the low rates of cancer and longevity observed in these very peculiar mammals. .
One of Batman’s quotes is: “Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.” Let us have faith in science and we will be rewarded.
Francisco José Esteban Ruiz He is a Full Professor of Cellular Biology, University of Jaén
This article was originally published in The Conversation.
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