A recent study suggests that the extraordinary longevity of the Greenland shark, the oldest known living vertebrate species, may be significantly influenced by the metabolic activity of muscles.
These insights could be crucial to conservation efforts for this species, which faces threats from climate change, and may even provide new avenues for improving human cardiovascular health.
“Aging is a very complex system and I think many factors may be involved in the extreme longevity of Greenland sharks,” said Ewan Camplisson, lead researcher. Interesting Engineering (IE).
Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) hold the record for the longest-lived vertebrate, with a predicted lifespan of at least 270 years and the potential to live more than 500 years.
Lifespan study of Greenland sharks
It was previously believed that the extraordinary longevity of Greenland sharks was mainly due to their cold habitat and limited physical activity. However, the reasons behind their remarkable longevity appear to be considerably more complicated.
“Most species show changes in their metabolism as they age,” says Camplisson. To assess shark metabolism, the researchers performed enzyme assays on preserved muscle tissue samples from Greenland sharks and assessed the metabolic activity of these enzymes at different ages and environmental temperatures.
Unexpectedly, the results revealed no significant changes in muscle metabolic activity at different ages, indicating that the sharks’ metabolism does not decline over time. This finding suggests that sustained metabolic activity may be a crucial factor in their longevity.
“Showing that their [Greenland sharks’] Metabolism doesn’t seem to change with age in their red muscle, I think this shows that the shark has a number of adaptations which together lead to its longevity,” says Camplisson. that is
“The fact that Greenland sharks do not show a change in activity with age suggests that they may not have the same gradual accumulation of damage to their metabolic enzymes and so they do not need to change their metabolism in the way animals would. other like people. ,” he added.
The results of the study also show that the metabolic enzymes of Greenland sharks exhibit significantly higher activity at elevated temperatures. “This would suggest that the red shark’s muscle metabolism is not specifically adapted to the polar environment,” says Camplisson.
In a rapidly changing climate, species with long lifespans and limited adaptability are at increased risk of extinction. Female Greenland sharks, which may not reach sexual maturity until age 150, have extended generation times that significantly reduce their ability to adapt to human-induced environmental changes.
As for conservation, aside from the obvious calls for lower ocean temperatures, Camplisson has some suggestions for the Greenland shark. “A more specific plan for the Greenland shark would be to control the expansion of fishing in Arctic waters. With the loss of Arctic ice, new fishing grounds are opening up and these need to be closely monitored to determine the extent of Greenland shark bycatch,” he says.
“This monitoring would also provide insight into where populations are in greater numbers and track whether warming waters are forcing sharks into a shrinking region of cold water,” adds Camplisson.
How does this relate to human health?
The study of cardiovascular and metabolic activity in sharks can lead to interesting avenues of research related to human health. “The cardiovascular system of a shark is very different from humans. So making direct comparisons between the two entire systems is not easy,” Camplisson thinks.
“We hope that this and future work will allow us to determine what adaptations to metabolic enzymes and metabolism in general allow them to have such sustained activity with age. A big factor to investigate is mitochondrial dysfunction and whether Greenland sharks show any signs of this,” he concludes.
This research is being presented at the Annual Conference of the Society for Experimental Biology in Prague on 2-5th July 2024.
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Srishti Gupta Srishti studied English literature at Delhi University and has since realized that it is not her cup of tea. She has been an editor in every space and content type imaginable, from children’s books to magazine articles. She enjoys popular culture, reading contemporary literature and nonfiction, crafts, and spending time with her cats. With a keen interest in science, Srishti is particularly drawn to beats covering medicine, sustainability, gene studies and anything related to biology.