Naked mole rat - Barker

Question 1

What are the advantages of the model?

Answer 1

1. longevity (the eldest is 37 yrs).
2. cancer resistance (due to Hyaluronan).
3. Insensitive to capsaicin and acidity (not entirely pain-free but insensitive to these two). Mainly due to variation in Sodium voltage channel (Nav 1.7).
4. Anoxia resistant (use fructose in hypoxic situations). last up to 18 mins without O2 (humans last 6 mins).
5. Poikilothermia: although a mammal it adjusts its’ temperature to the outside (32°C).
6. Eusocial (cooperative, colonies where labor is distributed “queens breed and others work”, and overlap of generations).

Question 2

What are the main downsides of the model and how to overcome them?

Answer 2

Disadvantages:

1. longevity.
2. reproductive cycle (20-25 pups per life) and 70 days gestation. (but no reduction in fertility by age).
3. limited viral/in vivo imaging
4. No ab’s
5. no transgenics
6. colony structure (can’t remove or add an individual without disrupting their structure) they identify each other by distinctive chirps.

Solutions:

1. Use behavioral methods, machine learning and interspecies comparison
2. CRISP/cas9
3. Computational approaches
4. Omics… proteomics, genomics,…
5. In vitro techniques.

Question 3

How long can naked mole-rats survive without oxygen?

a. 3min
b. 34min
c. 18min

Answer 3

c. 18min

Question 4

What are the three characteristics of eusociality after Wilson (1971)?

a. reproductive division of labor (queen)
b. longevity
c. overlap of two generations
d. cooperative care of young
e. sacrifice of puppies

Answer 4

a. reproductive division of labor (queen)
c. overlap of two generations
d. cooperative care of young

Question 5

What is poikilothermism?

Answer 5

A poikilotherm is an animal whose internal temperature varies considerably, “cold-blooded”