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From Nature Press Release (10/12/11):
The genome of the long-lived and cancer-resistant naked mole rat has been sequenced. The findings, published in Nature this week, provide a resource for exploring the biology of these remarkable rodents. Naked mole rats are unusual subterranean mammals: they are able to cope with low-oxygen environments, have a maximum lifespan of around 30 years, and seem to have a high resistance to cancer. To further our understanding of the biology underlying the various characteristics of these animals, Vadim Gladyshev and colleagues sequenced and analyzed the naked mole rat genome. Their analysis uncovers unique genomic features and molecular adaptations associated with traits such as cancer resistance, hairlessness, altered visual function and circadian rhythms, and insensitivity to low oxygen. These data offer new opportunities for studying aging and cancer and for advancing many other areas of biological and biomedical research, the authors conclude.
Kim EB, Fang X, Fushan AA, Huang Z, Lobanov AV, Han L, Marino SM, Sun X, Turanov AA, Yang P, Yim SH, Zhao X, Kasaikina MV, Stoletzki N, Peng C, Polak P, Xiong Z, Kiezun A, Zhu Y, Chen Y, Kryukov GV, Zhang Q, Peshkin L, Yang L, Bronson RT, Buffenstein R, Wang B, Han C, Li Q, Chen L, Zhao W, Sunyaev SR, Park TJ, Zhang G, Wang J, Gladyshev VN. (2011) Genome sequencing reveals insights into physiology and longevity of the naked mole rat. Nature 479, 223-227.

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