Sloth Genome Sequencing Identifies Active Transposons Linked to Metabolism
Researchers sequenced a sloth genome and compared it with related species. The study identified preserved transposons connected to mitochondrial function and slow metabolism.
The IndependentA study has sequenced the genome of a captive sloth and compared it with the genomes of anteaters and armadillos. The analysis identified multiple active copies of transposons that emerged in the common ancestor of sloth species about 30 million years ago. These sequences are linked to mitochondria and metabolic pathways. The sloth has the slowest metabolism among mammals.
DNA was extracted from a captive sloth at facilities associated with the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, and the Hospital Sirio Libanes. Researchers then compared the sloth genome to other members of the Xenarthra group to identify distinctive elements.
The transposons in the sloth genome remain active, unlike the typically inactive versions found in humans.
Galante, co-lead author at the Hospital Sirio Libanes, said many human conditions including diabetes, ageing-related disorders, neurodegeneration, and muscle wasting involve problems with energy production and mitochondrial function. Dr Galante added that sloth cell lines may offer a model for understanding low-energy states and that further research could inform studies on tissue preservation, critical care medicine, ageing, metabolic disease, and long-duration space travel.
Dr Marcela Uliano-Silva, senior bioinformatician at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said evolution has already run billions of experiments and that studying unusual animals sometimes uncovers biological solutions humans never evolved.
