Objective The African naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is an unusual rodent species that has evolved physiological strategies to adapt to an extreme ecological niche. It is the only poikilothermic mammal (cold-blooded), has an extraordinarily long life span for its small size (in excess of 30 years) and lives in large colonies organized like those of termites (eusocial). We have shown that naked mole-rats lack physiological attributes thought essential and protective for most other animal species. For example, severe tissue acidosis is life threatening as well as painful and yet naked mole-rats completely lack behavioral sensitivity to acid and sensory neurons are not activated by protons in this species. Here we will identify functionally important naked mole-rat gene variants that may account for aspects of the extreme physiology in this species. We have already identified candidate naked mole-rat-genes whose altered function, compared to other mammals, may account for acid insensitivity, lack of pain sensitization and poikilothermy in this species. These gene variants will be functionally characterized by replacing the mouse gene with a naked-mole rat variant using molecular genetic techniques. In addition we will use next generation sequencing to identify further naked mole-rat gene variants. These studies will allow us to learn how evolution selected for functionally significant gene variants that can radically alter normal physiology in the context of a rodent genome. Fields of science medical and health sciencesbasic medicinephysiologynatural sciencesbiological scienceszoologymammalogynatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsgenomes Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-AG-LS5 - ERC Advanced Grant - Neurosciences and neural disorders Call for proposal ERC-2011-ADG_20110310 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-AG - ERC Advanced Grant Coordinator MAX DELBRUECK CENTRUM FUER MOLEKULARE MEDIZIN IN DER HELMHOLTZ-GEMEINSCHAFT (MDC) Address Robert rossle strasse 10 13125 Berlin Germany See on map Region Berlin Berlin Berlin Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Ioannis Legouras (Dr.) Principal investigator Gary Richard Lewin (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all MAX DELBRUECK CENTRUM FUER MOLEKULARE MEDIZIN IN DER HELMHOLTZ-GEMEINSCHAFT (MDC) Germany EU contribution € 2 498 960,00 Address Robert rossle strasse 10 13125 Berlin See on map Region Berlin Berlin Berlin Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Ioannis Legouras (Dr.) Principal investigator Gary Richard Lewin (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data
