Surprising findings reveal that the long-lived naked mole-rat has lost a crucial part of its immune system, challenging our understanding of how these unique rodents defend against infection.
The Missing Proteins: A Curious Turn
In an amazing twist of findings, scientists have revealed just how the immune system of naked mole-rats actually functions. This subterranean mammal, which can live up to 40 years – an eon in the lifespan of a small rodent — has has undergone extensive erosion in its CD1 functional genes.
Mammalian CD1 gene family-encoded proteins function during host defense against infections. Actually, these proteins serve as tags that signal bacteria as a trespassing object and can be detected and wiped out by our immune system.
But the naked mole-rat has found a way to prosper even without these immune-powering proteins. All of which poses interesting questions about what special defenses the naked mole-rat has evolved against sickness and disease.
Unconventional Immunity
The naked mole-rat’s immune system has made AT LEAST one incredible adaptation—the loss of CD1 proteins. Gradually, these proteins are very important for the development of an immune cell type known as natural killer T cells which are critical for clearing virus infected and tumor cells.
This implies that for the naked mole-rat, these CD1 proteins are in fact unnecessary and the immune system must be working along other (CD1-independent) paths. The findings also provide evidence that other immune cells including myeloid cell and NKT-cell subsets specialized types of T lymphocytes may have taken over for the missing natural killer T cells, according to the researchers in their report published on February 8th in Cell.
It indicates that the immune system of the naked mole-rat is highly adaptable and plastic. However, although the lack of these immune antibodies might seem like a disadvantage, it also seems that these distinct rodents have evolved new strategies to be able to live with an equally extraordinary armory against possible pathogens.
Conclusion
This is a truly amazing revelation as to the extent of the loss of CD1 functionality within naked mole-rats, and also how important this gene family is for generating an immune response against infectious disease. But what it is doing underground is mystery to challenge our notion of how these long-lived rodents (they can survive > 30 years in captivity) are able to get on with life beneath the earth. Based on the results presented here, it appears that in place of CD1-related strategies used by other mammals, naked mole-rats have evolved unconventional, alternative mechanisms to cope with pathogens and illness, testifying of their remarkable adaptability. Even as we come to understand the workings of the naked mole-rat’s immune system, there is much in its evolutionary history or life history that remains unknown, pointing toward clues within this one, tiny mammal who has not merely bent but broken every rule about what it means to live well.
