The Greenland shark: a new challenge for the oxidative stress theory of ageing?

David Costantini, Shona Smith, Shaun S. Killen, Julius Nielsen, John Fleng Steffensen

10 Citations (Scopus)
41 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The free radical theory of ageing predicts that long-lived species should be more resistant to oxidative damage than short-lived species. Although many studies support this theory, recent studies found notable exceptions that challenge the generality of this theory. In this study, we have analysed the oxidative status of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus), which has recently been found as the longest living vertebrate animal known to science with a lifespan of at least 272years. As compared to other species, the Greenland shark had body mass-corrected values of muscle glutathione peroxidase and red blood cells protein carbonyls (metric of protein oxidative damage) above 75 percentile and below 25 percentile, respectively. None of the biochemical metrics of oxidative status measured in either skeletal muscle or red blood cells were correlated with maximum lifespan of species. We propose that the values of metrics of oxidative status we measured might be linked to ecological features (e.g., adaptation to cold waters and deep dives) of this shark species rather to its lifespan.

Original languageEnglish
JournalComparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology
Volume203
Pages (from-to)227-232
Number of pages6
ISSN1095-6433
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2017

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The Greenland shark: a new challenge for the oxidative stress theory of ageing?'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this