Amber Plante

Biol 1615-042
October 22, 2015
Genome analysis reveals insights into physiology and longevity of Brandts bat Myotis brandtii
Introduction
The scientists conducting this research are testing to see what biological attributes that
the Brandts bat have that allow them to have such phenomenal longevity. The Brandts bat has a
lifespan that exceeds forty years which, for its small adult body weight of 4-8 g, is the greatest
disparity seen in mammals in regards to body mass and longevity.
The scientists sequenced the Brandts bat genome and transcriptome in order to have a
better understanding of the mammals longevity secrets on a genetic level. It was found that the
Brandts bat has adaptations for echolocation, hibernation, altered metabolism, reproduction and
visual function. After analyzing the data findings, the research has claimed that altered growth
hormone in combination to hibernation adaptations as well as a low reproductive rate contribute
to the longevity of the Brandts bat.
Materials and Methods
The researchers traveled to the Obvalnaya cave in Russia in order to access a high
population of Brandts bats. There they began collecting samples of liver, kidney and brain
transcriptomes of the hibernating and summer-active male bats. After collecting the samples the
researchers sequenced the genomes. The researchers predicted the gene set collected to have
22,256 protein-coding genes; of those genes 21,219 genes were transcribed and of those
transcribed genes 20,744 genes were able to be annotated by homology approaches.

The researchers decided that they wanted to an insight on evolutionary relationships of

bats and related mammals. Eight related mammals were used to construct a phylogenetic tree.
Results
After investigating the evolutionary characteristics the researchers discovered that the
senses for smelling were removed from the attributes of the bats which may reflect that M.
brandtii depends primarily on echolocation and vision for sensory perception (pg. 3).
After further analysis of the species, it was detected that there were 98 traits lost and 349
gained. One finding in respect to the echolocation trait was discovered after analyzing aminoacid changes in 48 vertebrate genomes. There are four specific proteins that are unique to the
echolocation trait were found in both the Brandts bat and the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Both
of these genes are expressed in the inner ear.
The vision of the bats are adapted for short navigation ranges and has an advantage for
bats and dusk and at dawn. The gene has adapted to allow the bats to see best in low levels of
light. The researchers believe that loss of function of seeing during the day is expressed
specifically in nocturnal, echolocating bats.
In addition to echolocation and vision, the bats also had gene mutation for hibernation,
reproduction and longevity. For the adaptations required for hibernations, the researchers looked
at the liver of the bats who had been hibernation for six months; they found that overall, the
genes had shifted to downregulation. It was found that the bats reproduced fewer offspring
because an increased responsiveness to LH could be associated with delayed ovulation (pg. 5)
Longevity of the bats was also analyzed and growth hormone was discovered to be the
key trait adaption. It was found that the GHR transmembrane residue was deleted in the present
bat population in question. After experiments were conducted, it was found that the removal of

daf-2 which affects an insulin receptor, extends the lifespan several-fold. Ultimately, it was
found that the Brandts bat is hypothesized to have a correlation between reduced number of
cysteine in the mitochondrial DNA proteins and longevity.
Discussion
The discussion portion of this article touches on aspects beyond the conclusive findings.
The researchers state that they are curious about the influence of the growth hormone receptor of
the Brandts bat. This factor contributes to their small body size. This small body size may also
be a link to the bats longevity. The small body size is said to correlate with advantageous
echolocating abilities to find small insects; however this theory is inconclusive because a larger
body size also has its own advantages. While the findings on the smaller body size are
inconclusive, it is possible that the small body contributes significantly to the longevity of the
Brandts bat.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Brandts bat has attributes that are able to extend its life significantly.
These traits include hibernation, low reproduction rate and it roosts in caves away from
predators. The bat is known to have lengthy reproductive cycles and take a long time to mature;
because of this they produce a single offspring called a pup. These combination of traits are
believed to contribute to the significant lifespan for these incredible creatures.

Works Cited
Seim, I. Fang, X., & Xiong, Z. (2013). Genome analysis reveals insights into physiology and
longevity of the Brandts bat Myotis brandtii, Nature Communications. Retrieved September 6,
2015, from http://biology1615.weebly.com/genetics-and-cancer-biology.html