Mechanisms and Evolutionary Advantages of Unlimited Reproductive Lifespans in Naked Mole-Rat Queens.

IF 9.1 1区生物学 Q1 GENETICS & HEREDITY

Annual review of genetics Pub Date : 2026-06-25 DOI:10.1146/annurev-genet-011626-014848

Andrew C Pearson, Odei Barreñada, Miguel A Brieño-Enríquez

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) defies mammalian norms with lifelong fertility and postnatal oogenesis. Unlike most mammals, which experience reproductive senescence due to depletion of a finite ovarian follicle pool, naked mole-rat queens maintain fertility for their entire 30+-year lifespan through multiple mechanisms, including postnatal oogenesis, an exceptionally large ovarian reserve, and maintenance of primordial germ cells into adulthood. This review explores the unique reproductive biology of naked mole-rats within the context of their eusocial lifestyle, examining how social suppression of reproduction in subordinates, the role of very-high-molecular-weight hyaluronan (vHMW-HA) in cancer resistance and tissue maintenance, and the maintenance of germline stem cell populations contribute to their extraordinary reproductive longevity. We discuss the evolutionary advantages of eusociality, mechanisms of reproductive suppression and activation, and the potential of naked mole-rats as a research model for understanding ovarian aging and developing fertility-preserving therapies in humans.

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裸鼹鼠蜂无限生殖寿命的机制和进化优势。

裸鼹鼠（Heterocephalus glaber）违背哺乳动物的终身生育和产后产卵规范。与大多数哺乳动物不同，由于有限的卵巢卵泡池耗尽而经历生殖衰老，裸鼹鼠女王通过多种机制在其整个30多年的生命中保持生育能力，包括出生后的卵子发生，异常大的卵巢储备，以及维持原始生殖细胞到成年。本文探讨了裸鼹鼠在其社会生活方式下独特的生殖生物学，研究了社会对其生殖的抑制，超高分子量透明质酸（vHMW-HA）在抗癌和组织维持中的作用，以及生殖系干细胞群体的维持如何有助于裸鼹鼠非凡的生殖寿命。我们讨论了裸鼹鼠社会性的进化优势，生殖抑制和激活的机制，以及裸鼹鼠作为研究人类卵巢衰老和开发生育保护疗法的研究模型的潜力。

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来源期刊

Annual review of genetics 生物-遗传学

CiteScore

18.30

自引率

0.90%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Annual Review of Genetics, published since 1967, comprehensively covers significant advancements in genetics. It encompasses various areas such as biochemical, behavioral, cell, and developmental genetics, evolutionary and population genetics, chromosome structure and transmission, gene function and expression, mutation and repair, genomics, immunogenetics, and other topics related to the genetics of viruses, bacteria, fungi, plants, animals, and humans.