How a fish out of water could help humans find the fountain of youth – Telegraph.co.uk

The fountain of youth may be lurking in the DNA of a remarkable fish which manages to survive out of water for several lifetimes.

African turquoise killifish which are native to Zimbabwe and Mozambique, inhabit shallow puddles that are prone to drying out, leaving the fish stranded for large parts of the year.

But to beat the problem, killifish embryos enter a state of suspended animation called diapause where they essentially stop the clock until the rain returns and they resume life as if nothing has happened.

Now scientists at Stanford University and theStowers Institute for Medical Researchhave worked out how they do it and believe it could help humans prevent ageing, or even hibernate, which might be necessary on lengthy journeys into space.

A study of killifish DNA showed that during diapause, genes which trigger the rapid turnover of cells dial down, as do those involved in metabolism, while those involved in muscle maintenance become more active.

Scientists are now keen to find out if activating the same genes in humans could prevent ageing and disease in later life.

The killifish lives in transient ponds that are only present during the rainy season and entirely desiccate during the dry season, the authors wrote in the journal Science.

To survive the long drought and enable perpetuation of the species, African killifish embryos enter diapause.

Although features of diapause have been described in killifish species the mechanisms by which diapause protects organisms remain unknown.

The time spent in diapause does not come with observed tradeoffs for future life, and diapause confers protective mechanisms to complex organs against damage caused by the passage of time.

Killifish survive for around four to six months so can complete their lifecycle and spawn before their puddle drys out.

Commenting on the research, Marc Van Gilst, of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, said: In the simplest sense, aging is considered the inevitable wear and tear brought on by the passage of time.

The basic idea is that the more time passes, the more an animal ages and the more it progresses toward its ultimate demise.

This simplistic perspective is somewhat fatalistic and defines time as the ultimate enemy of youth.

However, it has been established in many animals that aging is also heavily influenced by genetic and physiological programs, such that aging may not necessarily be an inevitable consequence.

Dr Alejandro Sanchez Alvarado, Scientific Director, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, added: "Our work provides us with an opportunity to make inroads into understanding this fascinating natural manifestation of suspended animation in the vertebrate killifish."

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How a fish out of water could help humans find the fountain of youth - Telegraph.co.uk