The secret to the longevity of Jonathan, a 194-year-old turtle, has been revealed

Thanks to the analysis of a saliva sample, scholars have identified 287 unique genetic variants in this extraordinarily long-lived specimen. Given that senescence represents the main risk factor for almost all chronic diseases, the scientists' goal is now to exploit evolutionary insights to translate them into practical treatments accessible to all

Jonathan is 194 years old and is a giant tortoise who lives on the island of St. Helena, in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is known for being the longest-lived land animal in the world. The very slow genetic aging process is its secret to a long life. This was discovered by a US non-profit organization Kallel, specialized in studies on longevity, and published in the journal Science Advances. Given that senescence represents the main risk factor for almost all chronic diseases, scientists now aim to exploit evolutionary insights to translate them into practical treatments accessible to all.

The study

Thanks to genetic analysis obtained from a saliva sample, scientists have identified 287 unique genetic variants in this extraordinarily long-lived giant tortoise. "These genes - underlines Stephen Clark, founder of Kallel and senior author of the study - control fundamental processes in the body, including the repair of DNA damage, the reduction of inflammation, the regulation of insulin and the suppression of tumors".

Gene regulators have remained incredibly stable

The researchers also compared the epigenome (the set of factors that bind to DNA without changing its sequence) of the turtle with that of 4 other specimens of the same species and realized that they were very similar to those of the younger animals. "In practice - adds Justin Gerlach of Peterhouse College at the University of Cambridge, who participated in the study - the gene regulators involved in energy production and DNA repair have remained incredibly stable in Jonathan over almost two centuries, while they normally change over time, contributing to the aging process. Therefore their high-fidelity transcription proved fundamental for longevity".