"The whole-life history traits might be influenced by the degree of early-life cohabitation with others."
BUFFALO, NY- September 30, 2024 – A new research paper was published on the cover of Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science), Volume 16, Issue 18 on September 16, 2024, entitled, "Single housing of juveniles accelerates early-stage growth but extends adult lifespan in African turquoise killifish."
As noted in the abstract, individuals of the same species that exhibit faster growth tend to have shorter lifespans, even when rapid growth is induced by early-life pharmacological interventions. However, in vertebrates, the impact of early-life environmental factors on growth rate and lifespan remains unclear.
In this research, Chika Takahashi, Emiko Okabe, Masanori Nono, Saya Kishimoto, Hideaki Matsui, Tohru Ishitani, Takuya Yamamoto, Masaharu Uno, and Eisuke Nishida from RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR) in Hyogo, Japan; Brain Research Institute, Niigata University in Niigata, Japan; Research Institute for Microbial Diseases at Osaka University in Osaka, Japan; Kyoto University in Kyoto, Japan; and RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP) in Kyoto, Japan, studied short-lived African turquoise killifish. This species is well-suited for comprehensive life-stage analysis over a short timeframe. The team explored the effects of housing density during the juvenile stage on various life traits.
"As a result, we found that lower housing densities resulted in faster growth, but led to longer adult lifespan, which was contrary to the common notion."
Furthermore, single-housed adult fish exhibited a longer egg-laying period compared to their group-housed counterparts. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the progression of life stages and the aging process were slower in single-housed fish, as reflected in their internal transcriptional programs. These findings suggest that early-life social environment may influence life-long attributes, potentially shaping specific life history traits beyond the typical relationship between growth rate and lifespan.
"The whole-life history traits might be influenced by the degree of early-life cohabitation with others."
Continue reading: DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206111
