We are collaborating on research into telomeres in marine mammals.

Aquariums are places where you can experience the lives of a wide variety of living animals up close. The animals at aquariums not only inspire visitors with excitement, a sense of relief, and an opportunity to reflect on the importance of life, but are also used in a variety of research projects.

In this column, we will introduce one of the research projects in which the aquarium is collaborating.

What are telomeres?

Telomeres at the ends of chromosomesTelomeres are repeats of specific sequences of bases at the ends of animals in living organisms. While this sequence is almost universal among vertebrates, its length varies depending on the species.
It is known that telomere length shortens due to two main factors. First, telomeres shorten with each cell division. It has been found that telomeres shorten with age in various animal species, including humans.
The second factor is oxidative damage. When animals are exposed to stress due to environmental changes or physiological conditions, highly oxidative substances are produced in the body, and it is thought that these substances damage telomeres, causing them to shorten. Therefore, it is hoped that measuring telomere length can be used to evaluate stress in animals.

What can be done as an aquarium animals?

Testing Southern American fur seals However, it is difficult to obtain samples from many marine mammals, such as dolphins, seals, and fur seals, and their telomere lengths are unknown to begin with.
Furthermore, the relationship between age and stress, which affect telomere length, has yet to be clarified.
To shed light on these issues, the Center for Southeast Asian Studies and Graduate School of Agriculture at Kyoto University are conducting research into telomeres and oxidative stress in marine mammals.
By continuously extracting DNA from a larger number of individuals and measuring telomere length, we are investigating the telomere length of each individual and species, and whether age and oxidative stress affect that length.
Our harbor seals, bottlenose dolphins, and southern fur seals also donate excess blood from blood draws during regular health checkups, and together with other zoos and aquariums, we cooperate with Kyoto University research.

Living long-term with aquarium animals

Testing bottlenose dolphins: It is very difficult to continuously extract DNA from wild animals. Although their living conditions are different from animals of wild animals, aquarium animals can be continuously observed under the same conditions.
One of the important roles of an aquarium is to study the ecology of animals that are still not fully understood, and to cooperate in research and surveys.
By clarifying the research results on telomere length, it may be possible to understand the stress of captive animals, which may be useful for preserving animals and improving their environments.
We believe that the animals at the aquarium are a social asset, and that it is important to give back to the animals we learn from animals .