Only one gene mutation triggered the proliferation of 'humanized' long-distance runner

by Alex Lomas

In addition to the point that "human brain and hand has developed very much" about the reason why humans who were originally only a kind of primates could prosper prosperity globally, "endurance is very high" There are points. That's why humans have acquired a level of endurance not found in other living organisms, as a result of research that "one genetic mutation was triggered" was announced.

Cmah Inactivation Increases Endurance | Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences
http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/285/1886/20181656

A single gene mutation may have helped humans become optimal long-distance runners
https://phys.org/news/2018-09-gene-mutation-humans-optimal-long-distance.html

This broken gene may have turned our ancestors into marathoners-and helped humans conquer the world | Science | AAAS
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/09/broken-gene-may-have-turned-our-ancestors-marathoners-and-helped-humans-conquer-world

Daniel Lieberman , an evolutionist at Harvard University , says that human beings have been successful on the earth is related to the fact that they acquired much better endurance than other animals . Humans do not hunt like instantaneous powers like cheetahs, they keep pursuing prey over a longer distance and time than other animals and prosper with the endurance to track until the prey is tired out about.

Evolution in the direction of excellent endurance was very advantageous under the African climate which had been converted to savanna about 3 million years ago. Savannah with a nice view is hard to lose sight of prey even if it keeps track of a long distance, and it can be said that the environment is easy to run with less obstacles. In addition, Mr. Lieberman and other researchers have studied the skeleton of human ancestry, and have identified that the foot changed long so that human beings can run long distances. The change that lengthens the thick fur and the sweat glands increase also was suitable for running long distances because it is easy to escape the heat outside the body.

While one of the reasons for human prosperity has been that there was an improvement in endurance, it has not been clear what kind of gene changes resulted in improved endurance of humans. Meanwhile, the research team of Mr. Ajit Valki who is a professor of medicine and molecular cytology at the University of California, San Diego focused on a paper on 'genetic differences between humans and primates' published in 1998. In this paper it is pointed out that the gene called " CMAH gene " that works normally in other primates is defective in humans. The CMAH gene produces sugar molecules consisting of sialic acid on the cell surface, but its function is inhibited at the gene level in humans.

by Mark Warner

Mutation of the CMAH gene occurred from 200 to 3 million years ago, and it was about the same time that human "long distance runner" occurred, so Valki said that "mutations in the CMAH gene are mutated in humans I guessed that I was involved in improving my endurance? " Therefore, Mr. Jonathan Ocaabrom, a graduate student who is also the author of the thesis, carried out an experiment to measure the exercise capacity by placing a normal mouse and a mouse in which the CMAH gene was inactivated in a small turning car . As a result, Mr. Ocarbrom reported that the deactivated mouse of the CMAH gene ran at a distance of 20% over 12% faster than normal mice.

Furthermore, it was revealed that mice deactivated of the CMAH gene have strong resistance to fatigue, mitochondrial respiration in the cells and muscle mass of the hind paws are increasing. In addition, it has also confirmed that capillary vessels are increasing, in order to efficiently supply blood and oxygen to the body. Together, it is said that inactivated mice of the CMAH gene have high endurance, and can be said to be transforming into a constitution that can efficiently use oxygen.

Valki said, "If the changes confirmed in mice this time can also be applied to humans, inactivation of the CMAH gene is considered to have given great advantage to humans who hunted and gathered." The influence that human beings caused by breaking the CMAH gene not only improves endurance but also has the advantage of improving immunity.

However, Mr. Valki said that the mutation of the CMAH gene was a sword of a mortar, and the risk of type 2 diabetes , the risk of developing cancer by eating lean meat, the body It is said that the risk of inflammation arising in the body has increased. "Only a single genetic mutation and a change in the molecule caused by it caused a major change in human body and physical ability, mutation of the CMAH gene is close to the origin of human beings", Valki said It was.

by Wally Gobetz