Rapid molecular evolution of pain insensitivity in multiple African rodents

Eigenbrod, O.; Debus, K. Y.; Reznick, J.; Bennett, N. C.; Sánchez-Carranza, O.; Omerbašić, D.; Hart, D. W.; Barker, A. J.; Zhong, W.; Lutermann, H.; Katandukila, J. V.; Mgode, G.; Park, T. J.; Lewin, G. R.

dc.creator	Eigenbrod, O.
dc.creator	Debus, K. Y.
dc.creator	Reznick, J.
dc.creator	Bennett, N. C.
dc.creator	Sánchez-Carranza, O.
dc.creator	Omerbašić, D.
dc.creator	Hart, D. W.
dc.creator	Barker, A. J.
dc.creator	Zhong, W.
dc.creator	Lutermann, H.
dc.creator	Katandukila, J. V.
dc.creator	Mgode, G.
dc.creator	Park, T. J.
dc.creator	Lewin, G. R.
dc.date	2020-06-08T15:10:21Z
dc.date	2020-06-08T15:10:21Z
dc.date	2019-05-31
dc.date.accessioned	2022-10-25T08:51:26Z
dc.date.available	2022-10-25T08:51:26Z
dc.identifier	https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/3081
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/91389
dc.description	Research Article of Science 364, pg. 852–859 (2019)
dc.description	Noxious substances, called algogens, cause pain and are used as defensive weapons by plants and stinging insects. We identified four previously unknown instances of algogen-insensitivity by screening eight African rodent species related to the naked mole-rat with the painful substances capsaicin, acid (hydrogen chloride, pH 3.5), and allyl isothiocyanate (AITC). Using RNA sequencing, we traced the emergence of sequence variants in transduction channels, like transient receptor potential channel TRPA1 and voltage-gated sodium channel Na v 1.7, that accompany algogen insensitivity. In addition, the AITC-insensitive highveld mole-rat exhibited overexpression of the leak channel NALCN (sodium leak channel, nonselective), ablating AITC detection by nociceptors. These molecular changes likely rendered highveld mole-rats immune to the stings of the Natal droptail ant. Our study reveals how evolution can be used as a discovery tool to find molecular mechanisms that shut down pain.
dc.format	application/pdf
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Science sciencemag
dc.subject	Rapid molecular evolution
dc.subject	Pain insensitivity
dc.subject	Multiple African rodents
dc.title	Rapid molecular evolution of pain insensitivity in multiple African rodents
dc.type	Article