Insights into longevity and virus-driven adaptation from Myotis bat genomes
. Here, to study the evolution of these phenotypes, we generated cell lines and near-complete genome assemblies for eight closely related Myotis species. Using genome-wide screens of positive selection, analyses of structural variation and functional experiments in primary cells, we identify patterns of adaptation contributing to longevity, cancer resistance and viral interactions. We demonstrate distinct modes of adaptation to DNA and RNA viruses compared with all other mammals, with bats exhibiting genome-wide over-representation of positive selection for DNA-virus-interacting proteins and elevated rates of copy-number variation for RNA-virus-interacting proteins. Characterization of Myotis-specific duplications of the key immune factor EIF2AK2 (also known as PKR) reveals multiple ancient segregating trans-species copy-number polymorphisms. We show that the recurrent evolution of longevity seen in Myotis is associated with positive selection in cancer pathways, and demonstrate a unique response to DNA damage in primary cells of the long-lived Myotis lucifugus. Together, our results suggest that bats' remarkable longevity and immunity are linked through pleiotropic adaptations to viruses and ageing-related disease.
Authors
- Juan Manuel Vázquez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8341-2390)
- Samantha L. R. Capel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5014-5919)
- Peter H. Sudmant (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9573-8248)
- José Pablo Vázquez‐Medina (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1014-5214)
- Michael Singer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9941-7217)
- Johnathan Lo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3552-6753)
- Sébastien Pfeffer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8458-348X)
- Tanya M. Lama (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7372-8081)
- David Enard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2634-8016)
- Saba Mottaghinia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9409-3302)
- M. Elise Lauterbur (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7362-3618)
- Kathleen Slocum
- Richard A. Miller (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9266-9649)
- Léa Gaucherand (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4477-1021)
- Carine Rey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4871-8110)
- Clara Loyer
- William Kohler
- Stacy Li
- Sarah Maesen
- Amandine Le Corf
- Genavieve Gray-Sandoval
- Rachel Brem
- Lucie Etienne (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8585-7534)
- Melissa Han
- Michael Buchalski
- Melanie Bucci
- Devaughn Fraser
- Dakota McMillan
- Sarah Villa
- Janet Debelak Tyburec
- Melissa Sui
- Zeinab R. Haidar
- William Thomas
Institutions
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (FR)
- University of Vermont (US)
- École Normale Supérieure de Lyon (FR)
- Arizona Geological Survey (US)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife (US)
- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (US)
- University of Arizona (US)
- Inserm (FR)
- Cal Poly Humboldt (US)
- Smith College (US)
- Max Delbrück Center (DE)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Bat Conservation International (US)
- Berkeley City College (US)
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'arN (FR)
- Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (FR)
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (FR)
- Stony Brook University (US)
- Université de Strasbourg (FR)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature
- Published
- 2026-08-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10932-7
- Primary Topic
- interferon and immune responses
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00