Why do large breed dogs "die young"? Metabolic consequences of aging in small and large breed dogs
NRS kicks off its Environmental Biology Seminar Series with an online seminar by Ana Jimenez, Assistant Professor, Colgate University.
Seminars will be held from 11:30-12:30 (unless otherwise indicated), with a round table discussion from 2:00-3:00 EST.Ā Zoom links will be provided in an email announcement.
Across Mammalia, body size and lifespan are positively correlated. A mouse has a significantly shorter lifespan than an elephant. However, in dogs, the opposite is true: small dogs have longer lives compared with large dogs. Dr. Jimenez will present data across levels of organization to tease apart life-history traits that may affect dog lifespan, including adaptations at the whole-organism, and organ-level. This talk will also explore cellular mechanisms that may allow for small breeds to age more slowly compared with large breeds in the context of cellular metabolism and oxidative stress. Additionally, we will explore ways to alter cellular phenotypes in small and large breed dogs by altering cellular architecture to test the āmembrane pacemakerā hypotheses of metabolism and aging. This hypothesis suggests that increased lipid unsaturation and large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in cell membranes increases cellular metabolic rate and increases the vulnerability of the cell to oxidative damage, thus increasing organismal metabolic rate and decreasing longevity.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr. Ana Jimenezās love for animals has always been evident, as she has always shared her life with dogs and cats. Her research has included animalsfrom fish and crustaceans, to multitude of birds species to now dogs. Her background in biochemistry and physiology allows her to ask question across levels of organization from the whole-organism to their cells. In her free time, Dr. Jimenez spends time hiking with her two dogs, Emma and Rayne.