MINI-REVIEW: Aging in Birds

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D. Y. Travin¹ and B. A. Feniouk^1,2*

¹Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, 119991 Moscow, Russia

²Lomonosov Moscow State University, Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, 119991 Moscow, Russia; E-mail: feniouk@fbb.msu.ru

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received September 17, 2016; Revision received September 28, 2016

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Rodents are the most commonly used model organisms in studies of aging in vertebrates. However, there are species that may suit this role much better. Most birds (Aves), having higher rate of metabolism, live two-to-three times longer than mammals of the same size. This mini-review briefly covers several evolutionary, ecological, and physiological aspects that may contribute to the phenomenon of birds’ longevity. The role of different molecular mechanisms known to take part in the process of aging according to various existing theories, e.g. telomere shortening, protection against reactive oxygen species, and formation of advanced glycation end-products is discussed. We also address some features of birds’ aging that make this group unique and perspective model organisms in longevity studies.

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KEY WORDS: aging, senescence, ROS, reactive oxygen species, birds, avian, AGE-products, longevity, telomeres

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297916120178

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