An Investigation of Clock Gene Variations in Turkish Nannospalax Species

Blind mole rats ( Nannospalax ) have become famous for their long lifespans and cancer resistance, but it is still unknown what causes them to be resistant to cancer. These animals may have a different melatonin synthesis mechanism from other creatures due to their lifestyle, which is estimated to be connected to their cancer resistance. In this study, gene variants in Clock genes Cry1, Cry2, Bmal1, Per1 and Per2 , which are involved in the synthesis of melatonin in Nannospalax species living in Turkey were investigated and compared with the other organisms including Nannospalax galili, Mus musculus, Heterocephalus glaber, Rattus norvegicus , and Homo sapiens . In addition, it was investigated whether the detected variations have a pathogenic effect in humans. For this purpose, in vitro methods and some bioinformatics tools were employed in this DNA-based research. 29 variants in total; 11 in Per1 , 7 in Per2 , 2 in Cry1 and 9 in Cry2 gene, were identified, no variation was found in Bmal1 gene. Some of these variations have been found in regions where DNA repair processes for light-induced UV damage occurred. Other variations were detected in PAS domain and 5'-UTR regions, and the remaining variations were in nondomain regions of proteins. Since Clock gene variations has not been investigated in Nannospalax species, these in vitro and in silico methods may give suggestions to choose and focus on detected variations to be used for further studies.