Comparative analysis of metabolic and transcriptomic features ofNothobranchius furzeri

Some species have a longer lifespan than others, but usually lifespan is correlated with typical body weight. Here, we study the lifetime evolution of the metabolic behaviour ofNothobranchius furzeri, a killifish with an extremely short lifespan with respect to other fishes, even when taking into account rescaling by body weight. Comparison of the gene expression patterns ofN. furzeriwith those of zebrafishDanio rerioand mouse (Mus musculus) shows that a broad set of metabolic genes and pathways are affected inN. furzeriduring ageing in a way that is consistent with a global deregulation of chromatin. Computational analysis of the glycolysis pathway for the three species highlights a rapid increase in the metabolic activity during the lifetime ofN. furzeriwith respect to the other species. Our results highlight that the unusually short lifespan ofN. furzeriis associated with peculiar patterns in the metabolic activities and in chromatin dynamics.