{ "abstract": "The genus Myotis is one of the largest clades of bats, and it exhibits some of the most extreme variation in lifespans among mammals, alongside unique adaptations to viral tolerance and immune defence1,2,3. 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.", "abstract_shown": true, "affiliations": [ "Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA", "Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA", "Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA", "Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA", "Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Inserm U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure ENS de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France", "Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany", "Université de Strasbourg, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, Strasbourg, France", "Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA", "Wildlife Diversity Program, Wildlife Division, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Burlington, CT, USA", "Wildlife Genetics Research Unit, Wildlife Health Laboratory, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sacramento, CA, USA", "Department of Biology, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, Arcata, CA, USA", "Department of Pathology and Clinical Laboratories, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA", "Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA", "Department of Science and Biotechnology, Berkeley City College, Berkeley, CA, USA", "Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA", "Bat Conservation International, Austin, TX, USA", "Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA", "Colossal Biosciences, Dallas, TX, USA", "Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA", "Bat Survey Solutions, Tucson, AZ, USA", "Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Inserm U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure ENS de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France. lucie.etienne@ens-lyon.fr", "Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA. denard@arizona.edu", "Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA. psudmant@berkeley.edu" ], "article_type": null, "arxiv": null, "author_total": 33, "authors": [ { "affs": [ 0, 1 ], "name": "Juan Manuel Vázquez", "orcid": "0000-0001-8341-2390" }, { "affs": [ 2, 3 ], "name": "M. Elise Lauterbur", "orcid": "0000-0002-7362-3618" }, { "affs": [ 4, 5 ], "name": "Saba Mottaghinia", "orcid": "0000-0002-9409-3302" }, { "affs": [ 6 ], "name": "Léa Gaucherand", "orcid": "0000-0002-4477-1021" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Sarah Maesen" }, { "affs": [ 7 ], "name": "Michael Singer", "orcid": "0000-0001-9941-7217" }, { "affs": [ 7 ], "name": "Sarah Villa" }, { "affs": [ 3 ], "name": "Melanie E. Bucci", "orcid": "0009-0002-7446-6578" }, { "affs": [ 8, 9 ], "name": "Devaughn L. Fraser", "orcid": "0000-0002-4838-7107" }, { "affs": [ 3 ], "name": "Genavieve Gray-Sandoval" }, { "affs": [ 10 ], "name": "Zeinab R Haidar" }, { "affs": [ 11 ], "name": "Melissa Han" }, { "affs": [ 11 ], "name": "William Kohler" }, { "affs": [ 12 ], "name": "Tanya M. Lama", "orcid": "0000-0002-7372-8081" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Amandine Le Corf" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Clara Loyer" }, { "affs": [ 1, 13 ], "name": "Dakota McMillan" }, { "affs": [ 14, 1 ], "name": "Stacy Li", "orcid": "0000-0001-8726-7995" }, { "affs": [ 14 ], "name": "Johnathan Lo", "orcid": "0000-0002-3552-6753" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Carine Rey", "orcid": "0000-0003-4871-8110" }, { "affs": [ 9 ], "name": "Samantha L. R. Capel", "orcid": "0000-0001-5014-5919" }, { "affs": [ 15 ], "name": "Kathleen Slocum" }, { "affs": [ 7, 16 ], "name": "Melissa Sui", "orcid": "0000-0002-3422-2723" }, { "affs": [ 17, 18 ], "name": "William Thomas" }, { "affs": [ 19 ], "name": "Janet Debelak Tyburec" }, { "affs": [ 16 ], "name": "Rachel B. Brem", "orcid": "0000-0002-8587-9434" }, { "affs": [ 11 ], "name": "Richard A. Miller", "orcid": "0000-0001-9266-9649" }, { "affs": [ 9 ], "name": "Michael R. Buchalski", "orcid": "0000-0002-5917-3577" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "José Pablo Vázquez‐Medina", "orcid": "0000-0003-1014-5214" }, { "affs": [ 6 ], "name": "Sébastien Pfeffer", "orcid": "0000-0002-8458-348X" }, { "affs": [ 20 ], "name": "Lucie Etienne", "orcid": "0000-0002-8585-7534" }, { "affs": [ 21 ], "name": "David Enard", "orcid": "0000-0003-2634-8016" }, { "affs": [ 22 ], "name": "Peter H. Sudmant", "orcid": "0000-0002-9573-8248" } ], "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1372h96y7qyhf.bib", "cited_by": 18, "doi": "10.1038/s41586-026-10932-7", "fulltext_url": null, "id": "1372h96y7qyhf", "issns": [ "0028-0836", "1476-4687" ], "landing_url": "https://univoak.hal.science/hal-05758640v1", "language": "en", "licence": "CC-BY-4.0", "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0", "licence_source": "article", "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "metadata_licence": null, "native_subjects": [ [ "hal", "0.sdv" ], [ "hal", "1.sdv.mp" ], [ "hal", "2.sdv.mp.vir" ], [ "openalex", "1105|Bat Biology and Ecology Studies" ] ], "openalex": "W7204243208", "pdf_url": "https://univoak.hal.science/hal-05758640/document", "pmcid": "PMC11482938", "pmid": "39416019", "published": "2026-08-26", "publisher": "Nature Publishing Group", "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1372h96y7qyhf.ris", "sources": [ { "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:37Z", "native_id": "hal-05758640", "source": "hal", "url": "https://univoak.hal.science/hal-05758640v1" }, { "first_seen": "2026-11-05T13:20:49Z", "native_id": "W7204243208", "source": "openalex", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10932-7" } ], "subjects": [ { "field": "biology", "origin": "hal:1.sdv.mp", "subfield": "microbiology" } ], "title": "Insights into longevity and virus-driven adaptation from Myotis bat genomes", "title_text": "Insights into longevity and virus-driven adaptation from Myotis bat genomes", "type": "peer-reviewed", "updated_at": "2026-11-09T13:21:08Z", "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1372h96y7qyhf", "venue": "Nature", "versions": [] }