Vampire bats have "missing" genes, which can help them survive by drinking blood

This bat has an unusual eating habit of only sucking blood. This diet has a high protein content but lacks other nutrients. According to the "Scientist" magazine, a new study now shows that genetic "deletion" may explain how mammals that only rely on blood-sucking flying survive, and how they lick their victims' trauma in the middle of the night. .
In the new study, the researchers compared the genome of the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) with the genomes of 25 other bats, and the results showed that the genome of this bat was October 19 bioRxiv. Genomics scientist and co-author of the LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics in Germany, Michael Hiller, told The Scientist that according to research, other bats also have 13 genes lacking functional duplication; these missing genes are completely absent. It does not exist in the genome of vampires, or contains too many mutations that prevent them from producing functional proteins.

It turns out that vampire bats can benefit from the lack of these 13 genes. According to this study, which has not been peer-reviewed, genetic deletion may help them obtain nutrients from the blood, which other bats cannot.
For example, two missing genes cause the pancreas to produce insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels by transferring glucose into cells. Hiller said in the "Scientist" magazine that past studies have shown that vampire bats secrete very little insulin, which makes them feel that the carbohydrate content in their blood is very low. He said that the lack of insulin secretion may help bats maintain the sugar in the blood and consume a small amount of sugar to provide them with nutrients.
The researchers noticed in the study that a gene called REP15 is also missing in the vampire bat genome, which is usually activated in cells of the gastrointestinal tract. Deletion of this gene may increase the number of "gates" through which iron on the cell surface passes, thereby increasing the iron content in the cells of the bat's gastrointestinal tract. The study author writes that these iron-rich cells will therefore metabolize faster than other bats, helping vampire bats to effectively remove all iron obtained through diet, thereby avoiding metal poisoning.
"Scientist" reported that another missing gene is CTRL, which usually reduces the activity of trypsin, an enzyme involved in protein digestion and absorption. Without CTRL, the trypsin activity of vampire bats may be enhanced to help them break down the protein-rich blood.

Researchers have noticed that several other missing genes seem to be related to bats’ digestion and metabolism, and some are related to bats’ cognition and vision. The effect of the deletion of some genes on the physiological functions of bats is still unclear.
Three of the 13 missing genes were discovered through previous studies and published in "Molecular Biology and Evolution" and "Journal of the Royal Society B"; these genes usually encode taste receptors to detect sweet and bitter tastes, while sucking blood There is no such taste in the bat's diet.