Non-aging despite high mutation rate - genomic insights into the evolution of Hydra

Hydra is a genus of freshwater polyps with remarkable regeneration abilities and a non-senescent phenotype under laboratory conditions. Thus, this animal is particularly interesting for aging research. Here, we gained insights into Hydras recent genetic evolution by genome sequencing of single cells and whole individuals. Despite its extreme longevity, Hydra does not show a lower somatic mutation rate than humans or mice. While we identify biological processes that have evolved under positive selection in animals kept in optimal laboratory conditions for decades, we found no signs of strong negative selection during this tiny evolutionary window. Interestingly, we observe the opposite pattern for the preceding evolution in the wild over a longer time period. Moreover, we found evidence that Hydra evolution in captivity was accompanied and potentially accelerated by loss of heterozygosity. Processes under positive selection in captive animals include pathways associated with Hydras simple nervous system, its nucleic acid metabolic process, cell migration, and hydrolase activity. Genes associated with organ regeneration, regulation of mRNA splicing, histone ubiquitination, and mitochondrial fusion were identified as highly conserved in the wild. Remarkably, several of the processes under strongest selection are closely related to those considered essential for the exapted, i. e. not brought about by natural selection, feature: Hydras non-aging.