Century-Old RNA From the Extinct Tasmanian Tiger Recovered for the First Time, Shedding Light on Thylacine's Biology Before They Died Out

The last known thylacine, the largest marsupial carnivore in recent history, perished in Tasmania's Beaumaris Zoo in 1936. However, it has become a target for de-extinction endeavors, with researchers achieving a groundbreaking feat of recovering RNA from the extinct animal. This marks the first time such an accomplishment has been achieved for any extinct species.

Sequencing RNA From Tasmanian Tiger For the First Time

This remarkable feat was accomplished by a team of scientists who successfully extracted, sequenced, and analyzed RNA from a thylacine specimen dating back approximately 130 years.

Also known as the Tasmanian tiger, the specimen was housed in the Stockholm Natural History Museum. The team's groundbreaking research detailing the recovery and its potential utility has been recently published in Genome Research, shedding new light on the possibilities of understanding and potentially reviving extinct species.

Researchers at Stockholm University and the Centre for Paleogenetics have achieved a groundbreaking feat by sequencing RNA from the extinct Tasmanian tiger. This marks the first time RNA from an extinct species has been successfully sequenced, providing insights into the creature's biology and metabolism before extinction.

RNA, similar to DNA, contains genetic information and plays a crucial role in protein synthesis. In this study, the researchers identified RNA coding for proteins in preserved skin and skeletal muscle tissues from a desiccated thylacine specimen.

The thylacine is a carnivorous marsupial that once inhabited Tasmania and Australia. But, as per the National Museum of Australia, the Tasmanian tiger became extinct due to overhunting, habitat loss, and introduced diseases in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

RNA Recovery: First Step Towards De-Extinction of Other Animals

The high-quality transcriptomes extracted from the thylacine specimen allowed for the identification of muscle- and skin-specific protein-coding RNAs. Additionally, the study aided in annotating missing ribosomal RNA and microRNA genes, following MirGeneDB recommendations.

Marc R. Friedländer, an Associate Professor at Stockholm University and SciLifeLab, noted the significance of discovering thylacine-specific regulatory genes, like microRNAs, which had been extinct for over a century.

This pioneering research offers exciting prospects for exploring museum collections worldwide, potentially uncovering and sequencing RNA molecules from various specimens and tissues.

Love Dalén, a Professor of evolutionary genomics at Stockholm University and the Centre for Paleogenetics, envisions future possibilities, including the recovery of RNA from not only extinct animals but also RNA virus genomes like SARS-CoV2 and their precursors found in museum-held specimens of bats and other host organisms.

The study's authors anticipate a future of integrated research that combines genomics and transcriptomics, propelling paleogenetics into a new era beyond DNA analysis.

Given the wealth of extinct specimens in museums, the retrieval of RNA from various species may soon emulate the success achieved with the thylacine. As DNA research has made significant strides in both animal and human population studies in recent years, antiquated RNA studies may similarly advance in the future.

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