Terminal restriction fragment analysis is the only method currently available for measuring telomere length in Caenorhabditis elegans. Its limitations include low sensitivity and interference by the presence of interstitial telomeric sequences in the C.elegans genome. Here we report the adaptation of single telomere length analysis (STELA) to measure the length of telomeric repeats on the left arm of chromosome V in C.elegans. This highly sensitive PCR-based method allows telomere length measurement from as few as a single worm. The application of STELA to eight wild-type C.elegans strains revealed considerable strain-specific differences in telomere length. Within individual strains, short outlying telomeres were observed that were clearly distinct from the bulk telomere length distributions, suggesting that processes other than end-replication losses and telomerase-mediated lengthening may generate telomere length heterogeneity in C.elegans. The utility of this method was further demonstrated by the characterization of telomere shortening in mrt-2 mutants. We conclude that STELA appears to be a valuable tool for studying telomere biology in C.elegans.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkh661 | DOI Listing |
Sci Adv
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Louisiana Cancer Research Center, 1700 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
Unlike most species that use telomerase for telomere maintenance, many dipterans, including , rely on three telomere-specific retrotransposons (TRs)-, , and -to form tandem repeats at chromosome ends. Although TR transcription is crucial in their life cycle, its regulation remains poorly understood. This study identifies the Mediator complex, E2F1-Dp, and Scalloped/dTEAD as key regulators of TR transcription.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimers Dement
December 2024
West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Background: Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is highly prevalent among elderly individuals, and there is a strong correlation between telomere length and biological aging. However, there is limited evidence to elucidate the relationship between telomere length and iNPH. This study aimed to investigate the associations between telomere length and iNPH using the Mendelian randomization (MR) method.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimers Dement
December 2024
Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Background: Evaluating sex differences in modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's disease could provide valuable information regarding the mechanisms by which these factors confer risk. Physical activity is a risk factor that has been shown to positively impact both telomere length, a marker of cellular age, and cognition. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether telomere length mediates the association between physical activity and cognition differently by sex.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimers Dement
December 2024
Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Background: The Brazilian population has been experiencing an increase in the number of older adults, with a simultaneous rise in the incidence of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Telomeres are structures located at the ends of chromosomes that maintain the structural integrity of the chromosome. There is a shortage of studies correlating telomeres and cognition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimers Dement
December 2024
Neurogenomics & Informatics Center, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Background: Clear sex differences exist in AD and PD. Several studies examined genetic regulations for AD phenotypes and gene expression data in a sex-specific manner, identifying some differences between males and females. In contrasts, although proteins are final effectors of most physiological pathways and important drug targets, sex-specific regulations for proteins remain vastly understudied.
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