Telomeres are protective DNA-protein complexes located at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, whose length has been shown to predict life-history parameters in various species. Although this suggests that telomere length is subject to natural selection, its evolutionary dynamics crucially depends on its heritability. Using pedigree data for a population of white-throated dippers (Cinclus cinclus), we test whether and how variation in early-life relative telomere length (RTL, measured as the number of telomeric repeats relative to a control gene using qPCR) is transmitted across generations. We disentangle the relative effects of genes and environment and test for sex-specific patterns of inheritance. There was strong and significant resemblance among offspring sharing the same nest and offspring of the same cohort. Furthermore, although offspring resemble their mother, and there is some indication for an effect of inbreeding, additive genetic variance and heritability are close to zero. We find no evidence for a role of either maternal imprinting or Z-linked inheritance in generating these patterns, suggesting they are due to non-genetic maternal and common environment effects instead. We conclude that in this wild bird population, environmental factors are the main drivers of variation in early-life RTL, which will severely bias estimates of heritability when not modelled explicitly.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.2924 | DOI Listing |
J Clin Med
January 2025
Departamento de Genética, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez (INNNMVS), Mexico City 14269, Mexico.
: Antiseizure drugs (ASDs) are the primary therapy for epilepsy, and the choice varies according to seizure type. Epilepsy patients experience chronic mitochondrial oxidative stress and increased levels of pro-inflammatory mediators, recognizable hallmarks of biological aging; however, few studies have explored aging markers in epilepsy. Herein, we addressed for the first time the impact of ASDs on molecular aging by measuring the telomere length (TL) and mtDNA copy number (mtDNA-CN).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
December 2024
Department of Diabetes, Institute of Rural Health, 20-090 Lublin, Poland.
Telomere shortening has been linked to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its complications. This study aims to determine whether leukocyte telomere length (LTL) could be a useful marker in predicting the onset of complications in patients suffering from T2D. Enrolled study subjects were 147 T2D patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimals (Basel)
January 2025
Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
Telomere length (TL) has gained attention as a biomarker for longevity and productivity in dairy cattle. This study explored the association between neonatal TL in Holstein calves and lifetime parameters (lifespan, milk production, and reproduction). Blood samples were collected from 210 calves (≤10d old) across four dairy farms in Flanders, Belgium.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Aging Health
January 2025
Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Objectives: To examine the association of social connections with blood leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and all-cause mortality in older Costa Ricans.
Methods: Utilizing data from the Costa Rican Longevity and Healthy Aging Study (CRELES), a prospective cohort of 2827 individuals aged 60 and above followed since 2004, we constructed a Social Network Index (SNI) based on marital status, household size, interaction with non-cohabitating adult children, and church attendance. We used linear regression to assess SNI's association with baseline LTL ( = 1113), and Cox proportional-hazard models to examine SNI's relationship with all-cause mortality ( = 2735).
Sci Rep
January 2025
Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, China.
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), half of which are lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), is one of the most widely spread cancers in the world. Telomerase, which maintains telomere length and chromosomal integrity, enables cancer cells to avoid replicative senescence. When telomerase is inhibited, cancer cells' senescence began, preventing them from growing indefinitely.
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