Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christina Bauch, Jelle J. Boonekamp, Peter Korsten, Ellis Mulder, Simon Verhulst
Summary: The study investigated the genetic and environmental contributions to variation in telomere length in jackdaws, finding that telomere length variation is primarily influenced by additive genetic effects with a heritability estimated at 0.74 on average. Additionally, they observed low heritable variation for telomere shortening and some impact of year effects on telomere length variation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hannah Froy, Sarah L. Underwood, Jennifer Dorrens, Luise A. Seeker, Kathryn Watt, Rachael V. Wilbourn, Jill G. Pilkington, Lea Harrington, Josephine M. Pemberton, Daniel H. Nussey
Summary: The study found that in wild Soay sheep, there was no significant association between telomere length and subsequent survival, suggesting that telomere length is not an important marker of biological aging or exposure to environmental stress in this study system. Instead, individual differences in average telomere length were associated with increased lifespan, indicating a genetic basis for this correlation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Oscar Vedder, Maria Moiron, Coraline Bichet, Christina Bauch, Simon Verhulst, Peter H. Becker, Sandra Bouwhuis
Summary: The study found that telomere length in wild seabirds is highly heritable and strongly positively genetically correlated with lifespan, indicating that the heritable differences between individuals set at conception may present an important component of somatic state variation.
Article
Biology
L. J. Fitzpatrick, M. Olsson, A. Pauliny, G. M. While, E. Wapstra
Summary: The study found that adult telomere length across populations is mainly determined by telomere length at birth, with age and growth having population-specific effects. Reproductive effort has no direct effect on telomere length, while maternal factors influence telomere length at birth.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Hiroshi Ebata, Tze Mun Loo, Akiko Takahashi
Summary: This review summarizes the unique characteristics of cancer cells, such as high proliferation and aberrant DNA damage response, and the role of telomerase and ALT in cancer regulation. It focuses on their noncanonical functions beyond telomere maintenance, as well as intercellular communication in the tumor microenvironment (TME) through the cGAS-STING pathway. Understanding the functional connection between telomere-related molecules and TME regulation is crucial for developing cancer therapeutics targeting specific pathways.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Thomas J. Brown, Lewis G. Spurgin, Hannah L. Dugdale, Jan Komdeur, Terry Burke, David S. Richardson
Summary: The length of telomeres, which are important markers of biological age, can both shorten and lengthen with age and environmental stress. This study found that telomere lengthening in females occurs in less stressful circumstances, while telomere shortening is associated with greater stress. Males, on the other hand, did not show an association between telomere dynamics and key stressors. Individuals with lengthened telomeres, both females and males, had improved subsequent survival compared to those with unchanged or shortened telomeres.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Bechara Zeinoun, Maria Teresa Teixeira, Aurelia Barascu
Summary: Telomeres are structures found at the ends of eukaryotic linear chromosomes that protect chromosomal tips and play roles in DNA repair. Telomeric long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs), such as TERRA, have been discovered and shown to influence telomere function and length. TERRA interacts with telomerase and forms RNA:DNA hybrid structures, and its dysregulation has been associated with senescence and alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathways. This review focuses on the current understanding of TERRA in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, including its transcription, structure, expression, regulation, and functions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael J. Roast, Justin R. Eastwood, Nataly Hidalgo Aranzamendi, Marie Fan, Niki Teunissen, Simon Verhulst, Anne Peters
Summary: Telomere length is related to immune function, but its associations with specific immune indices are weaker compared to its association with age.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tobin J. Hammer, August Easton-Calabria, Nancy A. Moran
Summary: The changes in a host's microbiome over its lifespan can affect its development and aging. In this study, the temporal dynamics and stability of the bumble bee worker gut microbiome were characterized. It was found that microbiome assembly is highly predictable at the community level, similar to patterns observed in the human gut. However, at the strain level, there were stochastic colonization events. Differences in temporal dynamics among symbiont species were also observed. The gut microbiome and host transcriptome were found to stabilize, rather than senesce, with age. These findings provide a foundation for further exploring the mechanisms and functional outcomes of bee microbiome succession.
Article
Oncology
Tawna L. Mangosh, Wisam N. Awadallah, Magdalena M. Grabowska, Derek J. Taylor
Summary: In AR-independent castration-resistant prostate cancer, an atypical ALT-like phenotype and elevated SLX4IP expression are observed, while AR-dependent models lack ALT hallmarks; overexpression of SLX4IP promotes an ALT-like phenotype and telomere maintenance, whereas its deficiency accelerates telomere loss and senescence.
MOLECULAR CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yu-Zu Guo, Yi Zhang, Qing Wang, Jun Yu, Qiu-Hong Wan, Jun Huang, Sheng-Guo Fang
Summary: Alligators are suitable for studying anti-aging molecular mechanisms because they have low adult mortality rates and no significant telomere shortening. Selection analyses have shown that certain genes in alligators have undergone positive selection, and ALT-related genes are expressed at higher levels, which may contribute to anti-aging strategies.
Article
Cell Biology
Fei Yin, Yang Zhou, Dongli Xie, Jianchen Hu, Xiaogang Luo
Summary: This study synthesizes multiple research evidence and concludes that exposure to nanomaterials is associated with telomere attrition, cell senescence, and increased mortality in model animals.
AGEING RESEARCH REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Bushra Moussaoui, Samantha L. Overcashier, Gregory M. Kohn, Marcelo Araya-Salas, Timothy F. Wright
Summary: In some species, the ability to acquire new vocalizations persists into adulthood and may be an important mediator of social interactions. This study hypothesizes that vocal learning exhibits senescence and that this decline relates to age-dependent changes in social behaviour. The results suggest that many components of vocal learning are largely maintained into later adulthood in the budgerigar.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tereza Kauzalova, Oldrich Tomasek, Ellis Mulder, Simon Verhulst, Tomas Albrecht
Summary: Barn swallows' telomere length shows a negative relationship with sexual ornamentation, indicating a trade-off between the two.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael Le Pepke, Thomas Kvalnes, Jonathan Wright, Yimen G. Araya-Ajoy, Peter Sjolte Ranke, Winnie Boner, Pat Monaghan, Bernt-Erik Saether, Henrik Jensen, Thor Harald Ringsby
Summary: This study tracked changes in telomere length throughout the natural lifespan of house sparrows in two different island populations. The results showed that telomere length generally decreased with age, but there were also instances of telomere lengthening within individuals. It was also found that early-life telomere length positively predicted later-life telomere length, and changes in telomere length were influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anna-Karin Dahlberg, Vivian Lindberg Chen, Kjell Larsson, Ake Bergman, Lillemor Asplund
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Sofia Anderholm, Rupert C. Marshall, Henk P. van der Jeugd, Peter Waldeck, Kjell Larsson, Malte Andersson
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Henk P. Van Der Jeugd, Gotz Eichhorn, Konstantin E. Litvin, Julia Stahl, Kjell Larsson, Alexandra J. Van Der Graaf, Rudi H. Drent
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2009)
Article
Ecology
P. Waldeck, K. Larsson
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
(2013)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
K. Larsson, S. Hajdu, M. Kilpi, R. Larsson, A. Leito, P. Lyngs
JOURNAL OF SEA RESEARCH
(2014)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sofia Anderholm, Peter Waldeck, Henk P. Van der Jeugd, Rupert C. Marshall, Kjell Larsson, Malte Andersson
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
R. M. Jonker, R. H. S. Kraus, Q. Zhang, P. Van Hooft, K. Larsson, H. P. Van der Jeugd, R. H. J. M. Kurvers, S. E. Van Wieren, M. J. J. E. Loonen, R. P. M. A. Crooijmans, R. C. Ydenberg, M. A. M. Groenen, H. H. T. Prins
Article
Ecology
Michiel P. Boom, Henk P. van der Jeugd, Boas Steffani, Bart A. Nolet, Kjell Larsson, Gotz Eichhorn
Summary: The postnatal growth period is crucial for an animal's fitness, with faster growth rates generally observed at higher latitudes. Intraspecific comparisons between populations of barnacle geese breeding at different latitudes showed that differences in day length could explain the observed variations in growth rate. Plasticity in postnatal growth rate is mainly a response to local environmental conditions, potentially aiding in adaptation to annual variation and new breeding environments.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
R Ottvall, K Larsson, HG Smith
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
R Ottvall, J Höglund, S Bensch, K Larsson
CONSERVATION GENETICS
(2005)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
HP van der Jeugd, IT van der Veen, K Larsson
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2002)