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Jablonszky M, Canal D, Hegyi G, Herényi M, Laczi M, Markó G, Nagy G, Rosivall B, Szöllősi E, Török J, Garamszegi LZ. The estimation of additive genetic variance of body size in a wild passerine is sensitive to the method used to estimate relatedness among the individuals. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10981. [PMID: 38352200 PMCID: PMC10862163 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Assessing additive genetic variance is a crucial step in predicting the evolutionary response of a target trait. However, the estimated genetic variance may be sensitive to the methodology used, e.g., the way relatedness is assessed among the individuals, especially in wild populations where social pedigrees can be inaccurate. To investigate this possibility, we investigated the additive genetic variance in tarsus length, a major proxy of skeletal body size in birds. The model species was the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis), a socially monogamous but genetically polygamous migratory passerine. We used two relatedness matrices to estimate the genetic variance: (1) based solely on social links and (2) a genetic similarity matrix based on a large array of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Depending on the relatedness matrix considered, we found moderate to high additive genetic variance and heritability estimates for tarsus length. In particular, the heritability estimates were higher when obtained with the genetic similarity matrix instead of the social pedigree. Our results confirm the potential for this crucial trait to respond to selection and highlight methodological concerns when calculating additive genetic variance and heritability in phenotypic traits. We conclude that using a social pedigree instead of a genetic similarity matrix to estimate relatedness among individuals in a genetically polygamous wild population may significantly deflate the estimates of additive genetic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónika Jablonszky
- Evolutionary Ecology Research GroupInstitute of Ecology and Botany, HUN_REN Centre for Ecological ResearchVácrátotHungary
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - David Canal
- Department of Evolutionary EcologyNational Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN‐CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Gergely Hegyi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Márton Herényi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
- Department of Zoology and EcologyHungarian University of Agriculture and Life SciencesGodolloHungary
| | - Miklós Laczi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
- HUN‐REN‐ELTE‐MTM Integrative Ecology Research GroupBudapestHungary
| | - Gábor Markó
- Department of Plant Pathology, Institute of Plant ProtectionHungarian University of Agriculture and Life SciencesBudapestHungary
| | - Gergely Nagy
- Evolutionary Ecology Research GroupInstitute of Ecology and Botany, HUN_REN Centre for Ecological ResearchVácrátotHungary
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Balázs Rosivall
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Eszter Szöllősi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - János Török
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - László Zsolt Garamszegi
- Evolutionary Ecology Research GroupInstitute of Ecology and Botany, HUN_REN Centre for Ecological ResearchVácrátotHungary
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2
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Le Clercq LS, Kotzé A, Grobler JP, Dalton DL. Biological clocks as age estimation markers in animals: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1972-2011. [PMID: 37356823 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Various biological attributes associated with individual fitness in animals change predictably over the lifespan of an organism. Therefore, the study of animal ecology and the work of conservationists frequently relies upon the ability to assign animals to functionally relevant age classes to model population fitness. Several approaches have been applied to determining individual age and, while these methods have proved useful, they are not without limitations and often lack standardisation or are only applicable to specific species. For these reasons, scientists have explored the potential use of biological clocks towards creating a universal age-determination method. Two biological clocks, tooth layer annulation and otolith layering have found universal appeal. Both methods are highly invasive and most appropriate for post-mortem age-at-death estimation. More recently, attributes of cellular ageing previously explored in humans have been adapted to studying ageing in animals for the use of less-invasive molecular methods for determining age. Here, we review two such methods, assessment of methylation and telomere length, describing (i) what they are, (ii) how they change with age, and providing (iii) a summary and meta-analysis of studies that have explored their utility in animal age determination. We found that both attributes have been studied across multiple vertebrate classes, however, telomere studies were used before methylation studies and telomere length has been modelled in nearly twice as many studies. Telomere length studies included in the review often related changes to stress responses and illustrated that telomere length is sensitive to environmental and social stressors and, in the absence of repair mechanisms such as telomerase or alternative lengthening modes, lacks the ability to recover. Methylation studies, however, while also detecting sensitivity to stressors and toxins, illustrated the ability to recover from such stresses after a period of accelerated ageing, likely due to constitutive expression or reactivation of repair enzymes such as DNA methyl transferases. We also found that both studied attributes have parentally heritable features, but the mode of inheritance differs among taxa and may relate to heterogamy. Our meta-analysis included more than 40 species in common for methylation and telomere length, although both analyses included at least 60 age-estimation models. We found that methylation outperforms telomere length in terms of predictive power evidenced from effect sizes (more than double that observed for telomeres) and smaller prediction intervals. Both methods produced age correlation models using similar sample sizes and were able to classify individuals into young, middle, or old age classes with high accuracy. Our review and meta-analysis illustrate that both methods are well suited to studying age in animals and do not suffer significantly from variation due to differences in the lifespan of the species, genome size, karyotype, or tissue type but rather that quantitative method, patterns of inheritance, and environmental factors should be the main considerations. Thus, provided that complex factors affecting the measured trait can be accounted for, both methylation and telomere length are promising targets to develop as biomarkers for age determination in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis-Stéphane Le Clercq
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
- Department of Genetics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Antoinette Kotzé
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
- Department of Genetics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - J Paul Grobler
- Department of Genetics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Desiré Lee Dalton
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, UK
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3
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Westneat DF, Young RC, Cones AG, Kucera AC, Anacleto A, Heidinger BJ. Early-life telomeres are influenced by environments acting at multiple temporal and spatial scales. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:5959-5970. [PMID: 37837282 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
An individual's telomere length early in life may reflect or contribute to key life-history processes sensitive to environmental variation. Yet, the relative importance of genetic and environmental factors in shaping early-life telomere length is not well understood as it requires samples collected from multiple generations with known developmental histories. We used a confirmed pedigree and conducted an animal model analysis of telomere lengths obtained from nestling house sparrows (Passer domesticus) sampled over a span of 22 years. We found significant additive genetic variation for early-life telomere length, but it comprised a small proportion (9%) of the total biological variation. Three sources of environmental variation were important: among cohorts, among-breeding attempts within years, and among nestmates. The magnitude of variation among breeding attempts and among nestmates also differed by cohort, suggesting that interactive effects of environmental factors across time or spatial scales were important, yet we were unable to identify the specific causes of these interactions. The mean amount of precipitation during the breeding season positively predicted telomere length, but neither weather during a given breeding attempt nor date in the breeding season contributed to an offspring's telomere length. At the level of individual nestlings, offspring sex, size and mass at 10 days of age also did not predict telomere length. Environmental effects appear especially important in shaping early-life telomere length in some species, and more focus on how environmental factors that interact across scales may help to explain some of the variation observed among studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David F Westneat
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Rebecca C Young
- Department of Biology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA
| | - Alexandra G Cones
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Aurelia C Kucera
- Department of Biology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA
| | - Angelo Anacleto
- Department of Biology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA
| | - Britt J Heidinger
- Department of Biology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA
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4
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Vedder O, Moiron M, Bichet C, Bauch C, Verhulst S, Becker PH, Bouwhuis S. Telomere length is heritable and genetically correlated with lifespan in a wild bird. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:6297-6307. [PMID: 33460462 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres are protective caps at the end of eukaryotic chromosomes that shorten with age and in response to stressful or resource-demanding conditions. Their length predicts individual health and lifespan across a wide range of animals, but whether the observed positive association between telomere length and lifespan is environmentally induced, or set at conception due to a shared genetic basis, has not been tested in wild animals. We applied quantitative genetic "animal models" to longitudinal telomere measurements collected over a 10-year period from individuals of a wild seabird (common tern; Sterna hirundo) with known pedigree. We found no variation in telomere shortening with age among individuals at the phenotypic and genetic level, and only a small permanent environmental effect on adult telomere length. Instead, we found telomere length to be highly heritable and strongly positively genetically correlated with lifespan. Such heritable differences between individuals that are set at conception may present a hitherto underappreciated component of variation in somatic state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Vedder
- Institute of Avian Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Maria Moiron
- Institute of Avian Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.,CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Christina Bauch
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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5
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Sheldon EL, Eastwood JR, Teunissen N, Roast MJ, Aranzamendi NH, Fan M, Louise Hall M, Kingma SA, Verhulst S, Peters A. Telomere dynamics in the first year of life, but not later in life, predict lifespan in a wild bird. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:6008-6017. [PMID: 34850488 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres are protective, nucleoprotein structures at the end of chromosomes that have been associated with lifespan across taxa. However, the extent to which these associations can be attributed to absolute length vs. the rate of telomere shortening prior to sampling remains unresolved. In a longitudinal study, we examined the relationship between lifespan, telomere length and the rate of telomere shortening in wild, purple-crowned fairy-wrens (Malurus coronatus coronatus). To this end, we measured telomere length using quantitative polymerase chain reaction in the blood of 59 individuals sampled as nestlings and 4-14 months thereafter, and in 141 known-age individuals sampled on average three times across adulthood. We applied within-subject centring analyses to simultaneously test for associations between lifespan and average telomere length and telomere shortening. We reveal that the rate of telomere shortening and to a lesser extent telomere length in the first year of life independently predicted lifespan, with individuals with faster shortening rates and/or shorter telomeres living less long. In contrast, in adulthood neither telomere shortening nor telomere length predicted lifespan, despite a considerably larger data set. Our results suggest that telomere length measured very early in life (during development) and longitudinal assessments of telomere shortening during the first year of life constitute more useful biomarkers of total life expectancy than either telomere length measured after development, or telomere shortening later in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Niki Teunissen
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic, Australia
| | | | | | - Marie Fan
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic, Australia
| | - Michelle Louise Hall
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany.,Bush Heritage Australia, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Sjouke Anne Kingma
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic, Australia.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany
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6
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Pepke ML, Kvalnes T, Lundregan S, Boner W, Monaghan P, Saether BE, Jensen H, Ringsby TH. Genetic architecture and heritability of early-life telomere length in a wild passerine. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:6360-6381. [PMID: 34825754 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Early-life telomere length (TL) is associated with fitness in a range of organisms. Little is known about the genetic basis of variation in TL in wild animal populations, but to understand the evolutionary and ecological significance of TL it is important to quantify the relative importance of genetic and environmental variation in TL. In this study, we measured TL in 2746 house sparrow nestlings sampled across 20 years and used an animal model to show that there is a small heritable component of early-life TL (h2 = 0.04). Variation in TL among individuals was mainly driven by environmental (annual) variance, but also brood and parental effects. Parent-offspring regressions showed a large maternal inheritance component in TL ( h maternal 2 = 0.44), but no paternal inheritance. We did not find evidence for a negative genetic correlation underlying the observed negative phenotypic correlation between TL and structural body size. Thus, TL may evolve independently of body size and the negative phenotypic correlation is likely to be caused by nongenetic environmental effects. We further used genome-wide association analysis to identify genomic regions associated with TL variation. We identified several putative genes underlying TL variation; these have been inferred to be involved in oxidative stress, cellular growth, skeletal development, cell differentiation and tumorigenesis in other species. Together, our results show that TL has a low heritability and is a polygenic trait strongly affected by environmental conditions in a free-living bird.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Le Pepke
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Thomas Kvalnes
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sarah Lundregan
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine (IBAHCM), University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine (IBAHCM), University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Bernt-Erik Saether
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Henrik Jensen
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Thor Harald Ringsby
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
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7
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Bauch C, Boonekamp JJ, Korsten P, Mulder E, Verhulst S. High heritability of telomere length and low heritability of telomere shortening in wild birds. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:6308-6323. [PMID: 34532917 PMCID: PMC9787985 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Telomere length and telomere shortening predict survival in many organisms. This raises the question of the contribution of genetic and environmental effects to variation in these traits, which is still poorly known, particularly for telomere shortening. We used experimental (cross-fostering) and statistical (quantitative genetic "animal models") means to disentangle and estimate genetic and environmental contributions to telomere length variation in pedigreed free-living jackdaws (Corvus monedula). Telomere length was measured twice in nestlings, at ages 4 (n = 715) and 29 days (n = 474), using telomere restriction fragment (TRF) analysis, adapted to exclude interstitial telomeric sequences. Telomere length shortened significantly over the nestling period (10.4 ± 0.3 bp day-1 ) and was highly phenotypically (rP = 0.95 ± 0.01) and genetically (rG > 0.99 ± 0.01) correlated within individuals. Additive genetic effects explained a major part of telomere length variation among individuals, with its heritability estimated at h2 = 0.74 on average. We note that TRF-based studies reported higher heritabilities than qPCR-based studies, and we discuss possible explanations. Parent-offspring regressions yielded similar heritability estimates for mothers and fathers when accounting for changes in paternal telomere length over life. Year effects explained a small but significant part of telomere length variation. Heritable variation for telomere shortening was low (h2 = 0.09 ± 0.11). The difference in heritability between telomere length (high) and telomere shortening (low) agrees with evolutionary theory, in that telomere shortening has stronger fitness consequences in this population. Despite the high heritability of telomere length, its evolvability, which scales the additive genetic variance by mean telomere length, was on average 0.48%. Hence, evolutionary change of telomere length due to selection is likely to be slow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Bauch
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Jelle J. Boonekamp
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands,Present address:
Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health & Comparative MedicineCollege of Medical, Veterinary and Life SciencesUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Peter Korsten
- Department of Animal BehaviourBielefeld UniversityBielefeldGermany
| | - Ellis Mulder
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
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8
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Sheldon EL, Ton R, Boner W, Monaghan P, Raveh S, Schrey AW, Griffith SC. Associations between DNA methylation and telomere length during early life: Insight from wild zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Mol Ecol 2022; 31:6261-6272. [PMID: 34551154 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Telomere length and DNA methylation (DNAm) are two promising biomarkers of biological age. Environmental factors and life history traits are known to affect variation in both these biomarkers, especially during early life, yet surprisingly little is known about their reciprocal association, especially in natural populations. Here, we explore how variation in DNAm, growth rate, and early-life conditions are associated with telomere length changes during development. We tested these associations by collecting data from wild, nestling zebra finches in the Australian desert. We found that increases in the level of DNAm were negatively correlated with telomere length changes across early life. We also confirm previously documented effects of post hatch growth rate and clutch size on telomere length in a natural ecological context for a species that has been extensively studied in the laboratory. However, we did not detect any effect of ambient temperature during developmental on telomere length dynamics. We also found that the absolute telomere length of wild zebra finches, measured using the in-gel TRF method, was similar to that of captive birds. Our findings highlight exciting new opportunities to link and disentangle potential relationships between DNA based biomarkers of ageing, and of physiological reactions to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth L Sheldon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Riccardo Ton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Shirley Raveh
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Aaron W Schrey
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Armstrong Campus, Savannah, Georgia, USA
| | - Simon C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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9
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Bennett S, Girndt A, Sánchez-Tójar A, Burke T, Simons M, Schroeder J. Evidence of Paternal Effects on Telomere Length Increases in Early Life. Front Genet 2022; 13:880455. [PMID: 35656320 PMCID: PMC9152208 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.880455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Offspring of older parents in many species have decreased longevity, a faster ageing rate and lower fecundity than offspring born to younger parents. Biomarkers of ageing, such as telomeres, that tend to shorten as individuals age, may provide insight into the mechanisms of such parental age effects. Parental age may be associated with offspring telomere length either directly through inheritance of shortened telomeres or indirectly, for example, through changes in parental care in older parents affecting offspring telomere length. Across the literature there is considerable variation in estimates of the heritability of telomere length, and in the direction and extent of parental age effects on telomere length. To address this, we experimentally tested how parental age is associated with the early-life telomere dynamics of chicks at two time points in a captive population of house sparrows Passer domesticus. We experimentally separated parental age from sex effects, and removed effects of age-assortative mating, by allowing the parent birds to only mate with young, or old partners. The effect of parental age was dependent on the sex of the parent and the chicks, and was found in the father-daughter relationship only; older fathers produced daughters with longer telomere lengths post-fledging. Overall we found that chick telomere length increased between the age of 0.5 and 3 months at the population and individual level. This finding is unusual in birds with such increases more commonly associated with non-avian taxa. Our results suggest parental age effects on telomere length are sex-specific either through indirect or direct inheritance. The study of similar patterns in different species and taxa will help us further understand variation in telomere length and its evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Bennett
- Division of Biology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.,UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, United Kingdom
| | - Antje Girndt
- Division of Biology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Alfredo Sánchez-Tójar
- Division of Biology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Terry Burke
- School of Biosciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Mirre Simons
- School of Biosciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Schroeder
- Division of Biology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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10
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Inbreeding is associated with shorter early-life telomere length in a wild passerine. CONSERV GENET 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-022-01441-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractInbreeding can have negative effects on survival and reproduction, which may be of conservation concern in small and isolated populations. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying inbreeding depression are not well-known. The length of telomeres, the DNA sequences protecting chromosome ends, has been associated with health or fitness in several species. We investigated effects of inbreeding on early-life telomere length in two small island populations of wild house sparrows (Passer domesticus) known to be affected by inbreeding depression. Using genomic measures of inbreeding we found that inbred nestling house sparrows (n = 371) have significantly shorter telomeres. Using pedigree-based estimates of inbreeding we found a tendency for inbred nestling house sparrows to have shorter telomeres (n = 1195). This negative effect of inbreeding on telomere length may have been complemented by a heterosis effect resulting in longer telomeres in individuals that were less inbred than the population average. Furthermore, we found some evidence of stronger effects of inbreeding on telomere length in males than females. Thus, telomere length may reveal subtle costs of inbreeding in the wild and demonstrate a route by which inbreeding negatively impacts the physiological state of an organism already at early life-history stages.
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11
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Morosinotto C, Bensch S, Tarka M, Karell P. Heritability and parental effects in telomere length in a color polymorphic long-lived bird. Physiol Biochem Zool 2022; 95:350-364. [DOI: 10.1086/720161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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12
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Parolini M, De Felice B, Mondellini S, Caprioli M, Possenti CD, Rubolini D. Prenatal exposure to triclosan induced brain telomere shortening in a wild bird species. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2021; 87:103718. [PMID: 34329803 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2021.103718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to the antimicrobial agent Triclosan (TCS) induces oxidative stress in diverse organisms, including birds. However, whether TCS-induced oxidative stress effectively translates into detrimental effects is still unclear. The present study examined whether prenatal TCS exposure induces oxidative stress and telomere shortening in the brain and the liver of near-term embryos of the yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis). Prenatal TCS exposure caused a significant overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the brain, but no oxidative damage occurred. Telomeres of TCS-exposed embryos had brain telomeres 30 % shorter compared to controls, probably because the relatively modest antioxidant defenses of this organ during prenatal development cannot counteract the impact of the TCS-induced ROS. No telomere shortening was observed in the liver. Our results demonstrated that prenatal exposure to TCS in wild bird species can modulate the oxidative status and induce telomere shortening in the brain of the yellow-legged gull embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Parolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Beatrice De Felice
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Simona Mondellini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy; Department of Animal Ecology I and BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Universitaetsstraße 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Manuela Caprioli
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Daniela Possenti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
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13
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Quque M, Paquet M, Zahn S, Théron F, Faivre B, Sueur C, Criscuolo F, Doutrelant C, Covas R. Contrasting associations between nestling telomere length and pre and postnatal helpers' presence in a cooperatively breeding bird. Oecologia 2021; 196:37-51. [PMID: 33864121 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04917-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Studies on cooperative breeders have addressed the effects of non-breeding 'helpers' on reproduction and parental care, but the consequences for offspring physiology and long-term survival are less understood. Helpers are expected to benefit offspring, but their presence can also lead to decreased pre- or post-natal parental reproductive effort. To examine whether prenatal and postnatal helpers influence offspring condition, we conducted a whole-clutch cross-fostering experiment in sociable weavers (Philetairus socius) that altered the nestlings' social environment (presence/absence of helpers). We tested whether relative telomere length (rTL), an indicator of somatic maintenance, was influenced by prenatal and/or postnatal presence of helpers 9 and 17 days after hatching, and whether rTL predicted long-term survival. Nine days after hatching, we found an overall positive effect of postnatal helpers on rTL: for nestlings with prenatal helpers, a reduction in the number of helpers post-hatch was associated with shorter telomeres, while nestlings swapped from nests without helpers to nests with helpers had a larger rTL. However, when prenatal helpers were present, an increased number of helpers after hatching led to shorter telomeres. Nine-day old chicks with longer rTL tended to be more likely to survive over the 5 years following hatching. However, close to fledging, there was no detectable effect of the experiment on rTL and no link between rTL and survival. This experimental study of a wild cooperative breeder, therefore, presents partial support for the importance of the presence of helpers for offspring rTL and the link between early-life telomere length and long-term survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Quque
- CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Matthieu Paquet
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sandrine Zahn
- CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Frank Théron
- CNRS, CEFE UMR 5175, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Bruno Faivre
- Biogéosciences, CNRS UMR 6282, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Cédric Sueur
- CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | | | - Claire Doutrelant
- CNRS, CEFE UMR 5175, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,Research Centre On Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, CIBIO-InBio, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rita Covas
- Research Centre On Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, CIBIO-InBio, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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14
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Seeker LA, Underwood SL, Wilbourn RV, Dorrens J, Froy H, Holland R, Ilska JJ, Psifidi A, Bagnall A, Whitelaw B, Coffey M, Banos G, Nussey DH. Telomere attrition rates are associated with weather conditions and predict productive lifespan in dairy cattle. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5589. [PMID: 33692400 PMCID: PMC7970942 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84984-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere length is predictive of adult health and survival across vertebrate species. However, we currently do not know whether such associations result from among-individual differences in telomere length determined genetically or by early-life environmental conditions, or from differences in the rate of telomere attrition over the course of life that might be affected by environmental conditions. Here, we measured relative leukocyte telomere length (RLTL) multiple times across the entire lifespan of dairy cattle in a research population that is closely monitored for health and milk production and where individuals are predominantly culled in response to health issues. Animals varied in their change in RLTL between subsequent measurements and RLTL shortened more during early life and following hotter summers which are known to cause heat stress in dairy cows. The average amount of telomere attrition calculated over multiple repeat samples of individuals predicted a shorter productive lifespan, suggesting a link between telomere loss and health. TL attrition was a better predictor of when an animal was culled than their average TL or the previously for this population reported significant TL at the age of 1 year. Our present results support the hypothesis that TL is a flexible trait that is affected by environmental factors and that telomere attrition is linked to animal health and survival traits. Change in telomere length may represent a useful biomarker in animal welfare studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luise A Seeker
- Animal & Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK.
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh BioQuarter, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Sarah L Underwood
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Rachael V Wilbourn
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jennifer Dorrens
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Hannah Froy
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Rebecca Holland
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joanna J Ilska
- Animal & Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
| | - Androniki Psifidi
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
- Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, UK
| | | | - Bruce Whitelaw
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
| | - Mike Coffey
- Animal & Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
| | - Georgios Banos
- Animal & Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
| | - Daniel H Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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15
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Criscuolo F, Torres R, Zahn S, Williams TD. Telomere dynamics from hatching to sexual maturity and maternal effects in the 'multivariate egg'. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb232496. [PMID: 33139395 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.232496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Avian eggs contain a large number of molecules deposited by the mother that provide the embryo with energy but also potentially influence its development via the effects of maternally derived hormones and antibodies: the avian egg is thus 'multivariate'. Multivariate effects on offspring phenotype were evaluated in a study on captive zebra finches, by simultaneously manipulating maternally derived antibodies (MAb) by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment of mothers and injection of testosterone into the egg yolk. LPS treatment had a positive effect on body mass growth at 30 days after hatching and immune response at sexual maturity, while egg testosterone treatment positively influenced immune response at fledging and courtship behaviour in sexually mature male offspring. Maternal effects are known to modulate offspring telomere length (TL). However, the multivariate effects of egg-derived maternal components on offspring telomere dynamics from hatching to sexual maturity are undefined. Here, we tested: (1) the effects of LPS and testosterone treatments on TL from hatching to sexual maturity (day 82); (2) how LPS treatment modulated TL over reproduction in adult females; and (3) the relationship between maternal and offspring TL. We predicted that TL would be shorter in LPS fledglings (as a cost of faster growth) and that TL would be longer in sexually mature adults after yolk testosterone treatment (as a proxy of individual quality). In adult females, there was an overall negative relationship between laying and rearing investments and TL, this relationship was weaker in LPS-treated females. In chicks, there was an overall negative effect of LPS treatment on TL measured at fledging and sexual maturity (day 25-82). In addition, at fledging, there was a Sex×LPS×Testosterone interaction, suggesting the existence of antagonistic effects of our treatments. Our data partially support the hypothesis that telomeres are proxies of individual quality and that individual differences in TL are established very early in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois Criscuolo
- University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Roxanna Torres
- Instituto de Ecologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, A.P. 70-275, Mexico D.F. 04510, Mexico
| | - Sandrine Zahn
- University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Tony D Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, Canada V5A 1S6
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16
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Spagopoulou F, Teplitsky C, Lind MI, Chantepie S, Gustafsson L, Maklakov AA. Silver-spoon upbringing improves early-life fitness but promotes reproductive ageing in a wild bird. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:994-1002. [PMID: 32239642 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Early-life conditions can have long-lasting effects and organisms that experience a poor start in life are often expected to age at a faster rate. Alternatively, individuals raised in high-quality environments can overinvest in early-reproduction resulting in rapid ageing. Here we use a long-term experimental manipulation of early-life conditions in a natural population of collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis), to show that females raised in a low-competition environment (artificially reduced broods) have higher early-life reproduction but lower late-life reproduction than females raised in high-competition environment (artificially increased broods). Reproductive success of high-competition females peaked in late-life, when low-competition females were already in steep reproductive decline and suffered from a higher mortality rate. Our results demonstrate that 'silver-spoon' natal conditions increase female early-life performance at the cost of faster reproductive ageing and increased late-life mortality. These findings demonstrate experimentally that natal environment shapes individual variation in reproductive and actuarial ageing in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Foteini Spagopoulou
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvagen 18D, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Céline Teplitsky
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Martin I Lind
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvagen 18D, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stéphane Chantepie
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Lars Gustafsson
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvagen 18D, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alexei A Maklakov
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvagen 18D, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden.,School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
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17
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Foley NM, Petit EJ, Brazier T, Finarelli JA, Hughes GM, Touzalin F, Puechmaille SJ, Teeling EC. Drivers of longitudinal telomere dynamics in a long‐lived bat species,
Myotis myotis. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:2963-2977. [PMID: 32105386 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M. Foley
- School of Biology and Environmental Science Science Centre West University College Dublin Belfield, Dublin Ireland
| | - Eric J. Petit
- ESE, Ecology and Ecosystem Health Agrocampus Ouest INRAE Rennes France
| | - Thomas Brazier
- ESE, Ecology and Ecosystem Health Agrocampus Ouest INRAE Rennes France
| | - John A. Finarelli
- School of Biology and Environmental Science Science Centre West University College Dublin Belfield, Dublin Ireland
| | - Graham M. Hughes
- School of Biology and Environmental Science Science Centre West University College Dublin Belfield, Dublin Ireland
| | - Frédéric Touzalin
- School of Biology and Environmental Science Science Centre West University College Dublin Belfield, Dublin Ireland
| | - Sébastien J. Puechmaille
- School of Biology and Environmental Science Science Centre West University College Dublin Belfield, Dublin Ireland
- Zoological Institute and Museum University of Greifswald Greifswald Germany
- ISEM Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
| | - Emma C. Teeling
- School of Biology and Environmental Science Science Centre West University College Dublin Belfield, Dublin Ireland
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18
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Chatelain M, Drobniak SM, Szulkin M. The association between stressors and telomeres in non‐human vertebrates: a meta‐analysis. Ecol Lett 2019; 23:381-398. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marion Chatelain
- Centre of New Technologies University of Warsaw Banacha 2C 02‐097 Warszawa Poland
| | - Szymon M. Drobniak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences Jagiellonian University Gronostajowa 7 30‐387 Kraków Poland
- Ecology & Evolution Research Centre School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney Australia
| | - Marta Szulkin
- Centre of New Technologies University of Warsaw Banacha 2C 02‐097 Warszawa Poland
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19
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Ilska-Warner JJ, Psifidi A, Seeker LA, Wilbourn RV, Underwood SL, Fairlie J, Whitelaw B, Nussey DH, Coffey MP, Banos G. The Genetic Architecture of Bovine Telomere Length in Early Life and Association With Animal Fitness. Front Genet 2019; 10:1048. [PMID: 31749836 PMCID: PMC6843005 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Health and survival are key goals for selective breeding in farm animals. Progress, however, is often limited by the low heritability of these animal fitness traits in addition to measurement difficulties. In this respect, relevant early-life biomarkers may be useful for breeding purposes. Telomere length (TL), measured in leukocytes, is a good candidate biomarker since TL has been associated with health, ageing, and stress in humans and other species. However, telomere studies are very limited in farm animals. Here, we examined the genetic background, genomic architecture, and factors affecting bovine TL measurements in early life, and the association of the latter with animal fitness traits expressed later in life associated with survival, longevity, health, and reproduction. We studied two TL measurements, one at birth (TLB) and another during the first lactation (TLFL) of a cow. We performed a genome-wide association study of dairy cattle TL, the first in a non-human species, and found that TLB and TLFL are complex, polygenic, moderately heritable, and highly correlated traits. However, genomic associations with distinct chromosomal regions were identified for the two traits suggesting that their genomic architecture is not identical. This is reflected in changes in TL throughout an individual’s life. TLB had a significant association with survival, length of productive life and future health status of the animal, and could be potentially used as an early-life biomarker for disease predisposition and longevity in dairy cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna J Ilska-Warner
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Scotland's Rural College, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Androniki Psifidi
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Luise A Seeker
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Scotland's Rural College, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Rachael V Wilbourn
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah L Underwood
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Fairlie
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Bruce Whitelaw
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel H Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mike P Coffey
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Scotland's Rural College, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Georgios Banos
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Scotland's Rural College, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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20
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Belmaker A, Hallinger KK, Glynn RA, Winkler DW, Haussmann MF. The environmental and genetic determinants of chick telomere length in Tree Swallows ( Tachycineta bicolor). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:8175-8186. [PMID: 31380080 PMCID: PMC6662556 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2019] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Conditions during early life can have dramatic effects on adult characteristics and fitness. However, we still know little about the mechanisms that mediate these relationships. Telomere shortening is one possibility. Telomeres are long sequences of DNA that protect the ends of chromosomes. They shorten naturally throughout an individual's life, and individuals with short telomeres tend to have poorer health and reduced survival. Given this connection between telomere length (TL) and fitness, natural selection should favor individuals that are able to retain longer telomeres for a greater portion of their lives. However, the ability of natural selection to act on TL depends on the extent to which genetic and environmental factors influence TL. In this study, we experimentally enlarged broods of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) to test the effects of demanding early-life conditions on TL, while simultaneously cross-fostering chicks to estimate heritable genetic influences on TL. In addition, we estimated the effects of parental age and chick sex on chick TL. We found that TL is highly heritable in Tree Swallow chicks, and that the maternal genetic basis for TL is stronger than is the paternal genetic basis. In contrast, the experimental manipulation of brood size had only a weak effect on chick TL, suggesting that the role of environmental factors in influencing TL early in life is limited. There was no effect of chick sex or parental age on chick TL. While these results are consistent with those reported in some studies, they are in conflict with others. These disparate conclusions might be attributable to the inherent complexity of telomere dynamics playing out differently in different populations or to study-specific variation in the age at which subjects were measured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amos Belmaker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyCornell UniversityIthacaNew York
- Present address:
The Steinhardt Museum of Natural HistoryTel‐Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Kelly K. Hallinger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyCornell UniversityIthacaNew York
- Present address:
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ArizonaTucsonArizona
| | | | - David W. Winkler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyCornell UniversityIthacaNew York
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21
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Dugdale HL, Richardson DS. Heritability of telomere variation: it is all about the environment! Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2016.0450. [PMID: 29335377 PMCID: PMC5784070 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in telomere length have been linked to survival and senescence. Understanding the heritability of telomere length can provide important insight into individual differences and facilitate our understanding of the evolution of telomeres. However, to gain accurate and meaningful estimates of telomere heritability it is vital that the impact of the environment, and how this may vary, is understood and accounted for. The aim of this review is to raise awareness of this important, but much under-appreciated point. We outline the factors known to impact telomere length and discuss the fact that telomere length is a trait that changes with age. We highlight statistical methods that can separate genetic from environmental effects and control for confounding variables. We then review how well previous studies in vertebrate populations including humans have taken these factors into account. We argue that studies to date either use methodological techniques that confound environmental and genetic effects, or use appropriate methods but lack sufficient power to fully separate these components. We discuss potential solutions. We conclude that we need larger studies, which also span longer time periods, to account for changing environmental effects, if we are to determine meaningful estimates of the genetic component of telomere length. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Understanding diversity in telomere dynamics'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L Dugdale
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - David S Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ, UK
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22
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Gil D, Alfonso-Iñiguez S, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Muriel J, Monclús R. Harsh conditions during early development influence telomere length in an altricial passerine: Links with oxidative stress and corticosteroids. J Evol Biol 2018; 32:111-125. [PMID: 30387533 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Stress during early development can induce substantial long-term effects in organisms. In the case of birds, despite growth compensations, nestlings reared under harsh conditions typically show reduced survival chances in adulthood. It has been proposed that environmental early-life stressors could affect longevity via effects on telomere length, possibly mediated through oxidative stress. However, the link between these processes is not clear. In this study, we experimentally manipulated brood size in spotless starlings (Sturnus unicolor) to test the causal relationship between early stress, oxidative and corticosterone-mediated stress and telomere shortening. Our results show that experimentally enlarged brood sizes led to a reduction in morphometric development on nestlings, the effect being stronger for females than males. Additionally, basal corticosterone levels increased with increasing brood size in female nestlings. Neither plasma antioxidant status nor malondialdehyde levels (a marker of lipid peroxidation) were affected by experimental brood size, although the levels of a key intracellular antioxidant (glutathione) decreased with increasing brood size. We found that the treatment showed a quadratic effect on nestling telomere lengths: these were shortened either by increases or by decreases in the original brood size. Our study provides experimental evidence for a link between developmental stress and telomere length, but does not support a direct causal link of this reduction with corticosterone or oxidative stress. We suggest that future studies should focus on how telomere length responds to additional markers of allostatic load.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Gil
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Alfonso-Iñiguez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Lorenzo Pérez-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Jaime Muriel
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Raquel Monclús
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, University of Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
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23
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López-Arrabé J, Monaghan P, Cantarero A, Boner W, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Moreno J. Sex-Specific Associations between Telomere Dynamics and Oxidative Status in Adult and Nestling Pied Flycatchers. Physiol Biochem Zool 2018; 91:868-877. [PMID: 29547348 DOI: 10.1086/697294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Oxidative stress can contribute to an acceleration of telomere erosion, leading to cellular senescence and aging. Increased investment in reproduction is known to accelerate senescence, generally resulting in reduced future reproductive potential and survival. To better understand the role played by oxidative status and telomere dynamics in the conflict between maintenance and reproduction, it is important to determine how these factors are related in parents and their offspring. We investigated the relationship between oxidative status and telomere measurements in pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca). Total antioxidant status (TAS) in plasma, total levels of glutathione in red blood cells (RBCs), and oxidative damage in plasma lipids (malondialdehyde [MDA]) were assessed in both parents and nestlings. Telomeres were measured in RBCs in adults. Our results showed sex differences in oxidative variables in adults that are likely to be mediated by sex steroids, with testosterone and estrogens increasing and reducing, respectively, the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. We found a negative association between telomere length (TL) and MDA in adults in the previous season. Moreover, TL was positively associated with TAS in females, while telomere shortening (ΔTL) correlated positively with MDA in males in the current year. These associations could be reflecting differences between sexes in reproductive physiology. We found a positive correlation between parental ΔTL and nestling MDA, an example of how parental physiological aging could affect offspring quality in terms of oxidative stress that highlights the constraints imposed by higher rates of ΔTL during reproduction and rearing.
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24
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Seeker LA, Ilska JJ, Psifidi A, Wilbourn RV, Underwood SL, Fairlie J, Holland R, Froy H, Salvo-Chirnside E, Bagnall A, Whitelaw B, Coffey MP, Nussey DH, Banos G. Bovine telomere dynamics and the association between telomere length and productive lifespan. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12748. [PMID: 30143784 PMCID: PMC6109064 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31185-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Average telomere length (TL) in blood cells has been shown to decline with age in a range of vertebrate species, and there is evidence that TL is a heritable trait associated with late-life health and mortality in humans. In non-human mammals, few studies to date have examined lifelong telomere dynamics and no study has estimated the heritability of TL, despite these being important steps towards assessing the potential of TL as a biomarker of productive lifespan and health in livestock species. Here we measured relative leukocyte TL (RLTL) in 1,328 samples from 308 Holstein Friesian dairy cows and in 284 samples from 38 female calves. We found that RLTL declines after birth but remains relatively stable in adult life. We also calculated the first heritability estimates of RLTL in a livestock species which were 0.38 (SE = 0.03) and 0.32 (SE = 0.08) for the cow and the calf dataset, respectively. RLTL measured at the ages of one and five years were positively correlated with productive lifespan (p < 0.05). We conclude that bovine RLTL is a heritable trait, and its association with productive lifespan may be used in breeding programmes aiming to enhance cow longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luise A Seeker
- Animal & Veterinary Sciences Group, SRUC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK.
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK.
| | - Joanna J Ilska
- Animal & Veterinary Sciences Group, SRUC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
| | - Androniki Psifidi
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
- Queen Mother Hospital for Animals, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, UK
| | - Rachael V Wilbourn
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - Sarah L Underwood
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - Jennifer Fairlie
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - Rebecca Holland
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - Hannah Froy
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | | | | | - Bruce Whitelaw
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
| | - Mike P Coffey
- Animal & Veterinary Sciences Group, SRUC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
| | - Daniel H Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - Georgios Banos
- Animal & Veterinary Sciences Group, SRUC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
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25
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Monaghan P, Ozanne SE. Somatic growth and telomere dynamics in vertebrates: relationships, mechanisms and consequences. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20160446. [PMID: 29335370 PMCID: PMC5784066 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Much telomere loss takes place during the period of most rapid growth when cell proliferation and potentially energy expenditure are high. Fast growth is linked to reduced longevity. Therefore, the effects of somatic cell proliferation on telomere loss and cell senescence might play a significant role in driving the growth-lifespan trade-off. While different species will have evolved a growth strategy that maximizes lifetime fitness, environmental conditions encountered during periods of growth will influence individual optima. In this review, we first discuss the routes by which altered cellular conditions could influence telomere loss in vertebrates, with a focus on oxidative stress in both in vitro and in vivo studies. We discuss the relationship between body growth and telomere length, and evaluate the empirical evidence that this relationship is generally negative. We further discuss the potentially conflicting hypotheses that arise when other factors are taken into account, and the further work that needs to be undertaken to disentangle confounding variables.This article is part of the theme issue 'Understanding diversity in telomere dynamics'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Susan E Ozanne
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, Level 4, Box 289, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
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26
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Saino N, Ambrosini R, Rubolini D, Romano M, Caprioli M, Romano A, Parolini M. Carry-over effects of brood size on morphology, reproduction, and lifespan in barn swallows. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2446-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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27
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Angelier F, Costantini D, Blévin P, Chastel O. Do glucocorticoids mediate the link between environmental conditions and telomere dynamics in wild vertebrates? A review. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 256:99-111. [PMID: 28705731 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Revised: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Following the discoveries of telomeres and of their implications in terms of health and ageing, there has been a growing interest into the study of telomere dynamics in wild vertebrates. Telomeres are repeated sequences of non-coding DNA located at the terminal ends of chromosomes and they play a major role in maintaining chromosome stability. Importantly, telomeres shorten over time and shorter telomeres seem to be related with lower survival in vertebrates. Because of this potential link with longevity, it is crucial to understand not only the ecological determinants of telomere dynamics but also the regulatory endocrine mechanisms that may mediate the effect of the environment on telomeres. In this paper, we review the relationships that link environmental conditions, glucocorticoids (GC, the main hormonal mediator of allostasis) and telomere length in vertebrates. First, we review current knowledge about the determinants of inter-individual variations in telomere length. We emphasize the potential strong impact of environmental stressors and predictable life-history events on telomere dynamics. Despite recent progress, we still lack crucial basic data to fully understand the costs of several life-history stages and biotic and abiotic factors on telomere length. Second, we review the link that exists between GCs, oxidative stress and telomere dynamics in vertebrates. Although circulating GC levels may be closely and functionally linked with telomere dynamics, data are still scarce and somewhat contradictory. Further laboratory and field studies are therefore needed not only to better assess the proximate link between GC levels and telomere dynamics, but also to ultimately understand to what extent GCs and telomere length could be informative to measure the fitness costs of specific life-history stages and environmental conditions. Finally, we highlight the importance of exploring the functional links that may exist between coping styles, the GC stress response, and telomere dynamics in a life-history framework. To conclude, we raise new hypotheses regarding the potential of the GC stress response to drive the trade-off between immediate survival and telomere protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-ULR, UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France.
| | - David Costantini
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UMR 7221, Paris, France; Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Pierre Blévin
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-ULR, UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-ULR, UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
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28
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Olsson M, Wapstra E, Friesen CR. Evolutionary ecology of telomeres: a review. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2017; 1422:5-28. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mats Olsson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Wollongong Wollongong New South Wales Australia
| | - Erik Wapstra
- School of Biological Sciences University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
| | - Christopher R. Friesen
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
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29
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Parolini M, Romano A, Costanzo A, Khoriauli L, Santagostino M, Nergadze SG, Canova L, Rubolini D, Giulotto E, Saino N. Telomere length is reflected by plumage coloration and predicts seasonal reproductive success in the barn swallow. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:6100-6109. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Revised: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Parolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milan Italy
| | - Andrea Romano
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milan Italy
| | - Alessandra Costanzo
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milan Italy
| | - Lela Khoriauli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | | | | | - Luca Canova
- Department of Chemistry University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milan Italy
| | - Elena Giulotto
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Nicola Saino
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milan Italy
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30
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Noreikiene K, Kuparinen A, Merilä J. Age at maturation has sex- and temperature-specific effects on telomere length in a fish. Oecologia 2017; 184:767-777. [PMID: 28730343 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3913-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres are highly conserved nucleoprotein structures which protect genome integrity. The length of telomeres is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, but relatively little is known about how different hereditary and environmental factors interact in determining telomere length. We manipulated growth rates and timing of maturation by exposing full-sib nine-spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius) to two different temperature treatments and quantified the effects of temperature treatments, sex, timing of maturation, growth rate and family (genetic influences) on telomere length. We did not find the overall effect of temperature treatment on the relative telomere length. However, we found that variation in telomere length was related to timing of maturation in a sex- and temperature-dependent manner. Telomere length was negatively related to age at maturation in elevated temperature and early maturing males and females differed in telomere length. Variation in growth rate did not explain any variation in telomere length. The broad sense heritability (h 2) of telomere length was estimated at h 2 = 0.31 - 0.47, suggesting predominance of environmental over genetic determinants of telomere length variability. This study provides the first evidence that age at maturation together with factors associated with it are influencing telomere length in an ectotherm. Future studies are encouraged to identify the extent to which these results can be replicated in other ectotherms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Noreikiene
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Anna Kuparinen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, PO Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Juha Merilä
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
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31
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Vedder O, Verhulst S, Bauch C, Bouwhuis S. Telomere attrition and growth: a life-history framework and case study in common terns. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:1409-1419. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- O. Vedder
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences; University of Groningen; Groningen The Netherlands
- Institute of Avian Research; Wilhelmshaven Germany
| | - S. Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences; University of Groningen; Groningen The Netherlands
| | - C. Bauch
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences; University of Groningen; Groningen The Netherlands
| | - S. Bouwhuis
- Institute of Avian Research; Wilhelmshaven Germany
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32
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Young RC, Welcker J, Barger CP, Hatch SA, Merkling T, Kitaiskaia EV, Haussmann MF, Kitaysky AS. Effects of developmental conditions on growth, stress and telomeres in black-legged kittiwake chicks. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:3572-3584. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C. Young
- Instituto de Ecología; UNAM; Ciudad Universitaria; Ciudad de México México
| | - Jorg Welcker
- Institute of Arctic Biology; Department of Biology and Wildlife; University of Alaska Fairbanks; Fairbanks AK USA
| | - Christopher P. Barger
- Institute of Arctic Biology; Department of Biology and Wildlife; University of Alaska Fairbanks; Fairbanks AK USA
| | - Scott A. Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation; Anchorage AK USA
| | - Thomas Merkling
- Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier; CNRS; ENFA; UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique); Toulouse France
| | - Evgenia V. Kitaiskaia
- Institute of Arctic Biology; Department of Biology and Wildlife; University of Alaska Fairbanks; Fairbanks AK USA
| | | | - Alexander S. Kitaysky
- Institute of Arctic Biology; Department of Biology and Wildlife; University of Alaska Fairbanks; Fairbanks AK USA
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33
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Szász E, Szöllősi E, Hegyi G, Török J, Rosivall B. Rearing conditions have long-term sex-specific fitness consequences in the collared flycatcher. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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34
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Cerchiara JA, Risques RA, Prunkard D, Smith JR, Kane OJ, Boersma PD. Telomeres shorten and then lengthen before fledging in Magellanic penguins ( Spheniscus magellanicus). Aging (Albany NY) 2017; 9:487-493. [PMID: 28186493 PMCID: PMC5361676 DOI: 10.18632/aging.101172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
For all species, finite metabolic resources must be allocated toward three competing systems: maintenance, reproduction, and growth. Telomeres, the nucleoprotein tips of chromosomes, which shorten with age in most species, are correlated with increased survival. Chick growth is energetically costly and is associated with telomere shortening in most species. To assess the change in telomeres in penguin chicks, we quantified change in telomere length of wild known-age Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) chicks every 15 days during the species' growth period, from hatching to 60 days-of-age. Magellanic penguins continue to grow after fledging so we also sampled a set of 1-year-old juvenile penguins, and adults aged 5 years. Telomeres were significantly shorter on day 15 than on hatch day but returned to their initial length by 30 days old and remained at that length through 60 days of age. The length of telomeres of newly hatched chicks, chicks aged 30, 45 and 60 days, juveniles, and adults aged 5 years were similar. Chicks that fledged and those that died had similar telomere lengths. We show that while telomeres shorten during growth, Magellanic penguins elongate telomeres to their length at hatch, which may increase adult life span and reproductive opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack A Cerchiara
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rosa Ana Risques
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Donna Prunkard
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Smith
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Olivia J Kane
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - P Dee Boersma
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Global Penguin Society, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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35
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Watson RL, Bird EJ, Underwood S, Wilbourn RV, Fairlie J, Watt K, Salvo-Chirnside E, Pilkington JG, Pemberton JM, McNeilly TN, Froy H, Nussey DH. Sex differences in leucocyte telomere length in a free-living mammal. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:3230-3240. [PMID: 28027420 PMCID: PMC5484296 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that average telomere length reflects previous stress and predicts subsequent survival across vertebrate species. In humans, leucocyte telomere length (LTL) is consistently shorter during adulthood in males than in females, although the causes of this sex difference and its generality to other mammals remain unknown. Here, we measured LTL in a cross‐sectional sample of free‐living Soay sheep and found shorter telomeres in males than in females in later adulthood (>3 years of age), but not in early life. This observation was not related to sex differences in growth or parasite burden, but we did find evidence for reduced LTL associated with increased horn growth in early life in males. Variation in LTL was independent of variation in the proportions of different leucocyte cell types, which are known to differ in telomere length. Our results provide the first evidence of sex differences in LTL from a wild mammal, but longitudinal studies are now required to determine whether telomere attrition rates or selective disappearance are responsible for these observed differences. see also the Perspective by Dantzer and Garratt
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Watson
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Ellen J Bird
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Sarah Underwood
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Rachael V Wilbourn
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Jennifer Fairlie
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Kathryn Watt
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Eliane Salvo-Chirnside
- SynthSys, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Waddington Building, Max Bourne Crescent, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Jill G Pilkington
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Josephine M Pemberton
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Tom N McNeilly
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Hannah Froy
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Daniel H Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
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36
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Costanzo A, Parolini M, Bazzi G, Khoriauli L, Santagostino M, Possenti CD, Romano A, Nergadze SG, Rubolini D, Giulotto E, Saino N. Brood size, telomere length, and parent-offspring color signaling in barn swallows. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
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37
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Becker PJJ, Reichert S, Zahn S, Hegelbach J, Massemin S, Keller LF, Postma E, Criscuolo F. Mother-offspring and nest-mate resemblance but no heritability in early-life telomere length in white-throated dippers. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20142924. [PMID: 25904662 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
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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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp J J Becker
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Sophie Reichert
- Département d'Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie (DEPE), Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS UMR7178, 23 rue Becquerel, Strasbourg Cedex 2 67087, France University of Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, Strasbourg Cedex 67081, France Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Sandrine Zahn
- Département d'Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie (DEPE), Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS UMR7178, 23 rue Becquerel, Strasbourg Cedex 2 67087, France University of Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, Strasbourg Cedex 67081, France
| | - Johann Hegelbach
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Sylvie Massemin
- Département d'Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie (DEPE), Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS UMR7178, 23 rue Becquerel, Strasbourg Cedex 2 67087, France University of Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, Strasbourg Cedex 67081, France
| | - Lukas F Keller
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Erik Postma
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - François Criscuolo
- Département d'Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie (DEPE), Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS UMR7178, 23 rue Becquerel, Strasbourg Cedex 2 67087, France University of Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, Strasbourg Cedex 67081, France
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38
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Heidinger BJ, Herborn KA, Granroth‐Wilding HM, Boner W, Burthe S, Newell M, Wanless S, Daunt F, Monaghan P. Parental age influences offspring telomere loss. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Britt J. Heidinger
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow Graham Kerr Building Glasgow G12 8QQ UK
| | - Katherine A. Herborn
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow Graham Kerr Building Glasgow G12 8QQ UK
| | - Hanna M.V. Granroth‐Wilding
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Immunology and Infection Research School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT UK
| | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow Graham Kerr Building Glasgow G12 8QQ UK
| | - Sarah Burthe
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Bush Estate Penicuik Midlothian EH26 0QB UK
| | - Mark Newell
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Bush Estate Penicuik Midlothian EH26 0QB UK
| | - Sarah Wanless
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Bush Estate Penicuik Midlothian EH26 0QB UK
| | - Francis Daunt
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Bush Estate Penicuik Midlothian EH26 0QB UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow Graham Kerr Building Glasgow G12 8QQ UK
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The relationship of telomere length to baseline corticosterone levels in nestlings of an altricial passerine bird in natural populations. Front Zool 2016; 13:1. [PMID: 26759601 PMCID: PMC4710010 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-016-0133-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Environmental stressors increase the secretion of glucocorticoids that in turn can shorten telomeres via oxidative damage. Modification of telomere length, as a result of adversity faced early in life, can modify an individual’s phenotype. Studies in captivity have suggested a relationship between glucocorticoids and telomere length in developing individuals, however less is known about that relationship in natural populations. Methods In order to evaluate the effect of early environmental stressors on telomere length in natural populations, we compared baseline corticosterone (CORT) levels and telomere length in nestlings of the same age. We collected blood samples for hormone assay and telomere determination from two geographically distinct populations of the Thorn-tailed Rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) that differed in brood size; nestlings body mass and primary productivity. Within each population we used path analysis to evaluate the relationship between brood size, body mass, baseline CORT and telomere length. Results Within each distinct population, path coefficients showed a positive relationship between brood size and baseline CORT and a strong and negative correlation between baseline CORT and telomere length. In general, nestlings that presented higher baseline CORT levels tended to present shorter telomeres. When comparing populations it was the low latitude population that presented higher levels of baseline CORT and shorter telomere length. Conclusions Taken together our results reveal the importance of the condition experienced early in life in affecting telomere length, and the relevance of integrative studies carried out in natural conditions.
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Ringsby TH, Jensen H, Pärn H, Kvalnes T, Boner W, Gillespie R, Holand H, Hagen IJ, Rønning B, Sæther BE, Monaghan P. On being the right size: increased body size is associated with reduced telomere length under natural conditions. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:20152331. [PMID: 26631569 PMCID: PMC4685786 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolution of body size is likely to involve trade-offs between body size, growth rate and longevity. Within species, larger body size is associated with faster growth and ageing, and reduced longevity, but the cellular processes driving these relationships are poorly understood. One mechanism that might play a key role in determining optimal body size is the relationship between body size and telomere dynamics. However, we know little about how telomere length is affected when selection for larger size is imposed in natural populations. We report here on the relationship between structural body size and telomere length in wild house sparrows at the beginning and end of a selection regime for larger parent size that was imposed for 4 years in an isolated population of house sparrows. A negative relationship between fledgling size and telomere length was present at the start of the selection; this was extended when fledgling size increased under the selection regime, demonstrating a persistent covariance between structural size and telomere length. Changes in telomere dynamics, either as a correlated trait or a consequence of larger size, could reduce potential longevity and the consequent trade-offs could thereby play an important role in the evolution of optimal body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thor Harald Ringsby
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Henrik Jensen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Henrik Pärn
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Thomas Kvalnes
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Robert Gillespie
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Håkon Holand
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ingerid Julie Hagen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Bernt Rønning
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Bernt-Erik Sæther
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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Early-Life Telomere Dynamics Differ between the Sexes and Predict Growth in the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142530. [PMID: 26565632 PMCID: PMC4643985 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are conserved DNA-protein structures at the termini of eukaryotic chromosomes which contribute to maintenance of genome integrity, and their shortening leads to cell senescence, with negative consequences for organismal functions. Because telomere erosion is influenced by extrinsic and endogenous factors, telomere dynamics may provide a mechanistic basis for evolutionary and physiological trade-offs. Yet, knowledge of fundamental aspects of telomere biology under natural selection regimes, including sex- and context-dependent variation in early-life, and the covariation between telomere dynamics and growth, is scant. In this study of barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) we investigated the sex-dependent telomere erosion during nestling period, and the covariation between relative telomere length and body and plumage growth. Finally, we tested whether any covariation between growth traits and relative telomere length depends on the social environment, as influenced by sibling sex ratio. Relative telomere length declined on average over the period of nestling maximal growth rate (between 7 and 16 days of age) and differently covaried with initial relative telomere length in either sex. The frequency distribution of changes in relative telomere length was bimodal, with most nestlings decreasing and some increasing relative telomere length, but none of the offspring traits predicted the a posteriori identified group to which individual nestlings belonged. Tail and wing length increased with relative telomere length, but more steeply in males than females, and this relationship held both at the within- and among-broods levels. Moreover, the increase in plumage phenotypic values was steeper when the sex ratio of an individual’s siblings was female-biased. Our study provides evidence for telomere shortening during early life according to subtly different dynamics in either sex. Furthermore, it shows that the positive covariation between growth and relative telomere length depends on sex as well as social environment, in terms of sibling sex ratio.
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Stier A, Reichert S, Criscuolo F, Bize P. Red blood cells open promising avenues for longitudinal studies of ageing in laboratory, non-model and wild animals. Exp Gerontol 2015; 71:118-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2015.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Revised: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Asghar M, Bensch S, Tarka M, Hansson B, Hasselquist D. Maternal and genetic factors determine early life telomere length. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:20142263. [PMID: 25621325 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In a broad range of species--including humans--it has been demonstrated that telomere length declines throughout life and that it may be involved in cell and organismal senescence. This potential link to ageing and thus to fitness has triggered recent interest in understanding how variation in telomere length is inherited and maintained. However, previous studies suffer from two main drawbacks that limit the possibility of understanding the relative importance of genetic, parental and environmental influences on telomere length variation. These studies have been based on (i) telomere lengths measured at different time points in different individuals, despite the fact that telomere length changes over life, and (ii) parent-offspring regression techniques, which do not enable differentiation between genetic and parental components of inheritance. To overcome these drawbacks, in our study of a songbird, the great reed warbler, we have analysed telomere length measured early in life in both parents and offspring and applied statistical models (so-called 'animal models') that are based on long-term pedigree data. Our results showed a significant heritability of telomere length on the maternal but not on the paternal side, and that the mother's age was positively correlated with their offspring's telomere length. Furthermore, the pedigree-based analyses revealed a significant heritability and an equally large maternal effect. Our study demonstrates strong maternal influence on telomere length and future studies now need to elucidate possible underlying factors, including which types of maternal effects are involved.
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45
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Nettle D, Monaghan P, Gillespie R, Brilot B, Bedford T, Bateson M. An experimental demonstration that early-life competitive disadvantage accelerates telomere loss. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:20141610. [PMID: 25411450 PMCID: PMC4262165 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Adverse experiences in early life can exert powerful delayed effects on adult survival and health. Telomere attrition is a potentially important mechanism in such effects. One source of early-life adversity is the stress caused by competitive disadvantage. Although previous avian experiments suggest that competitive disadvantage may accelerate telomere attrition, they do not clearly isolate the effects of competitive disadvantage from other sources of variation. Here, we present data from an experiment in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) that used cross-fostering to expose siblings to divergent early experience. Birds were assigned either to competitive advantage (being larger than their brood competitors) or competitive disadvantage (being smaller than their brood competitors) between days 3 and 12 post-hatching. Disadvantage did not affect weight gain, but it increased telomere attrition, leading to shorter telomere length in disadvantaged birds by day 12. There were no effects of disadvantage on oxidative damage as measured by plasma lipid peroxidation. We thus found strong evidence that early-life competitive disadvantage can accelerate telomere loss. This could lead to faster age-related deterioration and poorer health in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Nettle
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution and Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Robert Gillespie
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Ben Brilot
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution and Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK School of Biological Sciences, Plymouth University, Plymouth, UK
| | - Thomas Bedford
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution and Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Melissa Bateson
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution and Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
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Reichert S, Rojas ER, Zahn S, Robin JP, Criscuolo F, Massemin S. Maternal telomere length inheritance in the king penguin. Heredity (Edinb) 2014; 114:10-6. [PMID: 25052413 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2014.60] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Revised: 04/24/2014] [Accepted: 05/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are emerging as a biomarker for ageing and survival, and are likely important in shaping life-history trade-offs. In particular, telomere length with which one starts in life has been linked to lifelong survival, suggesting that early telomere dynamics are somehow related to life-history trajectories. This result highlights the importance of determining the extent to which telomere length is inherited, as a crucial factor determining early life telomere length. Given the scarcity of species for which telomere length inheritance has been studied, it is pressing to assess the generality of telomere length inheritance patterns. Further, information on how this pattern changes over the course of growth in individuals living under natural conditions should provide some insight on the extent to which environmental constraints also shape telomere dynamics. To fill this gap partly, we followed telomere inheritance in a population of king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus). We tested for paternal and maternal influence on chick initial telomere length (10 days old after hatching), and how these relationships changed with chick age (at 70, 200 and 300 days old). Based on a correlative approach, offspring telomere length was positively associated with maternal telomere length early in life (at 10 days old). However, this relationship was not significant at older ages. These data suggest that telomere length in birds is maternally inherited. Nonetheless, the influence of environmental conditions during growth remained an important factor shaping telomere length, as the maternal link disappeared with chicks' age.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Reichert
- 1] Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France [2] CNRS, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
| | - E R Rojas
- 1] Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France [2] CNRS, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
| | - S Zahn
- 1] Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France [2] CNRS, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
| | - J-P Robin
- 1] Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France [2] CNRS, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
| | - F Criscuolo
- 1] Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France [2] CNRS, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
| | - S Massemin
- 1] Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France [2] CNRS, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
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Boonekamp JJ, Mulder GA, Salomons HM, Dijkstra C, Verhulst S. Nestling telomere shortening, but not telomere length, reflects developmental stress and predicts survival in wild birds. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20133287. [PMID: 24789893 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.3287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental stressors often have long-term fitness consequences, but linking offspring traits to fitness prospects has remained a challenge. Telomere length predicts mortality in adult birds, and may provide a link between developmental conditions and fitness prospects. Here, we examine the effects of manipulated brood size on growth, telomere dynamics and post-fledging survival in free-living jackdaws. Nestlings in enlarged broods achieved lower mass and lost 21% more telomere repeats relative to nestlings in reduced broods, showing that developmental stress accelerates telomere shortening. Adult telomere length was positively correlated with their telomere length as nestling (r = 0.83). Thus, an advantage of long telomeres in nestlings is carried through to adulthood. Nestling telomere shortening predicted post-fledging survival and recruitment independent of manipulation and fledgling mass. This effect was strong, with a threefold difference in recruitment probability over the telomere shortening range. By contrast, absolute telomere length was neither affected by brood size manipulation nor related to survival. We conclude that telomere loss, but not absolute telomere length, links developmental conditions to subsequent survival and suggest that telomere shortening may provide a key to unravelling the physiological causes of developmental effects on fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelle J Boonekamp
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Groningen, , PO Box 11103, Groningen 9700CC, The Netherlands
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Stier A, Viblanc VA, Massemin‐Challet S, Handrich Y, Zahn S, Rojas ER, Saraux C, Le Vaillant M, Prud'homme O, Grosbellet E, Robin J, Bize P, Criscuolo F. Starting with a handicap: phenotypic differences between early‐ and late‐born king penguin chicks and their survival correlates. Funct Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Stier
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie CNRS‐UDS UMR 7178 23 rue Becquerel 67087 Strasbourg Cedex 2 France
| | - Vincent A. Viblanc
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive CNRS‐UM2 UMR 5175 1919 route de Mende 34293 Montpellier cedex 5 France
| | - Sylvie Massemin‐Challet
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie CNRS‐UDS UMR 7178 23 rue Becquerel 67087 Strasbourg Cedex 2 France
| | - Yves Handrich
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie CNRS‐UDS UMR 7178 23 rue Becquerel 67087 Strasbourg Cedex 2 France
| | - Sandrine Zahn
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie CNRS‐UDS UMR 7178 23 rue Becquerel 67087 Strasbourg Cedex 2 France
| | - Emilio R. Rojas
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie CNRS‐UDS UMR 7178 23 rue Becquerel 67087 Strasbourg Cedex 2 France
| | - Claire Saraux
- Laboratoire des Ressources Halieutiques IFREMER Av. Jean Monnet BP 171 34203 Sète Cedex France
| | - Maryline Le Vaillant
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie CNRS‐UDS UMR 7178 23 rue Becquerel 67087 Strasbourg Cedex 2 France
| | - Onésime Prud'homme
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie CNRS‐UDS UMR 7178 23 rue Becquerel 67087 Strasbourg Cedex 2 France
| | - Edith Grosbellet
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives CNRS UPR 3212 5 rue Blaise Pascal 67084 Strasbourg France
| | - Jean‐Patrice Robin
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie CNRS‐UDS UMR 7178 23 rue Becquerel 67087 Strasbourg Cedex 2 France
| | - Pierre Bize
- Department of Ecology and Evolution Biophore University of Lausanne CH‐1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Francois Criscuolo
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie CNRS‐UDS UMR 7178 23 rue Becquerel 67087 Strasbourg Cedex 2 France
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Reichert S, Criscuolo F, Zahn S, Arrivé M, Bize P, Massemin S. Immediate and delayed effects of growth conditions on ageing parameters in nestling zebra finches. J Exp Biol 2014; 218:491-9. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.109942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Conditions experienced during development and growth are of crucial importance as they can have significant influence on the optimisation of life histories. Indeed, the ability of an organism to grow fast and achieve a large body size often confers short and long term fitness benefits. However, there is good evidence that organisms do not grow at their maximal rates as growth rates seem to have potential costs on subsequent lifespan. Several proximate causes of such a reduced lifespan might be involved. Among them, one emerging hypothesis is that growth impacts adult survival and/or longevity through a shared, endpoint, ageing mechanism: telomere erosion. In this study, we manipulated brood size in order to investigate if rapid growth (chicks in reduced broods) is effectively done at the cost of a short (end of growth) and long term (at adulthood) increase of oxidative damage and telomere loss. Contrary to what we expected, chicks from the enlarged broods displayed more oxidative damage and had shorter telomeres at the end of the growth period and at adulthood. Our study extends the understanding of the proximate mechanisms involved in the trade-off between growth and ageing. It highlights that adverse environmental conditions during growth can come at a cost via transient increased oxidative stress and pervasive eroded telomeres. Indeed, it suggests that telomeres are not only controlled by intrinsic growth rates per se but may also be under the control of some extrinsic environmental factors that may get our understanding of the growth ageing interaction more complicated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sandrine Zahn
- DEPE-IPHC, Université de Strasbourg; CNRS UMR 7178, France
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