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McCollum SE, Canter O, Fasanello VJ, Gronsky S, Haussmann MF. Birds of a feather age together: telomere dynamics and social behavior predict life span in female Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1363468. [PMID: 38808110 PMCID: PMC11130416 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1363468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Social support is vital for mental and physical health and is linked to lower rates of disease and early mortality. Conversely, anti-social behavior can increase mortality risks, both for the initiator and target of the behavior. Chronic stress, which also can increase mortality, may serve as an important link between social behavior and healthy lifespan. There is a growing body of literature in both humans, and model organisms, that chronic social stress can result in more rapid telomere shortening, a measure of biological aging. Here we examine the role of anti-social behavior and social support on physiological markers of stress and aging in the social Japanese quail, Coturnix Japonica. Birds were maintained in groups for their entire lifespan, and longitudinal measures of antisocial behavior (aggressive agonistic behavior), social support (affiliative behavior), baseline corticosterone, change in telomere length, and lifespan were measured. We found quail in affiliative relationships both committed less and were the targets of less aggression compared to birds who were not in these relationships. In addition, birds displaying affiliative behavior had longer telomeres, and longer lifespans. Our work suggests a novel pathway by which social support may buffer against damage at the cellular level resulting in telomere protection and subsequent longer lifespans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E. McCollum
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, United States
- Cellular and Molecular Biology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Olivia Canter
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | | | - Sarah Gronsky
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, United States
| | - Mark F. Haussmann
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, United States
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Wolf SE, Shalev I. The shelterin protein expansion of telomere dynamics: Linking early life adversity, life history, and the hallmarks of aging. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105261. [PMID: 37268182 PMCID: PMC10527177 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105261] [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: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Aging is characterized by functional decline occurring alongside changes to several hallmarks of aging. One of the hallmarks includes attrition of repeated DNA sequences found at the ends of chromosomes called telomeres. While telomere attrition is linked to morbidity and mortality, whether and how it causally contributes to lifelong rates of functional decline is unclear. In this review, we propose the shelterin-telomere hypothesis of life history, in which telomere-binding shelterin proteins translate telomere attrition into a range of physiological outcomes, the extent of which may be modulated by currently understudied variation in shelterin protein levels. Shelterin proteins may expand the breadth and timing of consequences of telomere attrition, e.g., by translating early life adversity into acceleration of the aging process. We consider how the pleiotropic roles of shelterin proteins provide novel insights into natural variation in physiology, life history, and lifespan. We highlight key open questions that encourage the integrative, organismal study of shelterin proteins that enhances our understanding of the contribution of the telomere system to aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Wolf
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Idan Shalev
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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Wolf SE, Zhang S, Clotfelter ED. Experimental ectoparasite removal has a sex-specific effect on nestling telomere length. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9861. [PMID: 36911306 PMCID: PMC9992774 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasites are a strong selective force that can influence fitness-related traits. The length of chromosome-capping telomeres can be used to assess the long-term costs of parasitism, as telomere loss accelerates in response to environmental stressors and often precedes poorer survival prospects. Here, we explored the sex-specific effects of ectoparasite removal on morphology and telomere length in nestling tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). To do so, we experimentally removed blow fly (Protocalliphora spp.) larvae from nests using Permethrin, a broad-spectrum insecticide. Compared to water-treated controls, insecticide treatment of nests had a sex-biased effect on blood telomere length: ectoparasite removal resulted in significantly longer telomeres in males but not females. While this treatment did not influence nestling body mass, it was associated with reduced feather development regardless of sex. This may reflect a relaxed pressure to fledge quickly in the absence of parasites, or alternatively, could be a negative side effect of permethrin on morphology. Exploring robust sex-specific telomere dynamics in response to early-life environmental pressures such as parasitism will shed light on sexual dimorphism in adult life histories and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Wolf
- Department of Biology Indiana University Bloomington Indiana USA.,Department of Biobehavioral Health Pennsylvania State University State College Pennsylvania USA
| | - Samuel Zhang
- Department of Biology Amherst College Amherst Massachusetts USA
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Raftopoulou C, Abawi O, Sommer G, Binou M, Paltoglou G, Flück CE, van den Akker ELT, Charmandari E. Leukocyte Telomere Length in Children With Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2023; 108:443-452. [PMID: 36181470 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgac560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Exposure to chronic stress and hypercortisolism is associated with decreased leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a marker for biological aging and cardiovascular disease. Children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) are treated with glucocorticoids. OBJECTIVE To investigate LTL in children with CAH. METHODS In this prospective observational cohort study, conducted at 4 academic pediatric endocrinology outpatient clinics, children with genetically confirmed CAH were assessed at 2 follow-up visits (mean 4.1 ± 0.7 months apart). At each visit, LTL was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. All subjects underwent detailed clinical and endocrinologic evaluation and were classified as undertreated, optimally treated, or overtreated, accordingly. The influence of clinical factors on LTL was investigated using linear mixed models adjusted for age, sex, and BMI-z. RESULTS We studied 76 patients, of whom 31 (41%) were girls, 63 (83%) had classic CAH, 67 (88%) received hydrocortisone, and 8 (11%) prednisolone. Median age at first visit was 12.0 years (IQR, 6.3-15.1), and median BMI-z was 0.51 (IQR, -0.12 to 1.43). LTL was shorter in patients with classic vs nonclassic CAH (-0.29, P = 0.012), in overtreated than in optimally treated patients (-0.07, P = 0.002), and patients receiving prednisolone compared with hydrocortisone (-0.34, P < 0.001). LTL was not associated with undertreatment or daily hydrocortisone-equivalent dose (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION LTL is shorter in patients with classic than nonclassic CAH, and in those who are overtreated with hydrocortisone or treated with long-acting glucocorticoids. These findings may be attributed to chronic exposure to supraphysiologic glucocorticoid concentrations and indicate that LTL may be used as a biomarker for monitoring glucocorticoid treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Raftopoulou
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 'Aghia Sophia' Children's Hospital, Athens 11527, Greece
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Ozair Abawi
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam 3000 CA, The Netherlands
| | - Grit Sommer
- Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, Bern and Department of BioMedical Research, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern 3010, Switzerland
| | - Maria Binou
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 'Aghia Sophia' Children's Hospital, Athens 11527, Greece
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - George Paltoglou
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 'Aghia Sophia' Children's Hospital, Athens 11527, Greece
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Christa E Flück
- Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, Bern and Department of BioMedical Research, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern 3010, Switzerland
| | - Erica L T van den Akker
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam 3000 CA, The Netherlands
| | - E Charmandari
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 'Aghia Sophia' Children's Hospital, Athens 11527, Greece
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
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Leukocyte Telomere Length Is Not Reduced in Children and Adults with Cystic Fibrosis but Associates with Clinical Characteristics-A Cross-Sectional Study. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10040590. [PMID: 33557298 PMCID: PMC7915028 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10040590] [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: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We hypothezied that telomere length is considerably altered in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients compared to healthy subjects (HS), and that leukocyte telomere length variation reflects the severity of CF. Relative telomere length (RTL) was assessed by qPCR in 70 children aged 5-10 (34 CF; 36 HS) and 114 adults aged 18-45 (53 CF; 61 HS). Telomere length was similar in CF and HS (median (interquartile range): 0.799 (0.686-0.950) vs. 0.831 (0.707-0.986); p = 0.5283) both in children and adults. In adults, women had longer telomeres than men (0.805 (0.715-0.931) vs. 0.703 (0.574-0.790); p = 0.0002). Patients treated with inhaled corticosteroids had a shorter RTL compared to those without steroid therapy (0.765 (0.664-0.910) vs. 0.943 (0.813-1.191); p = 0.0007) and this finding remained significant after adjusting for gender, age, BMI, and child/adult status (p = 0.0003). Shorter telomeres were independently associated with the presence of comorbidities (0.763 (0.643-0.905) vs. 0.950 (0.783-1.130); p = 0.0006) and antibiotic treatment at the moment of blood sampling (0.762 (0.648-0.908) vs. 0.832 (0.748-1.129); p = 0.0172). RTL correlated with number of multiple-day hospitalizations (rho = -0.251; p = 0.0239), as well as number of hospitalization days (rho = -0.279; p = 0.0113). Leukocyte RTL in children and adults with CF was not shorter than in healthy controls, and did not seem to have any potential as a predictor of CF survival. However, it inversely associated with the investigated clinical characteristics.
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Evans JR, Torres-Pérez JV, Miletto Petrazzini ME, Riley R, Brennan CH. Stress reactivity elicits a tissue-specific reduction in telomere length in aging zebrafish (Danio rerio). Sci Rep 2021; 11:339. [PMID: 33431974 PMCID: PMC7801459 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79615-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in personality are associated with variation in healthy aging. Health behaviours are often cited as the likely explanation for this association; however, an underlying biological mechanism may also exist. Accelerated leukocyte telomere shortening is implicated in multiple age-related diseases and is associated with chronic activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, providing a link between stress-related personality differences and adverse health outcomes. However, the effects of the HPA axis are tissue specific. Thus, leukocyte telomere length may not accurately reflect telomere length in disease-relevant tissues. Here, we examined the correlation between stress reactivity and telomere length in heart and brain tissue in young (6-9 month) and aging (18 month) zebrafish. Stress reactivity was assessed by tank diving and through gene expression. Telomere length was assessed using quantitative PCR. We show that aging zebrafish have shorter telomeres in both heart and brain. Telomere length was inversely related to stress reactivity in heart but not brain of aging individuals. These data support the hypotheses that an anxious predisposition contributes to accelerated telomere shortening in heart tissue, which may have important implications for our understanding of age-related heart disease, and that stress reactivity contributes to age-related telomere shortening in a tissue-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R. Evans
- grid.4868.20000 0001 2171 1133School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Rd, London, E1 4NS UK
| | - Jose V. Torres-Pérez
- grid.4868.20000 0001 2171 1133School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Rd, London, E1 4NS UK
| | - Maria Elena Miletto Petrazzini
- grid.4868.20000 0001 2171 1133School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Rd, London, E1 4NS UK ,grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Riva Riley
- grid.4868.20000 0001 2171 1133School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Rd, London, E1 4NS UK
| | - Caroline H. Brennan
- grid.4868.20000 0001 2171 1133School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Rd, London, E1 4NS UK
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Zannas AS, Kosyk O, Leung CS. Prolonged Glucocorticoid Exposure Does Not Accelerate Telomere Shortening in Cultured Human Fibroblasts. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11121425. [PMID: 33261163 PMCID: PMC7760010 DOI: 10.3390/genes11121425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychosocial stress, especially when chronic or excessive, can increase disease risk and accelerate biological aging. Although the underlying mechanisms are unclear, in vivo studies have associated exposure to stress and glucocorticoid stress hormones with shorter telomere length. However, the extent to which prolonged glucocorticoid exposure can shorten telomeres in controlled experimental settings remains unknown. Using a well-characterized cell line of human fibroblasts that undergo gradual telomere shortening during serial passaging in culture, we show that prolonged exposure (up to 51 days) to either naturalistic levels of the human endogenous glucocorticoid cortisol or the more potent synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone is not sufficient to accelerate telomere shortening. While our findings await extension in other cell types and biological contexts, they indicate that the in vivo association of psychosocial stress with telomere shortening is unlikely to be mediated by a direct and universal glucocorticoid effect on telomere length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony S. Zannas
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (O.K.); (C.L.)
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Carolina Stress Initiative, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(919)962-4918
| | - Oksana Kosyk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (O.K.); (C.L.)
| | - Calvin S. Leung
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (O.K.); (C.L.)
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Wong SK, Ima-Nirwana S, Chin KY. Can telomere length predict bone health? A review of current evidence. Bosn J Basic Med Sci 2020; 20:423-429. [PMID: 32156247 PMCID: PMC7664788 DOI: 10.17305/bjbms.2020.4664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences located at the end of chromosomes that serve as a protective barrier against chromosomal deterioration during cell division. Approximately 50–200 base pairs of nucleotides are lost per cell division, and new repetitive nucleotides are added by the enzyme telomerase, allowing telomere maintenance. Telomere shortening has been proposed as an indicator for biological aging, but its relationship with age-related osteoporosis is ambiguous. We summarize the current evidence on the relationship between telomere length and bone health in experimental and epidemiological studies, which serve as a scientific reference for the development of novel diagnostic markers of osteoporosis or novel therapeutics targeting telomere and telomerase of bone cells to treat osteoporosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sok Kuan Wong
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Soelaiman Ima-Nirwana
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kok-Yong Chin
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Urology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Clinical, epidemiological, and biological evidence raises the possibility that serious mental disorders (SMDs) are associated with accelerated biological aging. To the extent this is true; SMDs should not simply be considered in terms of mental illness or brain dysfunction, but also as 'whole body' and multisystem illnesses, or else as conditions with significant somatic concomitants. RECENT FINDINGS The concept of accelerated biological aging in SMDs is supported by reports of accelerated changes in certain biomarkers normally associated with the aging process. SUMMARY We define and discuss several proposed biological aging markers that have been examined in SMDs, we review the most recent findings, and we conclude with opinions regarding the merits and meanings of these markers, their usefulness in understanding and treating SMDs, and remaining questions and future directions in this area of research.
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