scispace - formally typeset
Open AccessJournal ArticleDOI

Mapping of a Major Locus that Determines Telomere Length in Humans

Reads0
Chats0
TLDR
Mapping of the first locus that determines mean telomere length in humans is reported, and preliminary analysis of a strong candidate gene in the region, the DNA helicase DDX11, is presented.
Abstract
Telomere length is a crucial factor for both normal chromosomal function and senescence. Mean telomere length in humans shows considerable interindividual variation and strong genetic determination. To see if a locus (or loci) affecting telomere length in humans could be mapped, we performed a quantitative-trait linkage analysis of mean leukocyte telomere-restriction–fragment (TRF) lengths, measured by Southern blotting, in 383 adult subjects comprising 258 sib pairs. Heritability of mean (±SE) TRF was 81.9%±11.8%. There was significant linkage (LOD score 3.20) of mean TRF length to a locus on chromosome 12, which explained 49% of the overall variability in mean TRF length. We present preliminary analysis of a strong candidate gene in the region, the DNA helicase DDX11. In conclusion, we report mapping of the first locus that determines mean telomere length in humans. Identification of the gene involved and elucidation of its mechanism of action could have important implications for our understanding of chromosomal assembly, telomere biology, and susceptibility to age-related diseases.

read more

Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI

Candidate mechanisms for chemotherapy-induced cognitive changes.

TL;DR: It is suggested that shared genetic risk factors for the development of cancer and cognitive problems, including low-efficiency efflux pumps, deficits in DNA-repair mechanisms and/or a deregulated immune response, coupled with the effect of chemotherapy on these systems, might contribute to cognitive decline in patients after chemotherapy.
Journal ArticleDOI

Identification of seven loci affecting mean telomere length and their association with disease

Veryan Codd, +110 more
- 01 Apr 2013 - 
TL;DR: In this paper, a genome-wide meta-analysis of 37,684 individuals with replication of selected variants in an additional 10,739 individuals was carried out to identify seven loci, including five new loci associated with mean leukocyte telomere length (LTL) (P < 5 × 10−8).
Journal ArticleDOI

Telomere length, risk of coronary heart disease, and statin treatment in the West of Scotland Primary Prevention Study: a nested case-control study

TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated whether mean leucocyte telomere length is a predictor of the development of coronary heart disease and found that individuals in the middle and lowest tertiles of telomeres were more at risk of developing a heart disease event than those in the highest tertile.

Identification of seven loci affecting mean telomere length and their association with disease

Veryan Codd, +98 more
TL;DR: In this article, a genome-wide meta-analysis of 37,684 individuals with replication of selected variants in an additional 10,739 individuals was carried out to identify seven loci, including five new loci associated with mean leukocyte telomere length (LTL).
Journal ArticleDOI

Telomere shortening in familial and sporadic pulmonary fibrosis

TL;DR: A significant fraction of individuals with pulmonary fibrosis have short telomere lengths that cannot be explained by coding mutations in telomerase, which may be a marker for an increased predisposition toward the development of this age-associated disease.
References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI

Merlin--rapid analysis of dense genetic maps using sparse gene flow trees.

TL;DR: The multipoint engine for rapid likelihood inference (Merlin) is a computer program that uses sparse inheritance trees for pedigree analysis; it performs rapid haplotyping, genotype error detection and affected pair linkage analyses and can handle more markers than other pedigree analysis packages.
Journal ArticleDOI

Multipoint Quantitative-Trait Linkage Analysis in General Pedigrees

TL;DR: It is shown how variance-component linkage methods can be used in pedigrees of arbitrary size and complexity, and a general framework for multipoint identity-by-descent (IBD) probability calculations is developed.
Journal ArticleDOI

Telomere length predicts replicative capacity of human fibroblasts.

TL;DR: Telomere length is a biomarker of somatic cell aging in humans and is consistent with a causal role for telomere loss in this process, and fibroblasts from Hutchinson-Gilford progeria donors had short telomeres, consistent with their reduced division potential in vitro.
Journal ArticleDOI

PedCheck: A Program for Identification of Genotype Incompatibilities in Linkage Analysis

TL;DR: Four error-checking algorithms are implemented in a new computer program, PedCheck, which will assist researchers in identifying all Mendelian inconsistencies in pedigree data and will provide them with useful and detailed diagnostic information to help resolve the errors.
Journal ArticleDOI

Switching and Signaling at the Telomere

TL;DR: The structure of telomeres, the protective DNA-protein complexes at eukaryotic chromosomal ends, and several molecular mechanisms involved in telomere functions are described.
Related Papers (5)