Human Telomere Length Correlates to the Size of the Associated Chromosome Arm

Wise, Jasen; Crout, Richard J.; McNeil, Daniel W.; Weyant, Robert J.; Marazita, Mary L.; Wenger, Sharon L.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0006013

Cited by 20 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Long telomeres have been found in many longlived vertebrates, including turtles [Hatase et al, 2008], birds and some mammals [Haussmann et al, 2003]. Some studies have suggested a positive correlation between telomere length and total chromosome or arm length [Zijlmans et al, 1997;Sridevi et al, 2002;Wise et al, 2009]; however, our results do not support this observation. In tuatara, the size of microchromosomal telomeres is equivalent to or longer than those of the macrochromosomes ( fig.…”

Section: Telomerescontrasting

confidence: 99%

The First Cytogenetic Map of the Tuatara, <i>Sphenodon punctatus</i>

O’Meally

Miller

Patel

et al. 2009

Cytogenet Genome Res

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Tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus, is the last survivor of the distinctive reptilian order Rhynchocephalia and is a species of extraordinary zoological interest, yet only recently have genomic analyses been undertaken. The karyotype consists of 28 macrochromosomes and 8 microchromosomes. A Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) library constructed for this species has allowed the first characterization of the tuatara genome. Sequence analysis of 11 fully sequenced BAC clones (∼0.03% coverage) increased the estimate of genome wide GC composition to 47.8%, the highest reported for any vertebrate. Our physical mapping data demonstrate discrete accumulation of repetitive elements in large blocks on some chromosomes, particularly the microchromosomes. We suggest that the large size of the genome (5.0 pg/haploid) is due to the accumulation of repetitive sequences. The microchromosomes of tuatara are rich in repetitive sequences, and the observation of one animal that lacked a microchromosome pair suggests that at least this microchromosome is unnecessary for survival. We used BACs bearing orthologues of known genes to construct a low-coverage cytogenetic map containing 21 markers. We identified a region on chromosome 4 of tuatara that shares homology with 7 Mb of chicken chromosome 2, and therefore the orthologous region of the snake Z chromosome. We identified a region on tuatara chromosome 3 that is orthologous to the chicken Z, and a region on chromosome 9 orthologous to the mammalian X. Since the tuatara determines sex by temperature and has no sex chromosomes, this implies that different tuatara autosome regions are homologous with the sex chromosomes of mammals, birds and snakes. We have identified anchor BAC clones that can be used to reliably mark chromosomes 3–7, 10 and 13, some of which are difficult to distinguish based on morphology alone. Fluorescence in situ hybridization mapping of 18S rDNA confirms the presence of a single NOR located on the long arm of chromosome 7, as previously identified by silver staining. Further work to construct a dense physical map will lead to a better understanding of the dynamics of genome evolution and organization in this isolated species.

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Section: Telomerescontrasting

confidence: 99%

The First Cytogenetic Map of the Tuatara, <i>Sphenodon punctatus</i>

O’Meally

Miller

Patel

et al. 2009

Cytogenet Genome Res

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“…Thus, the large number of microchromosomes might, at least partly, explain the high prevalence of ultralong telomeres in great tits. Note that this explanation contrasts with the positive correlation between chromosome size and TL observed in the human genome (Wise et al, 2009). On the other hand, the smallest human chromosome (no.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Ultralong telomeres shorten with age in nestling great tits but are static in adults and mask attrition of short telomeres

Atema

Mulder

Noordwijk

et al. 2019

Molecular Ecology Resources

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Telomere length (TL) is increasingly being used as a biomarker of senescence, but measuring telomeres remains a challenge. Within tissue samples, TL varies between cells and chromosomes. Class I telomeres are (presumably static) interstitial telomeric sequences, while terminal telomeres have been divided in shorter (Class II) telomeres and ultralong (Class III) telomeres, and the presence of the latter varies strongly between species. Class II telomeres typically shorten with age, but little is known of Class III telomere dynamics. Using multiple experimental approaches, we show great tits to have ultralong telomeres, and we investigated age effects on Class II and III telomeres using a longitudinal approach (our method excludes Class I telomeres). In adults, TL averaged over the whole distribution did not significantly change with age. However, more detailed analyses showed that Class II TL did shorten with age, and, as in other species, the longest Class II telomeres within individuals shortened more quickly with age. In contrast, Class III TL did not shorten with age within individual adults. Surprisingly, we found the opposite pattern in nestlings: Class III TL shortened significantly with age, while the age effect on Class II TL was close to zero. Thus, Class III TL may provide information on developmental history, while Class II TL provides information on telomere dynamics in adulthood. These findings have practical implications for telomere studies and raise the interesting question of what causes variation in TL dynamics between chromosomes within individuals and how this is related to development.

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“…Again, telomeres more distant from centromeres were longer. Further analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between individual chromosome arms and telomere length: longer arms had longer telomeres than shorter arms [Wise et al, 2009]. Thus, similar to mouse acrocentric chromosomes, human chromosomes which are predominantly submetacentric show longer telomeres at q-arms than at parms suggesting that centromere position may affect telomere length.…”

Section: Chromosome-specific Telomere Length Regulationmentioning

confidence: 86%

Mechanisms of the Evolutionary Chromosome Plasticity: Integrating the ‘Centromere-from-Telomere' Hypothesis with Telomere Length Regulation

Slijepčević¹

2016

Cytogenet Genome Res

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The ‘centromere-from-telomere' hypothesis proposed by Villasante et al. [2007a] aims to explain the evolutionary origin of the eukaryotic chromosome. The hypothesis is based on the notion that the process of eukaryogenesis was initiated by adaptive responses of the symbiont eubacterium and its archaeal host to their new conditions. The adaptive responses included fragmentation of the circular genome of the host into multiple linear fragments with free DNA ends. The action of mobile genetic elements stabilized the free DNA ends resulting in the formation of proto-telomeres. Sequences next to the proto-telomeres, the subtelomeric sequences, were immediately targeted as the new cargo by the tubulin-based cytoskeleton, thus becoming proto-centromeres. A period of genomic instability followed. Eventually, functioning centromeres and telomeres emerged heralding the arrival of the eukaryotic chromosome in the evolution. This paper expands the ‘centromere-from-telomere' hypothesis by integrating it with 2 sets of data: chromosome-specific telomere length distribution and chromomere size gradient. The integration adds a new dimension to the hypothesis but also provides an insight into the mechanisms of chromosome plasticity underlying karyotype evolution.

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Human Telomere Length Correlates to the Size of the Associated Chromosome Arm

Cited by 20 publications

References 15 publications

The First Cytogenetic Map of the Tuatara, <i>Sphenodon punctatus</i>

The First Cytogenetic Map of the Tuatara, <i>Sphenodon punctatus</i>

Ultralong telomeres shorten with age in nestling great tits but are static in adults and mask attrition of short telomeres

Mechanisms of the Evolutionary Chromosome Plasticity: Integrating the ‘Centromere-from-Telomere' Hypothesis with Telomere Length Regulation

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