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Telomere erosion may lead to shorter life expectancy in men

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16.05.2006

This new study published in the journal “Cytogenetic and Genome Research” shows significantly shorter telomeres and higher erosion rates in men than in women, which likely causes a shorter life expectancy of male cells and tissues.

Human telomeres form the terminal structures of human chromosomes and play a pivotal role in the maintenance of genomic integrity and function. During aging, telomeres gradually shorten, eventually leading to cellular senescence. Therefore, in humans, short telomeres are considered to be a sign of advanced age.

In this study, the authors investigated human telomere length differences on single chromosome arms of 205 individuals in different age groups and sexes by T/C-FISH (telomere/centromere-fluorescence in situ hybridization), which allows precise measurement of individual telomeres.

In all chromosome arms there was a linear correlation between telomere length and donor age. Generally, the men had shorter telomeres and higher attrition rates than the women. However, every chromosome arm had its individual age-specific telomere length and erosion pattern, resulting in an unexpected heterogeneity in chromosome- specific regression lines. This differential erosion pattern does not seem to be accidental, though. The authors found a correlation between the average telomere length of single chromosome arms in newborns and their annual attrition rate, pointing towards a convergence of individual telomere lengths with age.

Apart from sex-specific discrepancies, the telomere lengths of specific chromosome arms were strikingly similar in men and women. This implies a mechanism that chromosome arms specifically regulate the telomere length independent of gender, thus leading to interchromosomal telomere variations.

Carla Holmes | Source: alphagalileo
Further information: www.karger.com

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