Click here to close Hello! We notice that you are using Internet Explorer, which is not supported by Xenbase and may cause the site to display incorrectly. We suggest using a current version of Chrome, FireFox, or Safari.
XB-ART-59615
Proc Biol Sci 2023 Feb 08;2901992:20222448. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2448.
Show Gene links Show Anatomy links

Ageing across the great divide: tissue transformation, organismal growth and temperature shape telomere dynamics through the metamorphic transition.

Burraco P , Hernandez-Gonzalez M , Metcalfe NB , Monaghan P .


???displayArticle.abstract???
Telomere attrition is considered a useful indicator of cellular and whole-organism ageing rate. While approximately 80% of animal species undergo metamorphosis that includes extensive tissue transformations (involving cell division, apoptosis, de-differentiation and de novo formation of stem cells), the effect on telomere dynamics is unknown. We measured telomeres in Xenopus laevis developing from larvae to adults under contrasting environmental temperatures. Telomere dynamics were linked to the degree of tissue transformation during development. Average telomere length in gut tissue increased dramatically during metamorphosis, when the gut shortens by 75% and epithelial cells de-differentiate into stem cells. In the liver (retained from larva) and hindlimb muscle (newly formed before metamorphosis), telomeres gradually shortened until adulthood, likely due to extensive cell division. Tail muscle telomere lengths were constant until tail resorption, and those in heart (retained from larva) showed no change over time. Telomere lengths negatively correlated with larval growth, but for a given growth rate, telomeres were shorter in cooler conditions, suggesting that growing in the cold is more costly. Telomere lengths were not related to post-metamorphic growth rate. Further research is now needed to understand whether telomere dynamics are a good indicator of ageing rate in species undergoing metamorphosis.

???displayArticle.pubmedLink??? 36750187
???displayArticle.pmcLink??? PMC9904946
???displayArticle.link??? Proc Biol Sci



References [+] :
Allsopp, Telomere shortening is associated with cell division in vitro and in vivo. 1995, Pubmed