External environmental agents influence telomere length and telomerase activity by modulating internal cellular processes: Implications in human aging

Fernandes, Stina George; Dsouza, Rebecca; Khattar, Ekta

doi:10.1016/j.etap.2021.103633

Cited by 24 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 205 publications

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“…During ageing, telomere length is expected to become less heritable as it becomes increasingly dependent on the environment -e.g. oxidative stress and various toxins can accelerate telomere attrition (32), and reduce the activity of telomerase, a major telomere lengthening mechanism (39). As such, in contrast to this study on adult telomere length, early-life telomere length (34)(35)(36) would be expected to exhibit higher heritability due to lower exposure to the environment and thus show lower variation (15).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

Heritability and age-dependent changes in genetic variation of telomere length in a wild house sparrow population

Chik¹,

Sibma²,

Mannarelli³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Telomeres are a popular biomarker of senescence, as telomere dynamics are linked with survival and lifespan. However, the evolutionary potential of telomere dynamics, and the selection pattern that gives rise to senescence, are not well known. To better understand this, it is necessary to quantify genetic variation in telomere length, and how such variation changes with age. Here, we analysed a longitudinal dataset (2,156 samples from 1,267 individuals across 15 years) from a wild, insular house sparrow (Passer domesticus) population with complete life-history and genetic relatedness data. Using a series of ‘animal’ models, we confirmed that telomere length (TL): (1) changes with age, reflecting senescence in this population. We then showed that (2) TL is repeatable (15.7%, 95% CrI: 10.2–21.0%) and heritable (14.0%, 95% CrI: 8.7–19.5%); and, for the first time in the wild, (3) that TL shows a genotype-by-age interaction, meaning that genotypes differ in their rate of TL change, where additive genetic variance increases at older ages. Our findings provide empirical evidence from a wild population that supports hypotheses explaining the evolution of senescence, and highlights the importance of telomere dynamics as a key biomarker of body physiology for the evolution of senescence.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

Heritability and age-dependent changes in genetic variation of telomere length in a wild house sparrow population

Chik¹,

Sibma²,

Mannarelli³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…Another potential explanation for the disparity in results in previous studies is the realm of proinflammatory effects of air pollution and differential distribution of leukocytes in response to inflammation. Telomere measurement is conducted as a weighted average of different leukocytes subtypes and it is important to note that proportion of neutrophils in blood circulation is higher than other leukocytes subtypes and they have longer telomere length than lymphocytes (29, 30). Notably, acute inflammation is characterised by predominant accumulataion of neutrophils rather than lymphocytes, thus, it is plausible to presume that inflammation as a result of air pollution exposure may cause longer telomere length due differential clonal expansion of leukocytes (27).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations Between Air Pollution and relative Leukocyte Telomere Length Among Northern Swedish Adults: Insights from the Betula Study

Raza,

Pudas,

Kanninen

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Air pollution is increasingly discussed as a risk factor for dementia, but the biological mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Cellular integrity markers like telomere length are relevant to investigate in relation to air pollution exposure in this context, as they are associated with aging and dementia. Previous studies on air pollution and telomere length have somewhat mixed results, which may partly be due to differences in air pollution modelling, composition, and concentrations. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between source-specific air pollution exposure and telomere length in a low-level air pollution area. Data were obtained from the Betula project, a longitudinal study in Northern Sweden dedicated to studying aging, memory and dementia. A total of 519 participants who were recruited between 1988 and 1995 were included, whose relative telomere length was measured, and who were followed-up with respect to dementia for more than 20 years. To estimate annual mean air pollution concentrations, a dispersion model linked to each participant's residential address was employed. We conducted linear regression to explore the associations between annual mean air pollution concentrations at participants' residences and relative leukocyte telomere length. In the whole sample, there was no support for air pollution to affect telomere length, with regression slope estimates close to zero and p-values >0.10. There were tendencies for a positive association of longer telomere length and higher exposure to air pollution among individuals who were later diagnosed with dementia (N = 74), but these findings were not conclusive (p-values >0.10). The findings raise questions about susceptibility to air pollution and the state of the inflammatory response in individuals who later will develop dementia. Given the imprecise nature of these estimates, caution is advised in their interpretation however, and validation in other studies is essential.

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“…In addition, higher TV viewing time in 7–10-year-old children has been associated with greater levels of CRP and of sVCAM-1, a biomarker of endothelial dysfunction [ 43 ]. Biologically, the increment of pro-inflammatory biomarkers may induce an increase in apoptosis, cellular senescence, and oxidative stress, augmenting systemic inflammation and cellular aging, which are subsequently linked with TL shortening [ 44 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sedentary Behaviour and Telomere Length Shortening during Early Childhood: Evidence from the Multicentre Prospective INMA Cohort Study

Prieto-Botella

Martens

Valera-Gran

et al. 2023

IJERPH

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Sedentary behaviour (SB) may be related to telomere length (TL) attrition due to a possible pro-inflammatory effect. This study examined the association between parent-reported sedentary behaviour (SB) and leukocyte TL at the age of 4 and telomere tracking from 4 to 8 years. In the Spanish birth cohort Infancia y Medio Ambiente (INMA) project, we analysed data from children who attended follow-up visits at age 4 (n = 669) and 8 (n = 530). Multiple robust regression models were used to explore the associations between mean daily hours of SB (screen time, other sedentary activities, and total SB) at 4 years categorised into tertiles and TL at 4 years and difference in TL rank between age 4 and 8, respectively. At the age of 4, the results showed that children with the highest screen time (1.6–5.0 h/day) had a shorter TL of −3.9% (95% CI: −7.4, −0.4; p = 0.03) compared with children in the lowest tertile (0.0–1.0 h/day). Between 4 and 8 years, a higher screen time (highest tertile group vs. lowest tertile) was associated with a decrease in the LTL rank of −1.9% (95% CI: −3.8, −0.1; p = 0.03) from 4 to 8 years. Children exposed to a higher screen time at 4 years were more prone to have shorter TL at 4 and between 4 and 8 years of age. This study supports the potential negative effect of SB during childhood on cellular longevity.

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External environmental agents influence telomere length and telomerase activity by modulating internal cellular processes: Implications in human aging

Cited by 24 publications

References 205 publications

Heritability and age-dependent changes in genetic variation of telomere length in a wild house sparrow population

Heritability and age-dependent changes in genetic variation of telomere length in a wild house sparrow population

Associations Between Air Pollution and relative Leukocyte Telomere Length Among Northern Swedish Adults: Insights from the Betula Study

Sedentary Behaviour and Telomere Length Shortening during Early Childhood: Evidence from the Multicentre Prospective INMA Cohort Study

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