Equine telomeres and telomerase in cellular immortalisation and ageing.
Abstract: To determine the role of telomeres in cellular ageing in equids, we analysed telomere lengths in peripheral blood derived DNA samples from a panel of donkeys (Equus asinus) ranging from 2 to 30 years of age. The average telomere lengths ranged from 7 to 21 kbp and a statistically significant inverse correlation between telomere lengths and donor age was demonstrated. Similarly, telomere lengths in primary fibroblasts isolated from a horse (Equus equus) demonstrated telomeric loss with in vitro ageing when cultured to senescence. We extended this study to evaluate activity of the enzyme telomerase in various equine cell cultures, normal equine tissues and equine benign tumour samples. Initially a panel of equine immortalised and primary cell cultures were evaluated for telomerase activity using a standard telomere repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay. High levels of telomerase activity were detected in equine immortalised cells with no activity evident in primary cell cultures. Similarly, no telomerase activity could be detected in normal equine tissues or equine benign tumour samples of the sarcoid or papilloma type. We conclude that telomere attrition may contribute to ageing in equids. However, it would appear that telomerase does not play a major role in the development of the most common benign tumours of the horse.
Publication Date: 2003-06-05 PubMed ID: 12782419DOI: 10.1016/s0047-6374(03)00104-0Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research explores the role of telomeres and telomerase in the ageing process of equids, finding a significant correlation between average telomere lengths and age, and suggesting that these elements may contribute to the aging process, but do not play a substantial role in the development of common benign equine tumors.
About the Research
- The researchers investigated the relationship between cellular ageing in Equids (a taxonomic group that includes horses and donkeys) and the lengths of telomeres, which are the end sections of chromosomes that shorten with each cell division.
- They took DNA samples from donkeys of various ages and found a strong inverse correlation between telomere lengths and the age of the donors. Thus, as the age of the donkeys increased, the length of the telomeres decreased, suggesting that telomere shortening might play a part in the ageing process.
Study on Telomere Loss and Fibroblast Cells
- Telomere lengths in primary fibroblast cells from horses also showed a loss in their length during in vitro ageing when the cells were cultured until they reached the point of senescence, or loss of the cells’ power of division and growth.
- This demonstrated that telomere attrition is not just a ‘biological by-product’ that occurs with ageing, but may actively contribute to the ageing process itself.
Evaluation of Telomerase Activity
- Besides telomere lengths, the study also evaluated the activity of an enzyme called telomerase which is known to lengthen telomeres and hence has been linked to cellular immortality.
- The researchers found high levels of telomerase activity in immortalized equine cells, but no activity in primary cell cultures, normal equine tissues, or benign equine tumor samples.
Conclusion
- The results suggested that while telomeres may contribute to ageing in equids, telomerase does not seem to play a major role in the development of common benign tumors in horses like sarcoids and papillomas.
- This indicates that the function of telomeres and telomerase is complex and may vary between different organisms and different types of cells.
Cite This Article
APA
Argyle D, Ellsmore V, Gault EA, Munro AF, Nasir L.
(2003).
Equine telomeres and telomerase in cellular immortalisation and ageing.
Mech Ageing Dev, 124(6), 759-764.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0047-6374(03)00104-0 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Molecular Therapeutics Research Group, Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, University of Glasgow Veterinary School, Bearsden Road, Glasgow G61 1QH, Scotland, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cell Line, Transformed
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cellular Senescence / physiology
- Equidae
- Fibroblasts / cytology
- Fibroblasts / metabolism
- Fibrosarcoma
- Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic
- Telomerase / genetics
- Telomerase / metabolism
- Telomere / metabolism
Citations
This article has been cited 10 times.- Peka M, Balatsky V, Saienko A, Tsereniuk O. Bioinformatic analysis of the effect of SNPs in the pig TERT gene on the structural and functional characteristics of the enzyme to develop new genetic markers of productivity traits. BMC Genomics 2023 Aug 25;24(1):487.
- Bateson M. Cumulative stress in research animals: Telomere attrition as a biomarker in a welfare context?. Bioessays 2016 Feb;38(2):201-12.
- Wnuk M, Lewinska A, Gurgul A, Zabek T, Potocki L, Oklejewicz B, Bugno-Poniewierska M, Wegrzyn M, Slota E. Changes in DNA methylation patterns and repetitive sequences in blood lymphocytes of aged horses. Age (Dordr) 2014 Feb;36(1):31-48.
- Gomes NM, Shay JW, Wright WE. Telomere biology in Metazoa. FEBS Lett 2010 Sep 10;584(17):3741-51.
- Lorenzini A, Johnson FB, Oliver A, Tresini M, Smith JS, Hdeib M, Sell C, Cristofalo VJ, Stamato TD. Significant correlation of species longevity with DNA double strand break recognition but not with telomere length. Mech Ageing Dev 2009 Nov-Dec;130(11-12):784-92.
- Seluanov A, Hine C, Bozzella M, Hall A, Sasahara TH, Ribeiro AA, Catania KC, Presgraves DC, Gorbunova V. Distinct tumor suppressor mechanisms evolve in rodent species that differ in size and lifespan. Aging Cell 2008 Dec;7(6):813-23.
- Gorbunova V, Seluanov A. Coevolution of telomerase activity and body mass in mammals: from mice to beavers. Mech Ageing Dev 2009 Jan-Feb;130(1-2):3-9.
- Oh HY, Jin X, Kim JG, Oh MJ, Pian X, Kim JM, Yoon MS, Son CI, Lee YS, Hong KC, Kim H, Choi YJ, Whang KY. Characteristics of primary and immortalized fibroblast cells derived from the miniature and domestic pigs. BMC Cell Biol 2007 Jun 1;8:20.
- Seluanov A, Chen Z, Hine C, Sasahara TH, Ribeiro AA, Catania KC, Presgraves DC, Gorbunova V. Telomerase activity coevolves with body mass not lifespan. Aging Cell 2007 Feb;6(1):45-52.
- Zhang N, Baker EC, Welsh TH Jr, Riley DG. Telomere Dynamics in Livestock. Biology (Basel) 2023 Oct 31;12(11).
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