TY - JOUR
T1 - Telomeres, species differences, and unusual telomeres in vertebrates: presenting challenges and opportunities to understanding telomere dynamics
AU - Ingles, Emory
AU - DEAKIN, Janine
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - There has been increasing interest in the use of telomeres as biomarkers of stress, cellular ageing and life-histories. However, the telomere landscape is a diverse feature, with noticeable differences between species, a fact which is highlighted by the unusual telomeres of various vertebrate organisms. We broadly review differences in telomere dynamics among vertebrates, and emphasize the need to understand more about telomere processes and trends across species. As part of these species differences, we review unusual telomeres in vertebrates. This includes mega-telomeres, which are present across a diverse set of organisms, but also focusing on the unusual telomeres traits of marsupials and monotremes, which have seen little to no prior discussion, yet uniquely stand out from other unusual telomere features discovered thus far. Due to the presence of at least two unique telomere features in the marsupial family Dasyuridae, as well as to the presence of physiological strategies semelparity and torpor, which have implications for telomere life-histories in these species, we suggest that this family has a very large potential to uncover novel information on telomere evolution and dynamics.
AB - There has been increasing interest in the use of telomeres as biomarkers of stress, cellular ageing and life-histories. However, the telomere landscape is a diverse feature, with noticeable differences between species, a fact which is highlighted by the unusual telomeres of various vertebrate organisms. We broadly review differences in telomere dynamics among vertebrates, and emphasize the need to understand more about telomere processes and trends across species. As part of these species differences, we review unusual telomeres in vertebrates. This includes mega-telomeres, which are present across a diverse set of organisms, but also focusing on the unusual telomeres traits of marsupials and monotremes, which have seen little to no prior discussion, yet uniquely stand out from other unusual telomere features discovered thus far. Due to the presence of at least two unique telomere features in the marsupial family Dasyuridae, as well as to the presence of physiological strategies semelparity and torpor, which have implications for telomere life-histories in these species, we suggest that this family has a very large potential to uncover novel information on telomere evolution and dynamics.
KW - There has been increasing interest in the use of telomeres as biomarkers of stress
KW - cellular ageing and life-histories. However
KW - the telomere landscape is a diverse feature
KW - with noticeable differences between species
KW - a fact which is highlighted by the unusual telomeres of various vertebrate organisms. We broadly review differences in telomere dynamics among vertebrates
KW - and emphasize the need to understand more about telomere processes and trends across species. As part of these species differences
KW - we review unusual telomeres in vertebrates. This includes mega-telomeres
KW - which are present across a diverse set of organisms
KW - but also focusing on the unusual telomeres traits of marsupials and monotremes
KW - which have seen little to no prior discussion
KW - yet uniquely stand out from other unusual telomere features discovered thus far. Due to the presence of at least two unique telomere features in the marsupial family Dasyuridae
KW - as well as to the presence of physiological strategies semelparity and torpor
KW - which have implications for telomere life-histories in these species
KW - we suggest that this family has a very large potential to uncover novel information on telomere evolution and dynamics.
U2 - 10.3934/genet.2016.1.1
DO - 10.3934/genet.2016.1.1
M3 - Article
SN - 2377-1143
VL - 3
SP - 1
EP - 24
JO - AIMS Genetics
JF - AIMS Genetics
ER -