A parent-of-origin effect on embryonic telomere elongation determines telomere length inheritance.

ABSTRACT: Telomeres are composed of specialized DNA, RNA, and proteins that interact to preserve the integrity of chromosome termini.^1,2 Despite this vital function, telomere length varies dramatically within and between species. Genome-wide association studies have identified multiple genes that explain a portion of this variation,³ suggesting that telomere length is inherited as a classic quantitative trait. However, telomere length is also directly inherited as a DNA sequence. Here, we show that neither the polygenic nor the direct inheritance paradigm fully accounts for telomere length inheritance, which also depends on a parent-of-origin effect on telomere elongation in the early embryo. By reciprocally crossing mouse strains with different telomere l

SUBMITTER: Jeon HJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12743270 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature