Intergenerational effects on offspring telomere length: interactions among maternal age, stress exposure and offspring sex.

ABSTRACT: Offspring produced by older parents often have reduced longevity, termed the Lansing effect. Because adults usually have similar-aged mates, it is difficult to separate effects of maternal and paternal age, and environmental circumstances are also likely to influence offspring outcomes. The mechanisms underlying the Lansing effect are poorly understood. Variation in telomere length and loss, particularly in early life, is linked to longevity in many vertebrates, and therefore changes in offspring telomere dynamics could be very important in this context. We examined the effect of maternal age and environment on offspring telomere length in zebra finches. We kept mothers under either control (ad libitum food) or more challenging (unpredictable food) circumstances and experimentally minimize

SUBMITTER: Marasco V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6790762 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature