Mutation load and human longevity.
Since paternal age at reproduction is considered to be the main factor determining human spontaneous mutation rate (Crow, J. (1993) Environ. Mol. Mutagenesis, 21, 122-129), the effect of paternal age on human longevity was studied on 8,518 adult persons (at age 30 and above) from European aristocratic families with well-known genealogy. The daughters born to old fathers (50-59 years) lose about 4.4 years of their life compared to daughters of young fathers (20-29 years) and these losses are highly statistically significant, while sons are not significantly affected. Since only daughters inherit the paternal X chromosome, this sex-specific decrease in daughters' longevity might indicate that human longevity genes (crucial, house-keeping genes) sensitive to mutational load might be located in this chromosome.
Gavrilov
L A
LA
Center for Longevity Research at A.N. Belozersky Institute, Moscow State University, Russia. gavrilov@glas.apc.org
Gavrilova
N S
NS
Kroutko
V N
VN
Evdokushkina
G N
GN
Semyonova
V G
VG
Gavrilova
A L
AL
Lapshin
E V
EV
Evdokushkina
N N
NN
Kushnareva
Y E
YE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D009679:Nuclear Family; D010331:Paternal Age; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D014960:X Chromosome / Q000235:genetics*