title: Paternal age and telomere length in twins: the germ stem cell selection paradigm.
abstract: Telomere length, a highly heritable trait, is longer in offspring of older fathers. This perplexing feature has been attributed to the longer telomeres in sperm of older men and it might be an 'epigenetic' mechanism through which paternal age plays a role in telomere length regulation in humans. Based on two independent (discovery and replication) twin studies, comprising 889 twin pairs, we show an increase in the resemblance of leukocyte telomere length between dizygotic twins of older fathers, which is not seen in monozygotic twins. This phenomenon might result from a paternal age-dependent germ stem cell selection process, whereby the selected stem cells have longer telomeres, are more homogenous with respect to telomere length, and share resistance to aging.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 5000, Denmark.|The Danish Twin Registry, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 5000, Denmark.
authors: Jacob B
authors: JB
authors: Hjelmborg
authors: Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 5000, Denmark.
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Dalgård
authors: Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK.
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Mangino
authors: Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK.
authors: Tim D
authors: TD
authors: Spector
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 5000, Denmark.
authors: Ulrich
authors: U
authors: Halekoh
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 5000, Denmark.
authors: Sören
authors: S
authors: Möller
authors: Center of Human Development and Aging, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA.
authors: Masayuki
authors: M
authors: Kimura
authors: Center of Human Development and Aging, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA.
authors: Kent
authors: K
authors: Horvath
authors: Epidemiology Unit, Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel.
authors: Jeremy D
authors: JD
authors: Kark
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 5000, Denmark.|The Danish Twin Registry, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 5000, Denmark.
authors: Kaare
authors: K
authors: Christensen
authors: Institute of Regional Health Services Research, University of Southern Denmark and Odense Patient data Explorative Network (OPEN), Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
authors: Kirsten O
authors: KO
authors: Kyvik
authors: Center of Human Development and Aging, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA.
authors: Abraham
authors: A
authors: Aviv
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D040582:Inheritance Patterns; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010331:Paternal Age; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics; D016615:Telomere / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D059505:Telomere Homeostasis; D059506:Telomere Shortening; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic / Q000235:genetics*; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase
keywords: father's age; germ line; heritability; leukocytes; telomeres; twins