Lagomorphs (rabbits, pikas and hares) do not use telomere-directed replicative aging in vitro

Telomere shortening is used for replicative aging in primates and ungulates but not rodents. We examined telomere biology in rabbits to expand the comparative biology of telomere-directed replicative senescence within mammals. The order Lagomorpha consists of two families; Leporidae and Ochotonidae....

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Published inMechanisms of ageing and development Vol. 126; no. 6; pp. 685 - 691
Main Authors Forsyth, Nicholas R., Elder, Frederick F.B., Shay, Jerry W., Wright, Woodring E.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.06.2005
Elsevier Science
Subjects
Aging
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Cells, Cultured
Cellular Senescence - physiology
Development. Metamorphosis. Moult. Ageing
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Hares - physiology
Lagomorpha
Rabbits
Senescence
Telomerase
Telomerase - metabolism
Telomere
Telomere - metabolism
Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
Aging
Rabbits
Senescence
Lagomorpha
Telomere
Telomerase
Vertebrata
Mammalia
Enzyme
Ageing
Rabbit
In vitro
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Summary:Telomere shortening is used for replicative aging in primates and ungulates but not rodents. We examined telomere biology in rabbits to expand the comparative biology of telomere-directed replicative senescence within mammals. The order Lagomorpha consists of two families; Leporidae and Ochotonidae. We examined telomere biology in species representing three leporid genera (European White Rabbit, Black-tailed Jack Rabbit, and Swamp Rabbit) and the monotypic ochotonid genus (North American Pika). Of the leporids one species was a laboratory strain and the others were wild caught. The leporids neither exhibited cellular senescence after sustained periods in culture nor displayed detectable telomerase activity. Continued culture was possible because of their extremely long telomeric arrays. Immunofluorescence showed robust telomere signals at chromosome ends and significant internal chromosomal staining in some instances. Pika was unique in displaying endogenous telomerase activity throughout time in culture. These results show that it is unlikely that lagomorphs use telomere shortening and replicative senescence as a tumor protective mechanism.
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ISSN:0047-6374
1872-6216
DOI:10.1016/j.mad.2005.01.003