First Author | Zhu L | Year | 1998 |
Journal | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A | Volume | 95 |
Issue | 15 | Pages | 8648-53 |
PubMed ID | 9671732 | Mgi Jnum | J:48933 |
Mgi Id | MGI:1276227 | Doi | 10.1073/pnas.95.15.8648 |
Citation | Zhu L, et al. (1998) Telomere length regulation in mice is linked to a novel chromosome locus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 95(15):8648-53 |
abstractText | Little is known about the mechanisms that regulate species- specific telomere length, particularly in mammalian species. The genetic regulation of telomere length was therefore investigated by using two inter-fertile species of mice, which differ in their telomere length. Mus musculus (telomere length >25 kb) and Mus spretus (telomere length 5-15 kb) were used to generate F1 crosses and reciprocal backcrosses, which were then analyzed for regulation of telomere length. This analysis indicated that a dominant and trans-acting mechanism exists capable of extensive elongation of telomeres in somatic cells after fusion of parental germline cells with discrepant telomere lengths. A genome wide screen of interspecific crosses, using M. Spretus as the recurrent parent, identified a 5-centimorgan region on distal chromosome 2 that predominantly controls the observed species-specific telomere length regulation. This locus is distinct from candidate genes encoding known telomere-binding proteins or telomerase components. These results demonstrate that an unidentified gene(s) mapped to distal chromosome 2 regulates telomere length in the mouse. |