All's well that ends well? Causes of variation in telomere length

• Applicant: Dr. Christina Bauch
• Subject Area: Animal Physiology and Biochemistry ; Sensory and Behavioural Biology ; Evolution, Anthropology ; Evolutionary Cell and Developmental Biology (Zoology)
• Term: from 2015 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 278198414

Telomeres are DNA/protein structures at the ends of chromosomes that shorten with age. Evidence is accumulating that telomere length is a biomarker of aging and, more generally, phenotypic quality. As such, understanding telomere dynamics is essential for understanding the enigma of aging. Telomere lengths differ between individuals of the same age. Sources of variation in telomere length are: (i) (heritable) initial telomere length and (ii) telomere loss during the course of life, however, how both contribute to explaining variation in telomere length at various ages and how this is related to survival and reproduction is currently largely unknown. I will study telomere dynamics using an experimental approach in wild birds (jackdaws, Corvus monedula) by inducing a change in developmental conditions through brood size manipulation, in combination with cross-fostering. This experiment is part of a long-term study and has previously been shown to affect growth and telomere attrition in nestlings in my designated study population. Importantly, the telomere shortening in nestlings appeared fast enough to allow longitudinal comparisons within weeks, while in adults this takes years. This characteristic together with the experimental setting and a long-term individual-based data set with known pedigree creates a unique opportunity to investigate causes of variation in telomere length. My objectives are: (i) Apply state of the art quantitative genetics techniques to investigate genetic (heritability) and parental effects on offspring telomere length. (ii) Test candidate physiological causes of variation in telomere shortening, exploiting the high rate of telomere shortening in nestlings. Through this experimental work in an ecologically relevant setting I will make a unique contribution to our understanding of the causes of variation in telomere length.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: Netherlands
• Host: Professor Dr. Simon Verhulst