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1. Leveraging whole‐genome sequencing to estimate telomere length in plants

   https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13899  

   Zavala‐Paez, Michelle; Holliday, Jason; Hamilton, Jill A. (November 2023, Molecular Ecology Resources)

   Abstract Changes in telomere length are increasingly used to indicate species' response to environmental stress across diverse taxa. Despite this broad use, few studies have explored telomere length in plants. Thus, evaluation of new approaches for measuring telomeres in plants is needed. Rapid advances in sequencing approaches and bioinformatic tools now allow estimation of telomere content from whole‐genome sequencing (WGS) data, a proxy for telomere length. While telomere content has been quantified extensively using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and WGS in humans, no study to date has compared the effectiveness of WGS in estimating telomere length in plants relative to qPCR approaches. In this study, we use 100Populusclones re‐sequenced using short‐read Illumina sequencing to quantify telomere length comparing three different bioinformatic approaches (Computel, K‐seek and TRIP) in addition to qPCR. Overall, telomere length estimates varied across different bioinformatic approaches, but were highly correlated across methods for individual genotypes. A positive correlation was observed between WGS estimates and qPCR, however, Computel estimates exhibited the greatest correlation. Computel incorporates genome coverage into telomere length calculations, suggesting that genome coverage is likely important to telomere length quantification when using WGS data. Overall, telomere estimates from WGS provided greater precision and accuracy of telomere length estimates relative to qPCR. The findings suggest WGS is a promising approach for assessing telomere length and, as the field of telomere ecology evolves, may provide added value to assaying response to biotic and abiotic environments for plants needed to accelerate plant breeding and conservation management. 

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2. Telomere length is longer following diapause in two solitary bee species

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-61613-2  

   Grula, Courtney C.; Rinehart, Joshua D.; Anacleto, Angelo; Kittilson, Jeffrey D.; Heidinger, Britt J.; Greenlee, Kendra J.; Rinehart, Joseph P.; Bowsher, Julia H. (May 2024, Scientific Reports)

   Abstract The mechanisms that underlie senescence are not well understood in insects. Telomeres are conserved repetitive sequences at chromosome ends that protect DNA during replication. In many vertebrates, telomeres shorten during cell division and in response to stress and are often used as a cellular marker of senescence. However, little is known about telomere dynamics across the lifespan in invertebrates. We measured telomere length in larvae, prepupae, pupae, and adults of two species of solitary bees,Osmia lignariaandMegachile rotundata. Contrary to our predictions, telomere length was longer in later developmental stages in bothO. lignariaandM. rotundata.Longer telomeres occurred after emergence from diapause, which is a physiological state with increased tolerance to stress. InO. lignaria, telomeres were longer in adults when they emerged following diapause. InM. rotundata, telomeres were longer in the pupal stage and subsequent adult stage, which occurs after prepupal diapause. In both species, telomere length did not change during the 8 months of diapause. Telomere length did not differ by mass similarly across species or sex. We also did not see a difference in telomere length after adultO. lignariawere exposed to a nutritional stress, nor did length change during their adult lifespan. Taken together, these results suggest that telomere dynamics in solitary bees differ from what is commonly reported in vertebrates and suggest that insect diapause may influence telomere dynamics. 

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3. Family socioeconomic status and child telomere length among the Samburu of Kenya

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114182  

   Needham, Belinda L.; Straight, Bilinda; Hilton, Charles E.; Olungah, Charles Owuor; Lin, Jue (August 2021, Social Science & Medicine)

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4. Sex Differences in Telomere Length in a Bat With Female‐Biased Longevity

   https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71378  

   Rayner, Jack_G; Marshall, Abigail; Adams, Danielle_M; Kaiser, Jillian; Armenta, Katherine; Wilkinson, Gerald_S (May 2025, Ecology and Evolution)

   ABSTRACT Telomeres, protective caps at the ends of linear chromosomes, are frequently found to shorten with age. Telomere length is commonly measured in wild populations to investigate age‐related changes in somatic integrity and is considered a hallmark of ageing. Despite interest, there is no clear picture regarding sex differences in telomere length or rate of attrition across species. Bats are of considerable interest in studies of ageing and telomeres, owing to their remarkable longevity and the absence of age‐associated telomere attrition observed in some species. Additionally, multiple bat species show evidence of sex differences in longevity. However, few studies of bat telomeres have included both sexes. We collected DNA from wild‐caught males and females of the highly polygynous greater spear‐nosed bat,Phyllostomus hastatus, in which mortality is strongly male‐biased, and measured relative telomere lengths. We found that, while telomeres were shorter in older bats, there was no evidence of shorter telomeres in males. In fact, males tended to have longer telomeres. This runs counter to our prediction of shorter telomeres in the shorter‐lived sex but is not completely unexpected in light of other observations, including that of shorter telomeres in longer lived species. 

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5. Telomere length predicts timing and intensity of migratory behaviour in a nomadic songbird

   https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0176  

   Vernasco, Ben J.; Watts, Heather E. (August 2022, Biology Letters)

   Our understanding of state-dependent behaviour is reliant on identifying physiological indicators of condition. Telomeres are of growing interest for understanding behaviour as they capture differences in biological state and residual lifespan. To understand the significance of variable telomere lengths for behaviour and test two hypotheses describing the relationship between telomeres and behaviour (i.e. the causation and the selective adoption hypotheses), we assessed if telomere lengths are longitudinally repeatable traits related to spring migratory behaviour in captive pine siskins ( Spinus pinus ). Pine siskins are nomadic songbirds that exhibit highly flexible, facultative migrations, including a period of spring nomadism. Captive individuals exhibit extensive variation in spring migratory restlessness and are an excellent system for mechanistic studies of migratory behaviour. Telomere lengths were found to be significantly repeatable ( R = 0.51) over four months, and shorter pre-migratory telomeres were associated with earlier and more intense expression of spring nocturnal migratory restlessness. Telomere dynamics did not vary with migratory behaviour. Our results describe the relationship between telomere length and migratory behaviour and provide support for the selective adoption hypothesis. More broadly, we provide a novel perspective on the significance of variable telomere lengths for animal behaviour and the timing of annual cycle events. 

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